Medal of Honor recipient John Baka recounts wound and reconciliation at Menifee ceremony

John Baka, a Medal of Honor recipient invited to speak at Menifee City’s Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans ceremony, recounted his wartime experience, the moment he was gravely wounded and his long connection to fellow service members and medical staff.

Baka described an incident in which he approached an enemy bunker, subdued a young North Vietnamese soldier and "watched over him so nobody would hurt him," sharing photos and a human moment across enemy lines. He told the audience that a grenade blew up and that he believed an "invisible angel" was holding him while medics and hospital nurses kept him alive.

Baka also described returning to Vietnam in 1990 with former comrades to participate in reconstruction and reconciliation efforts, including work at a Vietnamese–American friendship clinic and meeting former North Vietnamese fighters who were rebuilding war-damaged sites. He named individuals who cared for him, including Dr. John Lungquist and Navy nurses who aided his recovery.

Baka framed his remarks with reflections on faith, memory and volunteerism, and linked his experience to ongoing efforts to honor and assist veterans, including volunteer programs such as Snowball Express. His account was delivered as part of a broader ceremony that also included prayers, music and city leader remarks.