721:
Squadron NINE (VF-9), attached to the U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CV-10), on 17 April 1945, and deployed over
Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands. Leading his combat air patrol in an aggressive attack against an overwhelming force of enemy fighters intent on attacking our Fleet units, Lieutenant Commander Valencia engaged the enemy and, although outnumbered ten-to-one, personally shot down six hostile planes, probably destroyed another and damaged one. By his expert airmanship, gallant fighting spirit and devotion to duty, he contributed materially to the ultimate destruction and dispersal of the enemy formation and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
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The
President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Commander Eugene Anthony Valencia, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting
262:" with six kills over Japan on 17 April, and at war's end all his division's pilots were aces. James B. French had 11 victories, Harris Mitchell 10, and Clinton L. Smith 6. With 23 victories, Valencia remains the United States Navy's third-ranking ace of all time.
243:
Promoted to full lieutenant, Valencia prepared for VF-9's next deployment. He trained three other pilots in his "mowing machine" tactics, which became perhaps the deadliest naval fighter division (four planes) of the war. "Fighting 9" flew from
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Valencia remained in the navy after World War II ended, and served in a variety of roles including ordnance test, transports, and antisubmarine warfare. As a full commander, he was executive officer of
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A native of San
Francisco, Valencia was born on 13 April 1921 and attended junior college before enlisting in the United States Navy for flight training in 1941.
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537:
291:
173:
278:
Valencia retired from the navy in 1962 and entered business in
Southern California. He died at an aces reunion in San Antonio in 1972, aged 51.
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236:
in 1943–44. At the end of the first cruise in
February 1944, Lieutenant (JG) Valencia was an ace with seven victories, including three in the
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during 1945, and
Valencia's division accounted for 43 of the squadron's 130 victories. Valencia himself joined the ranks of the "
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a year later. During his first combat deployment to the
Pacific, he flew
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837:
Stars & Bars: A Tribute to the
American Fighter Ace 1920–1972
782:
Valencia's memorable actions on 17 April 1945 are documented in
222:
149:
924:
190:(13 April 1921 – 15 September 1972) was a 3rd highest scoring
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700:
1591:
860:
THE LIFE AND EXCITING TIMES OF GUY CHARLES THRONER JR
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967:
165:
155:
138:
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108:
100:
85:
68:
48:
29:
1661:Hispanic and Latino American military personnel
760:"Eugene Anthony Valencia 13 April 1921 - 1972"
936:
709:Lieutenant Commander Eugene Anthony Valencia
8:
1686:Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)
1671:United States Navy personnel of World War II
790:, as the final chapter of that compilation.
739:"Eugene A. Valencia, Navy Ace in Pacific".
270:, an air defense squadron, from 1958–1960.
943:
929:
921:
37:
26:
857:Guy Charles Throner Jr. (21 March 2014).
905:. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 136–.
902:Tidal Wave: From Leyte Gulf to Tokyo Bay
519:
1598:
1576:List of United States World War II aces
899:Thomas McKelvey Cleaver (31 May 2018).
884:. Naval Institute Press. pp. 58–.
731:
863:. Xlibris Corporation. pp. 103–.
754:
752:
750:
1666:Hispanic and Latino American aviators
1646:Military personnel from San Francisco
7:
878:Barrett Tillman (11 October 2012).
846:. London: Osprey Publishing, 1996.
286:Valencia's decorations include the
764:Naval History and Heritage Command
25:
1676:American World War II flying aces
1613:
1601:
952:
881:Hellcat: The F6F in World War II
510:
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689:Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon
582:Navy Presidential Unit Citation
812:. Military Times Hall of Valor
715:Date Of Action: April 17, 1945
684:Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon
667:National Defense Service Medal
643:Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
619:American Defense Service Medal
238:large dogfight over Truk Atoll
1:
1581:List of top World War II aces
292:Distinguished Flying Crosses
221:in February 1942 and joined
1691:Recipients of the Air Medal
1651:United States Navy officers
958:United States World War II
844:Hellcat Aces of World War 2
839:. London: Grub Street, 1993
188:Eugene Anthony Valencia Jr.
1707:
810:"Euegene Anthony Valencia"
660:World War II Victory Medal
538:Distinguished Flying Cross
174:Distinguished Flying Cross
1571:
1141:Dominic Salvatore Gentile
962:with 15+ aerial victories
788:Greatest Fighter Missions
529:
522:
312:
303:
62:San Francisco, California
36:
1656:Aviators from California
1408:William T. Whisner Jr.
638:American Campaign Medal
1320:John C. "Pappy" Herbst
723:
705:
646:w/ one silver and two
602:Navy Unit Commendation
282:Awards and decorations
217:Valencia received his
31:Eugene A. Valencia Jr.
718:
704:
121:Years of service
93:San Diego, California
1512:Edward "Porky" Cragg
1488:David Lee "Tex" Hill
1384:James S. Varnell Jr.
1368:John F. Thornell Jr.
1034:Charles H. MacDonald
575:Combat Action Ribbon
227:Grumman F6F Hellcats
1520:Kenneth H. Dahlberg
1472:Richard A. Peterson
1440:Charles R. Stimpson
1205:Robert B. Westbrook
1149:Fred J. Christensen
799:Tillman 1996, p. 68
697:Navy Cross citation
524:Naval Aviator Badge
223:Fighting Squadron 9
90:Glen Abbey Memorial
1288:Glenn T. Eagleston
1232:Patrick D. Fleming
1109:David C. Schilling
1093:Eugene A. Valencia
842:Tillman, Barrett.
706:
192:United States Navy
115:United States Navy
79:San Antonio, Texas
18:Eugene A. Valencia
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1456:William D. Dunham
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1376:Gerald W. Johnson
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1304:Walter C. Beckham
1300:
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1280:Leonard K. Carson
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1252:
1248:John Lucian Smith
1244:
1240:Cornelius N. Nooy
1236:
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1189:Donald N. Aldrich
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1157:Ray Shuey Wetmore
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1129:
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1117:Gerald R. Johnson
1113:
1105:
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1062:
1054:
1046:
1038:
1030:
1026:Robert S. Johnson
1022:
1018:Gregory Boyington
1014:
995:
987:
979:
912:978-1-4728-2546-9
891:978-1-61251-189-4
870:978-1-4931-2880-8
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72:15 September 1972
16:(Redirected from
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1560:Harold L. Spears
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1528:James A. Goodson
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1256:Alexander Vraciu
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240:on 17 February.
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1504:Samuel J. Brown
1496:Jack T. Bradley
1448:George S. Welch
1392:John T. Godfrey
1344:John B. England
1264:Arthur J. Benko
1224:Glenn E. Duncan
1212:
1197:Thomas J. Lynch
1085:Cecil E. Harris
1065:
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835:Olynyk, Frank.
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43:Eugene Valencia
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1544:Ralph K. Hofer
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1181:Walker Mahurin
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1125:Neel E. Kearby
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983:Thomas McGuire
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784:Edward H. Sims
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741:New York Times
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680:" bronze star
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1536:Robert W. Foy
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1077:John C. Meyer
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743:. 1972-09-18.
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104:United States
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59:13 April 1921
51:
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40:
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19:
1400:Bud Anderson
1360:Duane Beeson
1336:Hubert Zemke
1165:John J. Voll
1092:
975:Richard Bong
901:
880:
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843:
836:
829:Bibliography
814:. Retrieved
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213:Naval career
208:
199:World War II
187:
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160:World War II
156:Battles/wars
144:
74:(1972-09-15)
1641:1972 deaths
1636:1921 births
1424:Bill Harris
960:flying aces
553:silver star
195:fighter ace
1630:Categories
816:August 11,
769:2018-06-24
726:References
531:Navy Cross
296:Air Medals
294:, and six
288:Navy Cross
274:Later life
205:Early life
170:Navy Cross
101:Allegiance
55:1921-04-13
1620:Biography
712:U.S. Navy
585:w/ three
558:Air Medal
253:USS
248:Lexington
246:USS
231:USS
179:Air Medal
143:USS
133:Commander
124:1941–1962
1608:Aviation
1050:Joe Foss
255:Yorktown
109:Service/
1594:Portals
1491:(15.25)
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1339:(17.75)
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1144:(21.83)
1045:(26.83)
786:' book
675:⁄
670:w/ one
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290:, six
268:VFAW-3
166:Awards
111:branch
95:, U.S.
86:Buried
81:, U.S.
64:, U.S.
1217:15–19
1070:20–24
1003:25–29
233:Essex
229:from
219:wings
145:Essex
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848:ISBN
818:2024
251:and
150:VF-9
139:Unit
129:Rank
69:Died
49:Born
968:30+
197:in
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