Republican farmer., 1918-03-01
COL. PARKER new
HEAD OF 1O2ND
REGIMENT ABROAD

The 102nd United States infantry,in
overseas service and made up largely
of the former First and Second Con-
nectlcut regiments, National Guard,
has a new commanding officer. He is
colonel John Henry Parker, a regular
army man, West Pointer, and known
IN the army as Machine Gun" Park
er, because of his study and develop
ment Of machine gun fighting, it is re-
ported in letters from members of the
regiment. He was commander, as a
lieutenant, in the Spanish War, of the
First Machine Gun Battalion the Uni
ted States ever had.
A Hartford soldier described his
new colonel in a letter as man who
would deliver the goods. at was
an inspiring and solemn occasion
when he took his oath before the en-
tire regiment" adds the writer. HE
said: Not life shall be lost from
my failure to do my duty. All l ask
IS that you men do your best"
1t is said the morale of the 102nd
has improved wonderfully, the past
month. The men go about whistling
and singing and there is little grum-
bling and complaining.
Colonel Parker was General PERISH
ing's right hand man during the Mex
lean campaign Of 1916 and is spoken
of by his associates as a mans man."
When the letter was written Col
DEL Isbell late commander of the
regiment was then at one of the big
hospitals in an administrative capac-
ity and Captain Guinan was his adju-
tant. Lieutenant Colonel Edwin E.
Lamb was divisional! provost marshal
Major William T. Alcorn was also on
detached duty. Major George j.
Rau was acting lieutenant-colonel,
Captain Clarence H. Thompson of
Captain Harry Bissel1 were acting
battalion commanders.
Colonel Parker, new commander of
the 1920 was born in Upton, Mo-,
September 10, 1866, son of Thomas P.
and Nancy (Maxey) Parker. He was
graduated from West Point in the
class of 1892 and admitted to the
Missouri bar in 1895. He married
Miss Ida Burr, daughter of G. w
Burr of Sedalia, Mo, September %.
1892.
He was commissioned second lieu
tenant of the 18th infantry, June II
of that year and on April rs, 1898,
was commissioned first lieutenant. He
was major of the fortieth and thirty
ninth United States Volunteers from
August IT, 1899, until May 6, 1901.
In February of that year he was
commissioned captain and joined the
Twenty-eighth infantry, regular army
and on November Fl, 1914, became
major of the Eighth infantry. In
1917 he was major Of the Twenty
fourth (colored) infantry.
He is the author of "Gatlings at
battery at Santiago, Cuba, in 1898, and
is an honorary member of the Roose-
welt Rough Riders association OF
1898. While in the Philippines from
1899 to 1901 was made assistant to
the chief judge advocate.
In 1903 he devised and organized
the first model machine gun battalion
U. S. A, made permanent by an Or
der of the war department on Janu-
airy %, 1914.
He was the advisor to the governor
Mantanzas province, Cuba. during the
second intervention and was in charge
of the municipal improvements of the
province. In 1908 he was put on
special duty organizing a first model
unit of machine guns for duty with a
regiment of infantry, and writing
necessary texts for future development
of machine gun service for infantry
He is the author of "Gattlings at
Santiago" 1898; Tactical Uses and
| Organization of Machine Guns in the
Field" 1898; Trained Citizen Sol
der" 1915, and author of a scheme
of promotion by selection to as uper-
numerary or distinguished service
| list, amounting to 10 per cent. of the
number of officers in army on the
| active list modifying the present sys-
| tenn of "linea1 promotion"