David Hyman Parker, also known as Daniel and Hyman Parker, was born on December 2nd , 1915 in Brooklyn, New York. He was born into a working-class immigrant community that shaped many young Americans that were drawn to the anti fascist cause in the 1930s. His middle name, “Hyman”, strongly suggests Eastern European Jewish ancestry, reflecting the large Jewish communities that had settled in neighborhoods like Brownsville, and East Flatbush, which was not too far from Parker’s listed residence on 1396 Schenectady Avenue. These predominately-Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn were deeply engaged in labor organizing, leftist politics, and international anti-facist movements.
During his adolescence, Parker may have been involved in political activism through organizations associated with the Workers Party of America, also known as the Communist Party of America. Brooklyn communists played a significant role in labor and political organizing, especially as New York City became the hotspot for American communists. Like many Jewish youths in his neighborhood, Parker attended Erasmus Hall High School from 1929 to 1933. At the time, Erasmus Hall was one of Brooklyn’s largest and most prestigious public high schools. Although no records detailing his academic performance or extracurricular activities have been located, it is plausible that he participated in debate, student publications like the Arch, or politically oriented organizations.
By 1938, at just 23 years old, Parker attempted to join the fight in the Spanish Civil War as part of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, which was composed of American volunteers. However, since the United States officially prohibited citizens from participating in the war, those who were determined to support the Republic often had to travel illegally. Many volunteers traveled to Spain with fake identities, or as stowaways. Parker was one of them. On August 22, 1938, he boarded the SS Normandie as a stowaway, departing from New York. At the time, the Normandie was one of the fastest and most technologically advanced ocean liners in the world. Interestingly enough, the writer Ernest Hemingway, who had been documenting the Spanish Civil War as a volunteer himself, also traveled abroad on the same ship during this period.
Parker did not travel alone. He was a part of a group of 10 volunteers that included Vernold Masten Beebe, James Garrett, Marshall Hartzell, Willam Joseph Holland, Walter B. Iczek, Bernard Kaplan, Israel Luckonick, Gerald McManus (also known as Jerome Josephs), Henry Louis Ulanoff, and John W. White. This group was notably diverse in background, with volunteers identifying as Black, Jewish, and as immigrants. This brave group of 10 symbolized the broad coalition of Americans that joined the Lincoln Brigade in hopes of opposing fascism abroad, despite facing income inequality and racial segregation domestically.
However, Parker’s journey was cut short before he ever reached Spain. Upon arriving in France, he was arrested for illegal entry. He, and the other volunteers, spent two months in a French jail before being deported back to the United States. On October 25, 1938, he returned aboard the SS Ile de France, where he was sent back to 1396 Schenectady. His experience was not unique, many aspiring volunteers were intercepted en route, especially in the later years of the war as international pressure and border security increased.
There is no evidence that Parker ultimately made it to Spain or saw combat in the Spanish Civil War. Very little is documented about Parker’s life after his return. Like many men of his generation, it is plausible that he participated in the U.S. war effort during World War II, especially given that several of his fellow travelers, like Israel Luckonick and Jerome Josephs, later served in the armed forces. Participants who were unable to fight in Spain contributed domestically through labor, and political organizing in support of anti fascist causes. However, without concrete records, Parker’s specific activities remain unknown.
David Hyman ‘Daniel’ Parker died on October 21, 2004, and was buried in Mount Ararat Cemetery in East Farmingdale, New York. His long life tells the story of America during the Spanish Civil War. Parker’s decision to try reaching Spain shows the strength of young Americans who believed the fight against facism as urgent and global.
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