b. 08/1832 Edinburgh, Scotland. d. 02/10/2000 Vallejo, California.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 25/07/1876 Mare Island Navy Yard, California.
US Navy Peacetime Medal of Honor Recipient. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he immigrated to the United States when he was 11 years old, arriving at the Port of New York City, New York on November 1, 1843. He dedicated most of his life to military service, never marrying, serving in the United States Army and Navy for 47 years. Parker was a veteran of the Civil War and earned the Army Civil War Campaign Medal.
While serving in the Navy as a Boatswain’s Mate, he was awarded the Medal of Honor “For gallant conduct in attempting to save a shipmate from drowning at the Navy Yard, Mare Island, California, on 25 July 1876”. His Medal was issued to him on August 9, 1876. During the Spanish-American War he served aboard the steel protected cruiser “USS San Francisco” (C-5) which in April 1898; with the outbreak of the war against Spain, then took up patrol duties along the Florida coast and off Cuba. Parker was awarded the Navy Spanish Campaign Medal, the West Indies Naval Campaign Medal which is also known as the Sampson Medal and the Navy Good Conduct Medal. He was a naturalized citizen and when voter registration became necessary, he registered in 1867 as a Foreign-Born Voter in California. He retired from the United States Navy on April 4, 1900 and died months later at the age of 68 in Vallejo, California. His grave sat nondescript until a Medal of Honor marker was installed in 2006.
MOH CITATION:
For gallant conduct in attempting to save a shipmate from drowning at the Navy Yard, Mare Island, Cal., on 25 July 1876.
BURIAL LOCATION: MARE ISLAND CEMETERY, VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA.
SECTION D, ROW 13, PLOT 59.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
