Park honoring Vietnam War veteran John Baca to open

Paul Clinton

Huntington Beach will be honoring one of its war heroes Saturday, by

naming a park after the Vietnam War veteran.

The city is set to christen “John P. Baca Park” as a tribute to the

Huntington Beach resident who won the Congressional Medal of Honor for

bravery on the battlefield.

Baca is one of only two Huntington Beach residents to win the highest

honor a soldier can be given for battlefield valor. Chris Carr, the other

medal recipient, also has a park in the city bearing his name.

“To be able to honor someone like John Baca is not only good for John

Baca, it’s good for the community,” said Jim Engle, the deputy director

of the Community Services Department. “We’re honoring the man and his

accomplishments.”

Baca distinguished himself during a night ambush mission in Vietnam.

To save his fellow platoon members, Baca covered a grenade with his steel

helmet and fell on it. Baca’s body absorbed the shrapnel from the

grenade, but he was not killed.

Baca, who lives in the San Diego area, has said he will attend the 11

a.m. event. The park is located at 7329 Sherwood Drive, near the

intersection of Gothard Street and Promenade Parkway.

Mayor Debbie Cook, Assemblyman Tom Harman, Supervisor Jim Silva and

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher have said they will attend. A number of veterans

groups including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Jewish

War Veterans have also promised to appear to honor Baca.