PORTLAND, Oregon – The 142nd Fighter Wing is deeply saddened by the loss of Fred Parish, the last remaining original member of the Oregon Air National Guard, who passed away on Sunday, July 7, 2019 in La Grande, Oregon.
Tech. Sgt. Fred Parish enlisted into the newly formed 123rd Observation Squadron in April, 1941, along with 117 other Oregonians to form Oregon’s first military aviation unit. The 123rd Observation Squadron later became the 123rd Fighter Squadron, which now operates Portland’s F-15 Eagle fighter jets.
During World War II, Parish served in Oregon and Washington before deploying to the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater as a medic. He was in the military until 1945 when he separated at the rank of Technical Sergeant after the war had ended.
Fred would have celebrated his 99th birthday this September.
“The Oregon Air National Guard has been an integral part of the nation’s air defense since 1941, and Fred was at the cutting edge of that success,” said Brig. Gen. Donna Prigmore, Commander, Oregon Air National Guard. “He was a brave and motivated man who helped pave the way for our future, and for that, we will always be grateful.”
B-roll of the original Oregon Air National Guard members and a soundbite from Fred can be found at this link: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/695825/fred-parish-soundbite-with-123rd-observation-squadron-b-roll
