Ralph Parr

Ralph Sherman Parr, Jr. (July 1, 1924 – December 7, 2012) was an American double-flying ace of the Korean War. He was credited with a total of ten downed enemy aircraft. He also flew in World War II and the Vietnam War, and is the only person to have been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the medal that replaced it, the Air Force Cross.

Early life
Parr was born in 1924, in Portsmouth, Virginia. He enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in 1942, earned his wings in 1944, and flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings in the Pacific during the last year of the Second World War.

Korean War
In Korea he flew Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars, then North American F-86 Sabres, managing to shoot down a total of ten enemy aircraft. On July 27, 1953, the day of the armistice, then Captain Parr scored the last aerial 'kill' of the War by shooting down an Ilyushin Il-12.

After Korea
In Vietnam, Parr served as a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II squadron commander. He flew the aircraft on two combat tours, including one in which he saw action at the Battle of Khe Sanh. Following the War he took a number of desk assignments before retiring as a Colonel in 1976. He died on December 7, 2012 at an assisted living facility in New Braunfels, Texas. He was 88.

Decorations

 * [[Image:Air Force Cross ribbon.svg|60px]] Air Force Cross (awarded for actions during the Vietnam War)
 * [[Image:Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg|60px]] Distinguished Service Cross (awarded for actions during the Korean War)
 * [[Image:SilverStar.gif|60px]] Silver Star
 * [[Image:Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|60px]] Legion of Merit
 * [[Image:Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|60px]] Distinguished Flying Cross
 * [[Image:Bronze Star ribbon.svg|60px]] Bronze Star
 * [[Image:Air Medal ribbon.svg|60px]] Air Medal