Gale Parks passed away on December 22nd at his home in Bakersfield, California. Gale Alexander Parks was born on July 6,1924, in Petaluma, California. The oldest of four boys (preceded in death by Archie, Mark, and Bill) he was guided by his mother Jean,Patriquin Parks, a saintly woman, who somehow managed to keep her rambunctious children on the straight and narrow. His father, Mark Charles Parks, was a cowboy, cattleman and entrepreneur, who was respected throughout California for his shrewd business sense and uncanny ability to assess the true value of livestock. Both of his parents instilled a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility in their children that would serve them well throughout their lives. After moving to Bakersfield in 1929, Gale quickly took to the city that he would call home for the rest of his life. A graduate of East Bakersfield High in 1942, where he played on the football team and participated in various clubs and activities, Gale joined the United States Army and was inducted into the Air Corps on March 15, 1943.Trained as a Radio Operator and Mechanical Gunner he was assigned to the China - Burma Theater on May 23rd, 1944. Upon arrival in India on July 5th, 1944 (one day before his 20th birthday) he became a member of the illustrious Flying Tigers (322nd Troop Carrier Squadron). He participated in numerous missions "over the Hump" from India to China making cargo drops for the Office of Strategic Services. His most memorable mission was a harrowing flight into China, where after dropping a million dollars in Chinese currency to Chiang Kai-shek's army, they were forced to cut a hole in the aluminum floor of their B - 24 bomber in order to refuel the plane in - flight. There were only 3 gallons of gas left in the plane when they landed in Ludchow. For these and other efforts he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, several other medals and received an honorable discharge on November 1st, 1945. His transition to civilian life was made easier when he went to work with his father. Under Mark Senior's tutelage he quickly learned the ins and outs of life as a cattle buyer. Working primarily for the Rudnick family they had numerous adventures in the western United States and Mexico. Gale eventually became a bullhauler and provided years of dedicated service to both the Chanley Brothers and Miller Livestock trucking companies. He finished up his working life as a driver for the Armour Oil Company. Gale's life was changed dramatically on December 4th, 1962, when he brought his son Tracy Matthew Parks home from the hospital. They quickly formed an inseparable bond and Tracy often accompanied him as they criss-crossed California. On March 6, 1970, he married Frances Jane Borden and inherited her five children from a previous marriage. He quickly assumed the role of father and helped guide them into adulthood all while working as a long haul trucker. Upon his retirement in 1986, he nurtured his passion for reading (he would sit for hours in his Lazy Boy Chair - often eating his meals while engrossed in a wide variety of books). He became even more involved in the Flying Tigers and attended their yearly reunions where he was able to reconnect with those brothers he had served his country with. People who knew Gale will have many different memories but what stands out above everything else is his gift for storytelling. Anyone whoever heard him spin a yarn about his father's encounters with Pancho Villa, running cattle on "old man Hearst's Ranch", his exploits during World War II, his adventures as a trucker and the numerous characters he encountered throughout his life will remember being mesmerized by these amazing tales. Abraham Lincoln once said, "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." No one can deny that Gale Mark Parks packed his years with almost more life than can be imagined. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Fran, and his six children: Tracy Parks and his three children Blaine, Shelby and Venus of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota; Mike Borden, his wife Cecilia, and their children, Michael and Kristin; Pat Borden and his children Brandon, Autumn, Tyler, Jacob, Blake and Mackenna; Mari Borden and Arin; Leanne Borden and her five children Richard, Anthony, Nathan, Nicholas and Kieley all of Bakersfield; Leo Borden, his wife Cathy and their two sons, Sam and Ben of Santa Barbara. In addition, he leaves behind thirteen great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Gale's name may be made to Women Airforce Service Pilots, the first women to fly American military aircraft (wasp museum.org) or the Tuskegee Airmen, America's first black military pilots and crews(www.redtail.org). Services will be held at the Bakersfield National Cemetery (located on Bear Mountain Boulevard) on Wednesday January 4th at 2:00 p.m. Gale and Fran, friends forever. Hopson-Anspach Family Mortuary.