Ernie Parrish bio

Ernest "Ernie" Parrish was born on April 10, 1960. His parents, Jefferson Lee and Carolyn Anne Parrish, are deceased. After Ernie graduated from high school, he enlisted for service in the United States Marine Corps, following in his leatherneck father's footsteps.

After being honorably discharged, Jefferson Parrish married and opened Parrish's Filling Station, an automobile repair/gas station in Oxford, Mississippi. Ernie's mother kept the books and ran the cash register while Ernie and his younger brother, Nathan, worked with their father.

During Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island, Ernie's excellent scores on the rifle range and his outstanding physical fitness eventually earned him a seat at the Marine Corps Scout/Sniper school after he completed his Infantry training. After sniper school, he was assigned to I-Corps, Marine Unit.

Near the end of his first tour of duty, Ernie's younger brother, whom he was very close to, died in an automobile accident. After attending the funeral, Ernie re-enlisted.

Many of Ernie's military activities are classified. However, records do show that both he and his spotter, Private First Class James Gabriel Hendrix, survived being shot early in their careers. Ernie received the lion's share of praise for the incident despite his vehement protests to his chain of command. PFC Hendrix was shot trying to protect Ernie, who was then shot in the leg while carrying his wounded spotter to safety. Despite their wounds, Parrish and Hendrix made it to a prearranged retrieval location.

At the rendezvous point, the helicopter was attacked. Wounded and weak from blood loss, Ernie still managed to fire one round with his sniper rifle. That round hit its target, allowing the helicopter to escape and saving the lives of all those aboard. For his actions, Ernie was awarded the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He has always said his spotter was just as deserving of the Bronze Star, but his letter-writing campaign to have Hendrix recognized has thus far been unsuccessful.

Friends say Ernie has become somewhat bitter over the years but are divided on whether the cause is his experiences in the military, his three marriages, or both. Ernie has been divorced twice and widowed once. He has no living relatives and lives alone with his two pit bull terriers: Chesty, named for the famous Marine Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, and GunnyLee, named for Puller's right-hand man, Gunnery Sergeant William A. "Ironman" Lee.

Ernie is a member of the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association, a Life Member of the National Rifle Association, and a member of Rolling Thunder Mississippi Chapter 1. He works nights as a security guard for Ace Security, where he's been assigned to the Oxford Eagle for over a decade. Parrish is also a registered gunsmith and gun dealer.