The Little Rock Air Force Base is its own community, complete with a grocery store, a school, housing and an auto shop. For years, airmen would take their cars to the Auto Hobby Shop to get their oil changed or tires rotated by Parnell Fisher. What the airmen may not have known is that Fisher is a war hero — a Silver Star recipient — who simply liked to tinker with cars in his retirement.
Fisher does not work at the Auto Hobby Shop anymore, but his name will not soon be forgotten on base. Wednesday, during the base’s 60th-anniversary celebrations, Fisher was honored when base leadership dedicated the Master Sgt. Parnell Fisher Day Room, a gathering space in one of the student dorms on base.
“Today we are here to dedicate a student dorm day room to an American hero — Mr. Fisher,” said Maj. Gen. James Hecker, presiding officer. “There’s not many people who get a Silver Star. The Silver Star is the third-highest medal that we give out for valor in the military. They don’t come cheap. You have to do something truly heroic to earn this medal.”
Fisher joined the military in 1950 when he was 17 years old. He served for four years before taking a break to earn his bachelor’s degree, then enlisted again to serve from 1959-1977, when he retired as master sergeant.
At the dedication Wednesday morning, Fisher told stories about his travels around the world, but the humble hero left the story of his Silver Star for someone else to tell.
On Dec. 18, 1966, Fisher was aboard an AC-47 in Vung Tau, Vietnam, when something went horribly wrong, Hecker said. Fisher was helping handle the flares that were used to light up an area so gunmen could see what they were shooting at below.
“It was quicker if you did it manually,” Hecker said, “but it was a lot more dangerous. The flight engineer set the timer and handed the flare to [Fisher], who was going to throw it out. [The engineer] didn’t set enough time, and — boom — out goes the parachute.”
The parachute had released inside the aircraft, and it was only a matter of time before the flare went off. Fisher knew that the aircraft and all of its passengers were in danger, so he threw the flare out the door.
“But his problems still weren’t over,” Hecker said.
When Fisher threw the flare out the door of the aircraft, the parachute got caught on the door. The aircraft was dragging the flare along behind it, and the plane’s tail was made of canvas.
“If it ignited, it would have been bad. That airplane would have gone down,” Hecker said. “So what does he do? He pulls out his knife, he’s leaning outside the door cutting these lines just trying to clear the aircraft. He said when he cut the last line, the flare immediately ignited just behind the aircraft. He literally saved the entire crew with just about a second to spare.”
Fisher may be proud of his award, but he said his actions were all just part of his job.
“I’m not trying to take all the credit,” he said. “I did it because it needed to be done. I did everything I did not just for me.”
The dedication took place during a weeklong celebration of the base’s 60th anniversary, which has been themed “Celebrating 60 Years of Air Power Partners.” The Master Sgt. Parnell Fisher Day Room is one way to honor a hero of the past while providing space for current airmen.
“It’s been a great journey for me,” Fisher told the young airmen who would be utilizing the day room. “I’d do it all over again. … I really have truly enjoyed my Air Force career.”
Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.