Richard McKay Parish
Era: Korea
Military Branch: Navy
Richard M. Parish
Mr. Parish served in the Korean War. He served in the U.S. Navy from March 19th, 1952 to January 7th, 1954. He was assigned to the USS Bryce Canyon (AD-36). Mr. Parish held the rank of Fire Control Technician 3rd Class. Richard Parish was born in September of 1929 in Superior, Wisconsin. He is the son of Vince and Elizabeth Parish. He graduated from Superior Central High School in Superior, Wisconsin in 1948.
Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall veteran history form; veteran’s account follows:
"3rd Class Technician Richard Parish - I joined the Naval Reserve in the fall of 1947 while I was still a senior in high school. We trained weekly in the Reserve unit in Duluth, MN on Park Point. We had a 165-foot patrol ship that we sailed on two or three times each year. In addition, I sailed on a destroyer out of Providence, RI, for a two-week cruise. All of the training helped during my later active duty service.
Typical of today’s short notice to active duty during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I received my orders to active duty during a drill session, and three weeks later I was on board the USS Bryce Canyon, AD-36. We were responsible for doing repairs to the U.S. Naval Destroyer Fleet.
Our homeport was San Diego and later Long Beach, CA. I made two trips to Japan, the first for nine months duration and the second or five months. I went on active duty as a seaman and passed the fleet-wide test for Fire Control Tech, 3rd Class after four months.
My assignment was mobile ordinance. Our crew of four members traveled from our home ship to Destroyers in the Pacific Fleet and did repairs on 40 mm, three-inch and five-inch guns. I later passed the test for 2nd Class Tech and read the posting the night before I left the ship to return to the States to be discharged.
In all, I served in the Naval Reserve from September 1947 to September 1955 with active duty from March 1952 to January 1954. In addition to my service in California, I also served on the USS Bryce Canyon in Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan.”
