Parker Whitney West was a U.S. Army officer who traveled widely around the globe. When he was stationed in New York City he was elected to The Lambs in 1899 as an Army-Navy member. For the last 23 years of his life he served as the Deputy Governor of the United States Soldiers’ Home at Washington, D.C. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.
West was born on August 21st, 1858, in California, the son of Senator J.R. West of Louisiana.
Appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, from the State of Louisiana; entered the Military Academy as a Cadet on June 14th, 1876; graduated 43rd in his class from the Military Academy on June 11th, 1881, and was appointed as an Additional Second Lieutenant of Cavalry with the 3rd United States Cavalry Regiment. Promoted to Second Lieutenant of Cavalry with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment on June 26th, 1881; served on frontier duty at Ft. D.A. Russell, Wyoming, from September 29th, 1881, to May 3rd, 1882; in the field, and at, Ft. Thomas, Arizona, to April 12th, 1883; at San Carlos, Arizona, and in the field, to March 28th, 1885; at Ft. Stockton, Texas, to March 29th, 1886; at Ft. Concho, Texas, to June 4th, 1886; at Ft. Stockton, Texas, to June 26th, 1886; at Eagle Pass, Texas, to September 29th, 1887, during which time he was on a leave of absence from January 15th to April 6th, 1887.
At San Antonio, Texas, to January 12th, 1888; promoted to First Lieutenant of Cavalry with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment on November 25th, 1887; at Ft. Clark, Texas, to October 29th, 1889, during which time he was on a leave of absence from July 12th to September 4th, 1888; at San Antonio, Texas, to June 1st, 1890; at Fort Ringgold, Texas, to January 8th, 1891; at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, from January 22nd, 1891, to October 1st, 1892; on garrison duty at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to December 6th, 1892; at Fort Ringgold, Texas, to June 4th, 1893, during which time he was in the field engaged in suppressing the disturbances along the Rio Grande from December of 1892 to January of 1893, being in the engagement with Mexican Revolutionists on December 24th, 1892, near Roma, Texas; at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to June 19th, 1894; on a leave of absence to August 31st, 1894; on garrison duty at Fort Reno, Oklahoma, to October 3rd, 1894.
Serving as the Regimental Adjutant from September 1st, 1894, to June 1st, 1897; at the Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, to April 19th, 1898; at Camp George H. Thomas, Chickamauga Park, Georgia, to May 17th, 1898; serving as the acting Assistant Adjutant General of the Cavalry Division at Tampa, Florida, from May 17th to June 5th, 1898; promoted to Captain of Cavalry with the 8th Cavalry Regiment on May 31st, 1898; as the Acting Chief Commissary of the Cavalry Division, 5th Army Corps, in Cuba, from June 28th to July 20th, 1898; participating in the Santiago campaign to July 17th, 1898, during which time he was engaged in the battle of San Juan on July 1st, 1898; as the Chief Quartermaster of the Cavalry Division, 5th Army Corps, from July 20th to September 25th, 1898; on a sick leave of absence to October 24th, 1898; on mustering duty in New York City, New York, to May 5th, 1899; appointed as a Major & Chief Commissary of Subsistence of United States Volunteers on November 26th, 1898.
Accepted the appointment on December 14th, 1898; honorably discharged from volunteer service on April 17th, 1899. Appointed as a Major & Inspector General of United States Volunteers on April 17th, 1899; accepted the appointment on April 21st, 1899; transferred to the 5th Cavalry Regiment on May 3rd, 1899; on duty in the office of the Inspector General at Washington, D.C., from May 22nd to June 15th, 1899, and was engaged in inspecting the national cemeteries, recruiting stations and disbursements and accounts at Fredericksburg, Richmond, Seven Pines, Fort Harrison, Cold Harbor, Glendale, Poplar Grove, City Point, Norfolk, Fort Monroe, Hampton and Yorktown, Virginia, New Berne, Wilmington, Raleigh, Salisbury and Ashville, North Carolina, and to make the annual inspection of the arsenal at Fort Monroe from May 26th to June 10th, 1899.
Serving as the Inspector General and acting Adjutant General of the Department of Texas from July 1st to August 25th, 1899; en route to the Philippine Islands to October 21st, 1899; as an Assistant to the Inspector-General of the Department of the Pacific and 8th Army Corps in Manila, Philippine Islands, from October 24th, 1899; as the Inspector General of the Department of the Pacific and 8th Army Corps from November 26th, 1899, to May 14th, 1900; as an Assistant to the Inspector General of the Department of the Pacific and 8th Army Corps and the Division of the Philippines from May 14th to June 30th, 1900; as the Inspector General of the Department of Northern Luzon from July 1st, 1900, to July 10th, 1901; promoted to Lieutenant Colonel & Inspector General of United States Volunteers on December 1st, 1900.
Accepted the promotion on December 6th, 1900; honorably discharged from volunteer service on June 30th, 1901; transferred to the 11th Cavalry Regiment on August 16th, 1901; relieved from duty as the Inspector General of the Department Northern Luzon and assigned to the Division of the Philippines on September 17th, 1901; relieved from duty with the Division of the Philippines and ordered to join the regiment on October 2nd, 1901; en route to Washington, D.C., from October 16th to December 16th, 1901; on a two months’ leave of absence from December 17th, 1901; detailed as a member of the Board of Revision from February 19th, 1902, to June 14th, 1902; ordered to join the regiment in Philippine Islands on June 30th, 1902; en route to join the regiment from June 30th to August 14th, 1902.
Assigned as member of the Examining Board of the Department of Northern Luzon with station at Manila, Philippine Islands, on August 25th, 1902; en route to Chicago, Illinois, from January 3rd to February 16th, 1903; as an Aide-de-camp to Major General Arthur MacArthur at the Headquarters of the Department of California, and accompanied General MacArthur to Monterey, California, from May 1st to December 31st, 1903; accompanied General MacArthur to Japan from 1904 to 1905, as an Observer with the Japanese Army in Manchuria, and remained with that Army until peace was declared.
Relieved from duty as an Aide-de-Camp on March 6th, 1906, and joined the regiment at Fort Des Moines, Iowa; on duty in San Francisco, California, in connection with the relief of the earthquake sufferer from April 25th to July 4th, 1906; promoted to Major of Cavalry with the 14th Cavalry Regiment on August 20th, 1906; with the regiment at Fort Walla-Walla, Washington, from November 6th, 1906, to November 29th, 1909; on duty in the War Department as an Assistant to the Inspector General of the Army from November 6th, 1906, to November 29th, 1909.
Retired from active service on November 29th, 1909, due to disability incurred in the line of duty. Appointed as the Deputy Governor of the United States Soldiers’ Home at Washington, D.C., and served as such from October 15th, 1910, to February 28th, 1933.
Lt Colonel West died on January 20th, 1947, at Washington, D.C., at the age of 88. He is buried in the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, Sec: WEST, Site: 614.