Nickel for Col Parr
12-09-2012, 07:04 AM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
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Joined APC: Jan 2007
Posts: 418
Nickel for Col Parr
Sad news...Col Ralph Parr passed on Friday night. I included his bio off AF.mil.
I have had on many occasions the opportunity to have a drink or two with Ralph at the Auger, what an incredible fighter pilot…Even at his age, I’m sure if you would have put him in a modern day fighter he would be a formidable opponent…See you at the merge again someday…
On July 27, 1953, then Capt. Ralph S. Parr Jr. scored the last aerial victory of the Korean War by shooting down an Ilyushin IL-12 on the day of the armistice. Parr continued his career and became one of America's most experienced combat veterans. He completed five combat tours in four different aircraft and flew 641 combat missions in three wars. In 1950, while assigned to an F-86 Sabre unit, he was selected to fly the F-80 Shooting Star for the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing in Korea. His first 10 hours in the F-80 included 5 hours on combat missions.
Parr was born in 1924 in Portsmouth, Va. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on Nov. 4, 1942, and he was accepted into the Aviation Cadet Program on Feb. 2, 1943, earning his wings and a commission in the U.S. Army Air Forces on Feb. 8, 1944. Lt . Parr flew P-38 Lightnings in the Pacific during the last year of the war and then went into the Air Force Reserve from September 1946 to February 1948.
After returning to active duty, Parr transitioned into jet fighters and saw combat duty as an F-80 pilot during the opening days of the Korean War and then again as an F-86 pilot during the last 7 weeks of the war, where he managed to shoot down 10 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, including being credited with the last aircraft shot down of the Korean War.
He developed and practiced new air-to-air tactics for over a year, hoping to return to Korea. In May 1953, he did return to Korea to fly with the 335th Fighter Interceptor Squadron during the final 7 weeks of the war. He hit every aircraft at which he fired and became an ace in just 11 days. He finished the war as a double ace when he scored the last kill of the Korean War. He next served as the USAF Air Defense Weapons Center and with the 73d Air Division before going to the Netherlands as a member of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was Command Post Director at MacDill AFB, Fla.
In 1963, he helped bring the F-4C into the USAF inventory and was one of its first instructor pilots. He served as an F-4 squadron commander and then flew the aircraft on two combat tours in Southeast Asia. He earned the Air Force Cross while serving as Deputy Commander for Operations of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing. During the siege of Khe Sanh, despite extremely poor weather and intense enemy fire, he attacked and destroyed two North Vietnamese mortar and six gun positions. On his second SEA tour, he returned to the same wing as Deputy Commander and then Commander.
Following Vietnam, he was assigned to HQ USAFE before being sent to Teheran, Iran in 1972 as Chief of Staff in the Military Assistance Advisory Group. His next duty assignment was at Eglin AFB, Fla., as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Tactical Air Warfare Center and then Chief of Staff of the Armament and Development Test Center. When he retired in 1976, Colonel Parr had flown over 6,000 hours in fighter aircraft and earned more than 60 decorations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 41 Air Medals.
Colonel Parr's citation for the Air Force Cross reads:
The Air Force Cross is presented to Ralph S. Parr, Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing force as an F-4C aircraft commander near Khe Sanh, Republic of Vietnam, on March 16, 1968. On that date, Colonel Parr participated in a flight providing cover for cargo aircraft. Upon arrival over the target, the forward air controller advised the flight that the airfield was under heavy attack by hostile mortar positions, which were located a few feet below a ridge line. Although the target area was covered with dense smoke and haze, Colonel Parr successfully destroyed one mortar position on his first pass, as six well-camouflaged heavy automatic weapons opened fire on him. Although sustaining severe damage to his aircraft, he pressed his second attack and destroyed another mortar position. Again, completely disregarding his personal safety and the withering hostile gun fire, Colonel Parr succeeded in destroying six heavy caliber automatic weapons positions. In between passes, his accurate and timely directions to his wingman effectively insured the accuracy of ordnance delivery in close proximity to the friendly forces. Only after delivering all of his ordnance at point-blank range in eight consecutive passes did Colonel Parr terminate his attack. By destroying these strategically located weapons, he not only impaired the hostile force's capability to impede the resupply of Khe Sanh, but also reduced further losses to friendly cargo aircraft and crews. Through his superb airmanship, aggressiveness, and extraordinary heroism, Colonel Parr reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
I have had on many occasions the opportunity to have a drink or two with Ralph at the Auger, what an incredible fighter pilot…Even at his age, I’m sure if you would have put him in a modern day fighter he would be a formidable opponent…See you at the merge again someday…
On July 27, 1953, then Capt. Ralph S. Parr Jr. scored the last aerial victory of the Korean War by shooting down an Ilyushin IL-12 on the day of the armistice. Parr continued his career and became one of America's most experienced combat veterans. He completed five combat tours in four different aircraft and flew 641 combat missions in three wars. In 1950, while assigned to an F-86 Sabre unit, he was selected to fly the F-80 Shooting Star for the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing in Korea. His first 10 hours in the F-80 included 5 hours on combat missions.
Parr was born in 1924 in Portsmouth, Va. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on Nov. 4, 1942, and he was accepted into the Aviation Cadet Program on Feb. 2, 1943, earning his wings and a commission in the U.S. Army Air Forces on Feb. 8, 1944. Lt . Parr flew P-38 Lightnings in the Pacific during the last year of the war and then went into the Air Force Reserve from September 1946 to February 1948.
After returning to active duty, Parr transitioned into jet fighters and saw combat duty as an F-80 pilot during the opening days of the Korean War and then again as an F-86 pilot during the last 7 weeks of the war, where he managed to shoot down 10 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, including being credited with the last aircraft shot down of the Korean War.
He developed and practiced new air-to-air tactics for over a year, hoping to return to Korea. In May 1953, he did return to Korea to fly with the 335th Fighter Interceptor Squadron during the final 7 weeks of the war. He hit every aircraft at which he fired and became an ace in just 11 days. He finished the war as a double ace when he scored the last kill of the Korean War. He next served as the USAF Air Defense Weapons Center and with the 73d Air Division before going to the Netherlands as a member of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was Command Post Director at MacDill AFB, Fla.
In 1963, he helped bring the F-4C into the USAF inventory and was one of its first instructor pilots. He served as an F-4 squadron commander and then flew the aircraft on two combat tours in Southeast Asia. He earned the Air Force Cross while serving as Deputy Commander for Operations of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing. During the siege of Khe Sanh, despite extremely poor weather and intense enemy fire, he attacked and destroyed two North Vietnamese mortar and six gun positions. On his second SEA tour, he returned to the same wing as Deputy Commander and then Commander.
Following Vietnam, he was assigned to HQ USAFE before being sent to Teheran, Iran in 1972 as Chief of Staff in the Military Assistance Advisory Group. His next duty assignment was at Eglin AFB, Fla., as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Tactical Air Warfare Center and then Chief of Staff of the Armament and Development Test Center. When he retired in 1976, Colonel Parr had flown over 6,000 hours in fighter aircraft and earned more than 60 decorations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 41 Air Medals.
Colonel Parr's citation for the Air Force Cross reads:
The Air Force Cross is presented to Ralph S. Parr, Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing force as an F-4C aircraft commander near Khe Sanh, Republic of Vietnam, on March 16, 1968. On that date, Colonel Parr participated in a flight providing cover for cargo aircraft. Upon arrival over the target, the forward air controller advised the flight that the airfield was under heavy attack by hostile mortar positions, which were located a few feet below a ridge line. Although the target area was covered with dense smoke and haze, Colonel Parr successfully destroyed one mortar position on his first pass, as six well-camouflaged heavy automatic weapons opened fire on him. Although sustaining severe damage to his aircraft, he pressed his second attack and destroyed another mortar position. Again, completely disregarding his personal safety and the withering hostile gun fire, Colonel Parr succeeded in destroying six heavy caliber automatic weapons positions. In between passes, his accurate and timely directions to his wingman effectively insured the accuracy of ordnance delivery in close proximity to the friendly forces. Only after delivering all of his ordnance at point-blank range in eight consecutive passes did Colonel Parr terminate his attack. By destroying these strategically located weapons, he not only impaired the hostile force's capability to impede the resupply of Khe Sanh, but also reduced further losses to friendly cargo aircraft and crews. Through his superb airmanship, aggressiveness, and extraordinary heroism, Colonel Parr reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
12-17-2012, 08:45 AM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
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Joined APC: Jan 2007
Posts: 418
Memorial going on right now at Randolph, flyover and interment at Fort Sam this afternoon. He will be missed but I’m sure he’s in a much better place…I bet Robin, Boots and Him are having a scotch right now laughing at us and saying “let’s see how the boys getting out of this one, damm AF leadership just doesn’t get it!”
12-21-2012, 01:45 PM
#6
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Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: CGN FO
Posts: 29
Semper Fi Col Parr,
What an amazing life lived! I wish I had the pleasure of meeting such a warrior. As a Marine I have been reminded on many occasion of heroic deeds performed by Naval Aviators, Army gunship pilots and Air Force Brothers in support of Marines. The consistent message is that in every case, close air support to Marines in contact is considered the high point of these brave pilot's career's, and that says a lot. I'll be sure to remember Col Parr on the 10th of November, and proudly raise a glass to all those like him who have bravely fought "shoulder to shoulder" with Marines in the darkest of hours so far from home. Thank God for fighter pilots who can also sling lead! Col Parr, you are already missed!
What an amazing life lived! I wish I had the pleasure of meeting such a warrior. As a Marine I have been reminded on many occasion of heroic deeds performed by Naval Aviators, Army gunship pilots and Air Force Brothers in support of Marines. The consistent message is that in every case, close air support to Marines in contact is considered the high point of these brave pilot's career's, and that says a lot. I'll be sure to remember Col Parr on the 10th of November, and proudly raise a glass to all those like him who have bravely fought "shoulder to shoulder" with Marines in the darkest of hours so far from home. Thank God for fighter pilots who can also sling lead! Col Parr, you are already missed!
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