Rodeo, with fun and creativity combined, is one of the toughest sport of America. It not only induces an adrenaline rush but also comes with several drawbacks. Besides, a cowboy holds the prime responsibility of tending the bulls, and riding them to victory. With the bull riding talent market on the rise, there are some unsung heroes soon to be forgotten. An Oklahoma resident, a former cowboy, gave up on his passion for a greater cause.

Since 1944, his record still stands strong. But the virtuous man doesn’t stand anymore. Surrounded by family and friends, Bill Parker, who was involved with rodeo in his high school days, breathed his last.

Rodeo cowboy passes away at 98

Putting his rodeo career aside, Bill Parker joined the US Army. Moreover, he became the first soldier to storm Omaha Beach during Second World War on June 6, 1994, which was the D-Day. He breathed his last on September 11, which holds even more significance for the Americans. In 2001, Al-Qaeda carried out four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks, leaving the nation haywire. Now, the Americans have one more reason to remember this date, owing to Parker’s heroism on the war ground.

No other soldier. but Parker fought from Omaha Beach, going all the way to the European country, Germany. In May 1945, Allied forces accepted Germany’s surrender. Until then, Bill, the lone wolf, walked 600 miles on foot, struggling with a .45 six shooter strapped on his pelvis area. Unwilling to give up, Parker went from farmhouse to farmhouse, hedgerow to hedgerow, until he couldn’t anymore. “The sacrifices Bill Parker and his fellow soldiers made are immeasurable, and they laid the foundation for the freedoms we enjoy today. Bill’s heroism on that fateful day in Normandy is etched into history, inspiring countless generations to come”, Oklahoma US Senator stated.

Since the moment Bill was born to a farmer, his father decided his future for him. The self-sufficient farmer declared that Bill was born a cowboy and will stay a cowboy forever. By the age of five, he was sitting on a milk cow, and before he realized, he started riding broncs and bulls at 16. In a discreet interview, he said, “On a Friday night, they’d pay you a dollar to ride a bull and a dollar to ride a bronc.” He accordingly adjusted his timings, increased his payment and bought his girlfriend a soda and a candy bar. Indeed, he was the richest cowboy in America.

Life a soldier full of nightmares

His first encounter with death happened when his Navy ship moved across the English Channel for a daring mission. Not long after, Parker led a seaborne invasion. As a result, five invasion beaches got filled with 133,000 Allied troops. Alongside 33 men, with five men in his team, Parker cruised through waist-deep water with his rifle. Death seemed seconds away when he was exposed to a German Pillbox spraying machine-gun fire. He instantly transitioned from private to sergeant, when led a group of dazed stragglers to the town of Vierville Sur Mer.

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Friends and family will hold Parker’s funeral services in Oklahoma on September 18. They expect everybody at Skiatook Church of Christ in Skiatook, Oklahoma. With more such Parkers, America will flourish even more.

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