USMC Korean War Vet Spends Last Days With Marines
by U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brynn L. Bouchard
June 22, 2025 Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. William Marvin Parks, a Korean War veteran and survivor of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, spent his final day (June 3, 2025) surrounded by Marines during Marine Week in Nashville. At 94 years old, Sgt. Parks was honored as the oldest Marine in attendance during a 250th Marine Corps birthday ceremony at City Hall in Murfreesboro, just one day before his peaceful passing. 
June 3, 2025 - Retired U.S. Marine Corps Korean War veteran Sgt. William Parks stands with the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon during a Marine Week celebration in Nashville, Tennessee. Parks, recognized as the oldest Marine in attendance, participated in the ceremony honoring the service and legacy of Marines past and present. Marine Week offers communities the opportunity to connect with Marines through performances, static displays, and community outreach. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brynn L. Bouchard.)
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During the ceremony, Sgt. Parks presented the first piece of birthday cake to Lance Cpl. Culver Switzer, a rifleman with the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon from Marine Barracks Washington. The gesture followed Marine Corps tradition, symbolizing the passing of wisdom and tradition from the oldest Marine to the youngest. The moment was filled with reverence and legacy, representing a snapshot of the enduring brotherhood shared across generations of Marines.
Following the ceremony, Sgt. Parks posed for a photo with the Silent Drill Platoon. More than a photo, the image captures a Marine who helped shape the Corps' legacy, standing beside those who carry it forward today.
Parks’ story is one of grit and legacy. Born in Chattanooga on October 17, 1930, he joined the Marine Corps at just 15. By the time he was 17, he was in combat in Korea, landing at Inchon in the fifth wave and enduring the brutal conditions of the Chosin Reservoir. He once volunteered to be the first to cross a makeshift bridge over a 1,000-foot drop assembled from air-dropped sections of material. As a demonstration to his fellow Marines, Park drove his bulldozer across the bridge to prove it would hold. In June 1951, he was wounded in action and returned to the United States where he continued serving until 1952.
Though decades had passed since his service, Sgt. Parks never lost his connection to the Corps. He proudly shared stories and photos from his time in Korea, including photos from the Chosin Few Monument near Quantico, Va., which commemorates the estimated 2,500 U.S. troops who died in the infamous battle.
His final day was spent exactly where he wanted to be: in the company of Marines, honoring the legacy he helped build. As Marine Week continued across the Nashville area, Sgt. Parks' legacy stood as a reminder of the sacrifice, strength, and esprit de corps that lives on in every Marine. The U.S. Marines | Marines - The Few, The Proud | Our Valiant Troops | I Am The One | Veterans | Citizens Like Us U.S. Marines Gifts | U.S. Marine Corps | U.S. Department of Defense | |
