OVERLAND PARK, Kan — Frank Parra accepted a shadowbox filled with service accommodations Friday afternoon with a roar of excitement from his family, who crammed into a small congressional office in Overland Park.
“Some of these I didn’t even know existed,” Parra said, as Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids handed over the black box with colorful medals inside.
Parra said he tried for about a year-and-a-half to recover his missing medals, but eventually called the representative’s office for help.
Davids and her team contacted the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense and the National Archives to acquire the medals.
“This is one of the things that is probably part of the most rewarding work we do in constituent services,” Davids said. “Knowing that there are people who need acknowledged and haven’t been is frustrating. When we get the chance to help it’s a relief and it’s rewarding for the whole team here in our district office.
Parra, now 75 years old, spent 15-months in Vietnam. His family moved from Mexico right before he was born, making him a U.S. citizen eligible for the draft.
He knew friends who encouraged him to dodge the draft.
“They said, ‘Don’t go, don’t go. You’re going to get killed.’ I don’t have a choice,” Parra said. “But it all worked out.”
On Friday afternoon, Parra received the following medals:
- Air medal with the numeral 23, signifying 2,300 hours in the air;
- Air commendation medal for heroism, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service;
- National defense service medal;
- Vietnam service medal with 4 bronze service stars;
- Republic of Vietnam campaign ribbon with device, awarded by the South Vietnamese government for support of operations in Vietnam;
- Sharpshooter badge with rifle bar;
- ARMY aviator badge
One of the most shared stories Friday afternoon was first spelled out in a newspaper clipping Parra kept in a display case in his home.
The headline reads “Civilians Saved by Cav Chopper Squads.” Parra was the first to jump out of the helicopter, saving Vietnam locals who drove over a land mine.
“I was the first one on the ground because I was in the lead bird. Everyone else just followed,” he said. “We saved a lot of people. One of them was a young kid I carried back to the chopper.”
Parra didn’t know what happened to the child he saved. His own daughter only recently learned about her father’s stories from the war.
“I got to hear stories today that I didn’t even know because Vietnam veterans didn’t talk about Vietnam,” Francesca Parra said. “[They] still don’t.”
Gaining these medals has lead to a connection between the father and daughter as he begins to open up, about 50 years after his return.
“It’s a part of our family history and legacy, so I’m happy to be able to share his legacy that he started for us,” she said. “You find out when you’re older that your parents are actual people. They are more than mom and dad. To find out their history is really nice.”
Parra plans to proudly display his medals in his home until he passes them down to his daughter and grandchildren.
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