A SPECIAL FORCES LEGEND
ST Idaho in December 1968 at FOB 1, Phu Bai a few days before the Christmas Day mission. Front, kneeling from left: Nguyen Van Sau (Vietnamese Team Leader), Tuan (grenadier), Cau and Nguyen Cong Hiep (interpreter). Standing, from left: Lynne M. Black Jr., Don Wolken, when he was a Covey Rider for SOG at FOB 1, Phouc (point man), John S. Meyer (One Zero), Robert J. “Spider” Parks — after returning from a mission as a Covey Rider, and Chau.
By Greg Walker
Command Sergeant Major (ret) Robert “Spider” Parks passed away after a serious fall that left him in a coma for several weeks. He was overseas and continuing his search for the Missing in Action / Killed in Action. “We say we leave no one behind but we have,” Parks said. “We said we didn’t have troops in Laos and Cambodia also but we did.”
Spider was my battalion sergeant-major at 3/7th SFG(A) in Panama. We linked back up last year at the SOA reunion, which Spider never missed attending until this last one due to his hospitalization. Our community just learned of his passing on October 30th this year. If you didn’t know Spider, this is a very good article about him and his mission after retirement — https://www.theredstonerocket.com/news/article_0a790ad6-0f08-11e7-9b87-a33864bf4b0d.html
God bless you, Spider. Thank you for your service, your sacrifices, and your impeccable example as a “Quiet Professional.” DOL! – GW
Robert “Spider” Parks in Vietnam.
A more recent photo of Spider Parks.
I was Spider’s SGM A company 3/7.I left Panama May of 80.A great soldier,freefall team sgt,and true friend,will miss hi.m SOAR.RIP my friend.
I was a young SP4 in D company 10SF in Ft Devens Mass. For what ever reason “spider” took me under his wing and helped me keep on the straight and narrow path of SF. I ran into him years later, back at Bragg at the “drop Zone club”. We talked and drank as if we were best friends. Over the years, I though a lot about him, the advice he gave me and the friendship we had. Last year, while playing cards in a hotel in Vegas, I notice a man wearing an SF ring, I mentioned that I had also served in SF, we started talking and Spider came up, This man had his phone number and called him. We spoke for quite awhile , it was if we were together again after all of these years. So, to me he was not only a great SF soldier but a friend over many years
I worked with Bob while he was a civilian working at the drug and alcohol treatment clinic in Korea. He kicked my butt in tennis so many times I lost count! I learned of what a great SF soldier he was after I went back to the states. what a great man.
‘Spider’’ Parks worked with Dad (SGM ret) Don Boore when we were at Ft. Devens when we lived there. If I remember correctly, he actually tried out for the Boston Patriots at somewhere around that time as a quarterback. Dad told me he was quite an athlete.