Rear Admiral Harold W. Parker, Jr

After promotion to flag officer in 1978, Parker served as the Eleventh District Commander in Long Beach, Calif. He then served as Chief of Office of Boating, Public andConsumer Affairs at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington DC.

The admiral was born Oct. 14, 1928 in Juneau, Alaska. He graduated from Balboa High School in San Francisco in January 1946, and then won appointment to the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. He graduated from the Academy with a bachelor of science degree in Engineering and was commissioned as an ensign on June 2, 1950.

After graduation, Parker was assigned as the communications officer on the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba in Alameda, Calif. Other tours of duty include: executive officer of the cutter Willow in San Francisco; operations officer of the cutter Matagorda in Boston in 1952; commander of the Coast Guard Loran Station on Iwo Jima; controller of the Rescue Coordination Center in New York; commander of the buoy tender Mistletoe in Portsmouth, Va. from 1958 to 1961; director of auxiliary for the Second District in St. Louis, commander of the buoy tender Heather in San Pedro, Calif., from 1965 to 1966; chief of personnel division at the Eleventh District and commander of the cutter Pontchartrain in Long Beach from 1970 to 1972.

He was then assigned as chief director of the auxiliary at CG Headquarters in Washington DC; Commander of Greater Antilles Section in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and chief of staff in the Eleventh District in 1976. .

Rear Admiral Parker's decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, Coast Guard Commendation Medal with gold star, WWII Victory, American Defense, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Humanitarian Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Korean Service Medal and the Order of Merit to the Republic of Italy.