Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) and Congressman Trent Kelly (R-Miss.-01) introduced bipartisan legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Americans who served alongside Canadian and British forces before the United States formally entered World War II.
“When the future of the free world was in jeopardy in the early days of World War II, these Americans didn’t wait for orders — they stepped up and took action,” said Vindman. “They crossed the sea, joined units in desperate need of help, and risked everything to fight alongside our allies before the United States officially entered the war. As a veteran, I deeply respect the kind of courage exhibited by brave heroes like Alfred Parkyn. Honoring them with the Congressional Gold Medal ensures their extraordinary service is finally etched into our history.”
“Of the Americans we now honor as the Greatest Generation, more than 13,000 volunteered to fight in Canadian and British uniforms while the U.S. government remained officially neutral in the early years of the Second World War. The loss rate among the Americans who volunteered to fight in the British and Canadian services was triple that of U.S. forces,” said Michael Parkyn, a Retired U.S. Marine Corps Pilot and Relative of American RCAF Pilot from Stafford. “Alfred is among the missing – he was ordered to fly his bomber into Germany during daytime with no other bombers alongside and no fighter cover. My family’s loss is as real as that in any family of an MIA servicemember, but Alfred’s sacrifice and their losses are not recognized in the United States today.”
Background
Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, an estimated 13,000 Americans joined the Canadian and British militaries to stand against tyranny and defend freedom. These volunteers came from every state and many later joined the U.S. Armed Forces once war was officially declared. Their early combat experience proved invaluable to the United States — helping to prepare our military and saving lives.
Many of these brave Americans made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Air Force. This legislation seeks to honor their courage, sacrifice, and historic contribution to the Allied victory.
U.S. Marine Corps pilot and Stafford County resident Michael Parkyn is Vindman’s constituent and reached out to his office to advocate for this legislation. This bill would help honor Michael’s grandfather, Alfred Parkyn, as well as the family of so many others across the Seventh District and our country.
Alfred was one of the brave Americans who served in the Royal Air Force before the United States entered World War II. After training in Canada, he was assigned to fly four-engine Avro Lancaster bombers and was hand-picked for several high-risk missions. On November 25, 1942, Parkyn and his crew were sent on a solo mission deep into Germany. During the flight, they were intercepted by a German ace in a Focke-Wulf 190. In a heroic effort, Parkyn’s crew drew the enemy fighter north — diverting the threat so nearby Allied crews could escape. His aircraft was shot down over the North Sea, and he remains missing in action.
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