KCK Vietnam War veteran receives replacement medals for his service

For the last couple of years, a Kansas City, Kansas, man has been trying to replace the medals he had earned for his military service.

Frank Parra is a Vietnam War veteran. He was decorated several times for heroism under fire. But over the years, he lost track of those medals.

He never lost track of what happened. One incident made the news.

As a helicopter crew chief, his pilot saw a civilian bus hit a land mine. They landed. Parra was the first one out.

"It worked out great. We saved a lot of people. One was a young kid I carried back to the chopper. He was in pieces, but I kept him alive to get him back to the aid station. Who knows what happened to him after that," Parra said.

For that, among other examples, Parra received the Air Medal for heroism while amassing 2,300 hours of missions.

It wasn't until staffers for U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids jumped into the search that the warrior of long ago had replacements for his hard-earned honors. Parra said that he didn't want them so much for himself, but for his daughter and grandchildren to keep.

Reflection is not something a lot of war veterans like to do. Not so much for Frank Parra. When asked to reflect upon his experience as a 21-year-old man in Vietnam, the now 75-year-old man says, "I had a job to do and I'm proud to say that I did it."

Parra said he's most proud of the Air Medal, although he earned five other honors.