A soldier dies in his arms

Heroes Remember

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A soldier dies in his arms

In the dark there was a, a jeep and they were pulling a 6-pounder anti-tank weapon behind them. There were two people in the jeep, now I learnt this later because I couldn't see them, but I knew that I could see the outlines of the jeep and I knew that there was an anti-tank gun going by me. The tank flew up, or the anti-tank gun flew up into the air, I don't know whether it was in pieces or not, there a pretty hardy thing anyway, but the jeep went up into the air in bits and pieces. And after everything settled I heard this voice, "Help me, help." So I moved, felt my way across to the other side through the debris and I found the fellow who was in the, in the ditch. I got down beside him and I felt him over because I say in the dark and he says "My legs, my legs", and I recognized who it was, he was a sergeant in the anti-tank platoon and he says "My legs", and I reached down no legs - couldn't feel any legs and about this time I could hear the the running of liquid (spew, spew), blood, the man had bleeding terrific, and he's chopped off at the waist. I had him in my arms when I realized what was happening so in my pouch right on top, usually, I carried Syrettes, all senior NCO's had them, of morphine, three little tubes and a needle and I'm trying to get one of these to ease his pain and the situation he was in. I couldn't find them and that man died right in my arms, bleeding all over me. He died from the sergeant he was, I guess he was about 34 years old I, I, I think so anyway and he lived his life backwards he went right back to a babied arms and when he died he wimpered just like a baby and he passed away. I left him and by this time of course the, the medics came up, stretcher bearers and everything and I passed the man over to them. What they did with him after that I don't know but I had a job to do so away I went. We moved on then.

Mr. Parker tells a story of moving up the line in Italy at night, and having to try and help a wounded man in the dark.

Richard Allen Parker

Richard Allen Parker was born in Vernon, BC on May 27, 1917 to a First Nations family. He talks about his early years, the prejudice that he faced, and the meaning of being First Nations. He left home at an early age to work in the mines. He talks about joining the PPCLI in 1942, fighting the SS and Hitler Youth and his time in Algiers and Italy.