Floyd L. Parks
| Floyd L. Parks | |
|---|---|
Floyd L. Parks
|
|
| Born |
February 9, 1896 Louisville, Kentucky |
| Died | March 10, 1959 (aged 63) Washington, D.C. (Walter Reed Army Hospital) |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1918–1956 |
| Rank |
 lieutenant general
|
| Commands held |
First Allied Airborne Army US Sector and Military Governor, Berlin, Germany Second United States Army |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit Bronze Star Air Medal Army Commendation Medal Order of Kutuzov (USSR) Order of Bath (UK) |
Floyd Lavinius Parks (9 February 1896 – 10 March 1959) was a United States Army general during World War II. During the war, he was chief of staff of the US Army Ground Forces and the First Allied Airborne Army. As such, he participated in Operation Market Garden that directed air drops into the Netherlands behind the German lines which were preventing Allied forces from crossing the Rhine river. He commanded the US First Airborne Army in 1945 on his promotion to major general. After the war, Parks commanded the US Sector in Berlin before going to Washington D.C. to become the chief of the Public Information Division for the Army. Later, he commanded American forces in the US Army, Pacific in 1949. After service in Hawaii, he became chief of the Information Department, whereafter he was known as the "father of modern Army public affairs." He received a promotion to lieutenant general in 1953 and thereafter served as Commanding General for the Second United States Army until his retirement in 1956.
Floyd Lavinius Parks was born in Louisville, Kentucky on 9 February 1896, the youngest of four children of Lyman Lewis Parks and Lizzie Pratt née Manly. He attended the Clemson College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical and electrical engineering in 1918.
Parks entered the army as a private in 1918 and was commissioned into infantry that year. He served as a machine gun instructor with the 65th Engineers, the US Army's first Tank Corps unit, under the command of Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1918 to 1923 at Camp Colt, Pennsylvania. There, he also served as a commanding officer of Company A, 333rd Tank Battalion, and the Tank Corps Reserve Officers Training Camp.
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