Edward Barney Parrish

Gunner's Mate First Class Edward Barney Parrish Jr was killed in action on April 6, 1945 in a kamikaze attack on the U.S.S. Newcomb off Okinawa during World War II.  He was 20 years old.

Edward Barney Parrish Jr was born on August 3, 1925 in Vance County, North Carolina, the son of Edward B. Parrish and Mary Parrish. He attended Zeb Vance High School and lived in the Bear Pond community until 1941, when, after the death of his parents, he went to Washington D.C. to live with a sister.

GM1 Parrish enlisted in the U.S. Navy on August 2, 1943 in Washington, D.C.  and was assigned to the U.S.S. Newcomb a Fletcher class destroyer launched on  July 4, 1943.

USS Newcomb made passage to the Marshall Islands, arriving 4 April 1944 for two months duty on antisubmarine patrol off the Japanese held Mille, Wotje, and Jaluit atolls. She next joined the assault on Saipan as flagship for the screen from May 29 until  August 5, serving as fire support and patrol ship at both Saipan and Tinian. On June 22, while guarding transports, she and USS Chandler sank Japanese submarine I-185, and on July 4 her well-directed fire broke up a Japanese banzai attack north of Garapan on Saipan.

Operating in the Fire Support and Bombardment Group for the assault on the Palaus September 6 to October 1, Newcomb fired 23 separate shore bombardments and also covered underwater demolition teams providing bombardment control spotting. As flagship of Destroyer Squadron 56, Newcomb joined in the Leyte landings in the Philippines October 12 to December 4, covering underwater demolition teams and firing preinvasion-bombardment, call-fire, night-harassing and illumination missions.

Her squadron made a night torpedo attack in the Surigao Strait phase of the Battle for Leyte Gulf on October 25. At least one of her five torpedoes struck the battleship Yamashiro, sunk in this action. Closely straddled but not damaged, Newcomb went to the aid of the stricken destroyer Albert W. Grant, providing medical aid and a tow out of the battle area. In this battle, Newcomb and her sister ships played a key role in the victory which insured the success of General Douglas MacArthur's return to the Philippines and  effectively ended major Japanese naval threats for the remainder of the war.

Often under fire from Japanese aircraft, several of which she destroyed, Newcomb continued service in the Philippines, engaging Japanese shore batteries at Ormoc  December 9 while screening landing craft, fighting a convoy through heavy enemy air attack to Mindoro December 19 through 24 and driving off two kamikazes during the Lingayen landing on January 6, 1945. She covered operations in Lingayen Gulf through January 24, then prepared for duty as fire support ship at Iwo Jima from  February 10, where she covered minesweeping for three days prior to the landing. During the invasion the destroyer engaged shore batteries and fired accurate bombardments in assistance to troops ashore.

Departing Iwo Jima on March 10,  1945 Newcomb put in at Ulithi, where she was assigned to Task Force 54 for the invasion of Okinawa. Newcomb again covered underwater demolition and minesweeping operations as well as antiaircraft and shore bombardment until April 6, when she was screening minesweepers off Ie Shima. At least 40 enemy aircraft were observed in the area during the day, and at 16:00 attacks began. Though handicapped by a low ceiling, her gunners were able to drive off or shoot down several attackers, but over a period of an hour and a half, she was struck five times. With the effort that won them a Navy Unit Commendation, her crew worked furiously to repair engine damage and extinguish fires, while continuing to fight their ship and maneuver to avoid further crashes. Aid was rendered by Leutze, herself struck by the fifth kamikaze skipping across from Newcomb, and Beale. Afloat with fires and power out, the toll for the attack was 18 killed, 25 missing, and 64 wounded.  GM1 Parrish was among the crew reported missing in action and was subsequently determined to have been killed in action on April 6, 1945.

The name  of Gunner’s Mate First Class Edward Barney Parrish is inscribed in the Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Last edited: 8 June 2026