33 Facts About Ralph Parr

Ralph Parr was credited with a total of ten downed enemy aircraft.

Ralph Parr flew in World War II and the Vietnam War, and is the only person to have been awarded both the United States Army Distinguished Service Cross and the corresponding decoration used by the United States Air Force once it became an independent branch of service, the Air Force Cross.

Ralph Parr's father was a 1912 graduate of the US Naval Academy and US Navy commander who served in both World War I and World War II.

Ralph Parr enlisted in the US Army Reserve on November 4,1942, and he was accepted into the Aviation Cadet Program on February 2,1943, earning his pilot wings and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army Air Forces at Maxwell Field, Alabama, on February 8,1944.

Ralph Parr served as a P-38 pilot in various bases in California from April to August 1945, and then served as a P-38 and then P-51 Mustang pilot with the 7th Fighter Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group on Okinawa and then in Japan from August to July 1946.

Ralph Parr was recalled to active duty on February 9,1948.

Ralph Parr served as an F-80 Shooting Star pilot with the 7th Fighter Bomber Squadron at Furumaki Air Base in Japan, and then deployed to Korea at Taegu Air Base from July 1950 to May 1951, where he flew several ground attack missions.

Ralph Parr then served as an F-86 Sabre pilot with the 116th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Geiger Field, Washington, from June to August 1951, and with the 94th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at George Air Force Base, California, from August 1951 to May 1953.

Ralph Parr returned to Korea as an F-86 pilot with the 335th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing at Kimpo Air Base from May to September 1953.

Ralph Parr pursued them, firing his guns and then leveling off at 300 feet.

Ralph Parr then helped drive off 10 other MiGs, which were threatening his wing commander, despite low fuel.

Ralph Parr managed to shoot down a total of ten enemy aircraft, all while flying F-86 Sabres in 47 missions, during the last 7 weeks of the war.

Ralph Parr continued to serve with the 334th FIS until February 1954.

On July 27,1953, the day of the armistice, then Captain Ralph Parr scored the last aerial 'kill' of the Korean War by shooting down an unarmed Soviet Navy Ilyushin Il-12 transport aircraft, which was flying from Port Arthur to Vladivostok through the North Korean airspace.

Ralph Parr served as an Operations Staff Officer with the 73rd Air Defense Division at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, from July 1958 to October 1959, and then as an Operations Staff Officer with the Military Assistance and Advisory Group in the Netherlands from October 1959 to September 1962.

Ralph Parr served as Commander of the 4456th Combat Crew Training Squadron at MacDill AFB from January to July 1964, and then as Operations Officer for the 4454th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, from August 1964 to January 1965.

Ralph Parr served as Commander of the 4455th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB from January 1965 to August 1966, and then attended Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, from August 1966 to August 1967.

Ralph Parr then served as Deputy Commander for Operations of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing at Cam Ranh Base, South Vietnam, from September 1967 to August 1968, flying F-4 Phantoms.

Ralph Parr received the Air Force Cross during the siege of Khe Sanh in 1968, for destroying several mortar and machine gun positions of the Viet Cong troops in one aerial sortie.

Ralph Parr completed seven out of eight combat approaches while flying a heavily damaged F-4, which not only impaired the hostile force's capability to impede the resupply of Khe Sanh, but reduced further losses to friendly cargo aircraft and crews.

Ralph Parr was nominated for Medal of Honor by the US Marine Corps command in Khe Sanh.

Ralph Parr served on the staff at Headquarters US Air Forces in Europe at Lindsey Air Station, West Germany, from April 1971 to August 1972, and then with the Military Assistance and Advisory Group to Iran from August 1972 to January 1974.

Ralph Parr was medically retired from the Air Force in 1976, after injuring his back while inspecting damage to the roof of his home at Elgin AFB, after a hurricane.

In 2001, Ralph Parr participated in a meeting with former Soviet pilots who fought in the Korean War, where he said:.

Ralph Parr appeared in "MiG Alley" in 2006, during season one, episode one, and "Jet vs Jet" in 2007, season two, episode three, of the History Channel's Dogfights series, which recreated historical air combat campaigns using modern computer graphics.

Ralph Parr was married to Margaret Parr for 40 years.

Ralph Parr died on December 7,2012, at an assisted living facility in New Braunfels, Texas, at the age of 88, and was buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.

Ralph Parr is the only person ever awarded both the Distinguished Service Cross and the Air Force Cross.

On that date, Colonel Ralph Parr participated in a flight providing cover for cargo aircraft.

Again, completely disregarding his personal safety and the withering hostile gun fire, Colonel Ralph Parr succeeded in destroying six heavy caliber automatic weapons positions.

Only after delivering all of his ordnance at point-blank range in eight consecutive passes did Colonel Ralph Parr terminate his attack.

On that date, while leading a formation of two F-86 type aircraft on a combat air patrol deep in enemy territory, Captain Ralph Parr was attacked by a formation of ten enemy MIGs.

Captain Ralph Parr's keen flying skill in turning the tide of battle despite overwhelming odds and his high personal courage in protecting a fellow pilot evidenced conspicuous gallantry in action, and reflected great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Forces and the United States Air Force.