Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame 2023 Inductee

John Parker was born in Claremont, Minnesota. As a youth,

he envisioned himself as a cowboy. His love of the outdoors

would later lead him to an extensive career as a conservation

officer. After high school he went on to attend Rochester

Junior College. Later he joined the Army Air Corps in 1943

and received his commission as an officer in 1944. After

flight training and earning his wings, he trained in the P-47

Thunderbolt and was deployed to Italy, where he flew 61

combat missions as a member of the 345th Squadron of the

350th Fighter Group. His follow-on orders sent him to the

Aleutian Islands to fly the P-38 Lightning. During his time in

the military he earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf

Clusters, along with several other awards and battle stars.

Following the war Parker transitioned out of the military and

joined the Minnesota Department of Conservation, where he

became one of the first four pilots to be designated a flying

Game Warden. In 1948 he began his flight duties and was

eventually assigned to the Warroad area, where he spent his

entire 34-year career.

Parker's conservation role began with the state's elk study.

Parker flew numerous missions tracing the elk range in

Northern Minnesota. He found a way to "herd" the animals

from the air, thus restricting the range of the elk and their

habit of destroying farm crops. His next project was to track

timber wolves. In the 1950s, wolves were considered destructive

to livestock. From the air, it was possible to track collared

wolves to learn the habits and ranges of individual packs.

Parker would also spend hours in the air, tracking ducks, cranes,

moose, and other species. As a game warden, Parker was also responsible

for enforcing the law. To deter illegal hunting, Parker often flew at night to search

for hunters shining deer. Challenging weather and low-level

flying were common hazards throughout his career.

Parker has also taken part in countless searches for lost

hunters and fishermen. On several occasions, he was needed

to search for drowning or crash victims. He was cited by

numerous organizations for his willingness and determination

in finding those missing persons using his flying abilities.

He also tracked weather balloons through their radio

beacons, finding their landing locations so that ground personnel

could retrieve them for the valuable data they provided.

During Parker's career, he flew hundreds of unique missions

relating to the protection and preservation of

Minnesota's natural resources and public safety. He retired

from the Department of Natural Resources in 1982.

In addition to his service as a Game Warden, John Parker

contributed to his community, serving as Warroad's Director

of Youth Hockey for 20 years, for his role as the Director he

received the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association

President's Award. Parker also started a Golden Gloves program

in Northwestern Minnesota. Parker served on the

Warroad Airport Commission, helping the community's

grass strip become a regional airport. He belonged to the

local Lion's Club, the American Legion and was a church

trustee and school board member.