My dad was awarded a Bronze Star in WW2. I asked what he did to get it and he said “I was the clerk that filled out the award paperwork for all the medals”.
On the way out of port headed to Operation Torch, someone spotted what they thought was a periscope. They were going to ignore it but my dad told the gunners and several soldiers to fire where they thought it was. Every man on the ship got an American Theater Campaign Ribbon
My grandfather had one as well. When I asked about it, he said dismissively, "Meh, they gave one to everybody.". We didn't find out the story behind it until after he died.
In the same vein, a good family friend - English - saw heavy action in Korea and the Suez, among other garden spots. Had a raft of great stories, but they were always: "My mates did this" or "My friends did that...". When I asked him what he was doing while all this was happening, he'd say that he was "Hiding. Up a tree/Under a desk/In a closet" and so on.
Trust that your dad earned his Bronze Star. :-)
My Great Uncle Blaine Childress told a story of his experience during WW2. He spotted what he believed to be a periscope in a canal moving inland. He alerted the authorities of a possible mini sub. The military found the “periscope” a short while later and it turned out to be an alligator with part of a wooden spear protruding from its back.