In Their Words

Colt .45 Pistol and Leather Holster

This Model 1911 Colt pistol was carried by “SI” Parker in combat during World War I. The weapon features 8 notches engraved on the frame, one for each German soldier Parker killed with the gun. One of these notches was earned in action on October 5, 1918 near Exermont, France during the Battle of the Argonne. Caught in the open with his platoon by a German machine gunner, Parker charged the enemy position across 150 yards of open ground while under direct fire, killing the enemy gunner with his pistol. For his extraordinary heroism in this action, Parker was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Despite his wartime actions, Parker said many times after the war that he “...never killed a man except in defense of my own life.”

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