Wing Commander Ved Prakash Bhagra was commissioned in the Administrative Branch of the Indian Air Force in December, 1942. During the last 29 years, he has held a variety of unit and staff appointments amongst which are the assignment with Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission in Korea and Staff Officer to the Commandant of National Defence Academy.

During the last one year and nine months, Wing Commander Bhagra has been Officerin-Charge Drafting at Air Force Record Office. These duties during the present emer gency were onerous and very complicated because of the large number of airmen required to be moved to replace those who were proceeding on release in the wake of lifting of the national emergency in 1968 and the need for meeting the ever-increasing demands for manpower from the front line Units.

When the national emergency was imminent in the latter half of 1971 and the task of the Air Force Record Office, increased manifold Wing Commander Bhagra, by his personal example, honesty of purpose and devotion to the cause of the service, managed to forge the Officers and airmen of Drafting Wing into a closely knit and an efficient team. During the recent emergency, when the preparation stage was being implemented, it was due to his untiring efforts and minute and meticulous attention to detail that it was possible to complete large scale manpower augmentation plan in a speed manner. This enabled the service to provide such needed manpower at forward operational area Units well in time to meet the threat.

The selfless devotion to the duties entrusted to him and personal example set by Wing Commander Ved Prakash Bhagra were in the best traditions of the Indian Air Force. For his distinguished service of a high order, he is awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.