US Army PFC Jesse Lee Parker was born in Bagdad, Santa Rosa County, Florida on May 22, 1921, the son of Chaudoin "Bennie" Moseley Parker (1889-1950) and Ada Amelia Montague (1893-1959). His father was married first to Florence Parker (1895-1950) and secondly to Jesse's mother Ada Montague in 1909. His father would marry a third time to Thressa Parker (1890-) and a fourth time as well. His father supported the family as a painter, but by 1940 Jesse's mother was supporting the kids out of their home at 242 West King Street in Milton. That same year, Jesse was working as a blacksmith's helper for the CCC. The CCC was the "Civilian Conservation Corps" created by Congress in 1933 during the Great Depression to provide jobs for young, unemployed men.
Jesse was also the grandson of Confederate Private Henry Clay Parker (1845-1917) who was born and died in Alachua County, Florida. As the dark clouds of war burst upon the nation, Henry enlisted in Company "B" of the 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment on May 23, 1861 in Newnansville, Florida. His regiment was sent to the Army of Northern Virginia where they fought in some of the bloodiest battles in American history prior to the Battle of Antietam. On September 9, 1862, he mustered out of the 2nd Regiment and reenlisted in the 5th Florida Cavalry Battalion with the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. There he fought in the battles of Olustee, Gainesville, Milton, and Braddock's Farm before surrendering at Tallahassee, Florida on May 10, 1865. Two years after the war, Henry would marry Iantha Olivia Stephenson on January 17, 1867 in Alachua County. In 1915, Henry was a member of Florida's House of Representatives from Alachua County.
When WWII erupted, Jesse was inducted into the US Army on November 23, 1942 and was assigned to the Pacific Theater with the 167th Infantry Regiment of the 31st "Dixie" Infantry Division. Jesse's first encounter with combat was in July 1944 on the embattled island of New Guinea where casualties were running high. By September 1944, the Division was storming the shore of the Japanese held island of Morotai plus the smaller islands that surrounded it. One of those islands was Mapia Island, and the 167th Regiment was given the task of seizing it with the regiment's 2nd Battalion. These outlying islands were north of New Guinea and were being used by the Japanese as outposts to observe Allied movements. On November 15th, over 1,200 soldiers landed at Pegun Island in the Mapia chain and the next day they hit Bras Island. It was there that PFC Jesse Lee Parker from Bagdad, Florida was mortally wounded in the fighting that followed on the 16th of November. He was rushed to a field hospital, but died of his wounds on November 17th. Sadly, the islands were overrun and secured the day after his death. He was survived by his parents and his three sisters; Mrs. Clarice Olivia Jernigan, Mrs. Bessie Lucille Billbray, and Mrs. Joyce Raughtan.
For such a small settlement as Bagdad, Florida, this lumber town certainly contributed more than their fair share to the war effort in WWI and WWII. Already the "Bagdad Boys" of Rodney Cropper, James Edwin Foxworth, Donald Lee Simpson, and Raymond Simmons Hobbs had made the supreme sacrifice for their country. Now another would be joining their eternal ranks, but sadly the call for sacrifice was far from over and the Bagdad Boys would be asked for more.
Following his death, Jesse was buried in a temporary military cemetery before being brought back home at his family's request after the war! His body was shipped back home and buried with full military honors in July 1948 in the Bagdad Cemetery in Santa Rosa County, Florida.














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