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PORTLAND, Oregon – The 142nd Fighter Wing is deeply saddened by the loss of Fred Parish, the last remaining original member of the Oregon Air National Guard, who passed away on Sunday, July 7, 2019 in La Grande, Oregon.
Tech. Sgt. Fred Parish enlisted into the newly formed 123rd Observation Squadron in April, 1941, along with 117 other Oregonians to form Oregon’s first military aviation unit. The 123rd Observation Squadron later became the 123rd Fighter Squadron, which now operates Portland’s F-15 Eagle fighter jets.
During World War II, Parish served in Oregon and Washington before deploying to the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater as a medic. He was in the military until 1945 when he separated at the rank of Technical Sergeant after the war had ended.
Fred would have celebrated his 99th birthday this September.
“The Oregon Air National Guard has been an integral part of the nation's air defense since 1941, and Fred was at the cutting edge of that success,” said Brig. Gen. Donna Prigmore, Commander, Oregon Air National Guard. “He was a brave and motivated man who helped pave the way for our future, and for that, we will always be grateful.”
B-roll of the original Oregon Air National Guard members and a soundbite from Fred can be found at this link: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/695825/fred-parish-soundbite-with-123rd-observation-squadron-b-roll
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Photo caption
190710-Z-IW846-0003 The original members of the 123rd Observation Squadron as they pose for a group photo. Fred Parish, the last remaining original member, passed away Sunday, 7 July, 2019.
PORTLAND, Oregon – The 142nd Fighter Wing out of the Portland Air National Guard Base in Portland, Oregon will conduct Independence Day flyovers for ceremonies at locations throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Oregon Air National Guard F-15 Eagle fighter jets are scheduled to conduct flyovers at the following community locations at, or around, the designated times on Thursday, July 4, 2019.
10:45 a.m. Camas, Wash.
11:00 a.m. Ridgefield, Wash.
11:30 a.m. Manzanita, Ore.
11:32 a.m. Rockaway Beach, Ore.
11:40 a.m. Neskowin, Ore.
12:00 p.m. Monmouth, Ore.
All passes will be approximately 1,000 feet above ground level and about 400 mph airspeed. Flights could be canceled or times changed due to inclement weather or operational contingencies.
The Oregon Air National Guard has been an integral part of the nation's air defense since 1941.
About the 142nd Fighter Wing:
The Portland Air National Guard Base employs 1,500 Airmen who provide an economic impact of nearly $500 million to the region. The 142nd Fighter Wing defends our homeland with F-15 Eagle fighter jets, guarding the Pacific Northwest skies from northern California to the Canadian border through their Aerospace Control Alert mission as part of Air Combat Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Their mission is to provide unequalled, mission-ready units to sustain combat aerospace superiority and peacetime tasking any time, any place in service to our nation, state and community.
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KINGSLEY FIELD, Ore. -- The 173rd Fighter Wing out of Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore. will conduct Independence Day flyovers for ceremonies at locations throughout Oregon and California.
F-15 Eagle fighter jets are scheduled to conduct flyovers at the following community locations at, or around, the designated times on Thursday, July 4.
9:45 a.m. Central Point 4th of July Freedom Festival, Central Point, Ore.
10:00 a.m. Downtown Klamath Falls, Klamath Falls, Ore.
10:15 a.m. Downtown Ashland, Ashland, Ore.
10:45 a.m. City Hall Park, Dorris, Cal.
11:00 a.m. Main Street, Eagle Point, Ore.
11:15 a.m. Lake of the Woods, Klamath County, Ore.
11:30 a.m. Oregon Ave. -- Main Street, Creswell, Ore.
All passes will be approximately 1,000 feet above ground level and about 400 mph airspeed. Flights could be canceled or times changed due to inclement weather or operational contingencies.
The Oregon Air National Guard has been an integral part of the nation's air defense since 1941. The 173rd FW is home to the premier F-15C pilot training facility for the United States Air Force.
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