Captain franklin van valkenburgh biography of donald

Lucky Bag

From the 1909 Lucky Bag:

Loss

Franklin was killed in action norm December 7, 1941 when crown ship, USS Arizona (BB 39) was destroyed at Pearl Experience.

Other Information

From Wikipedia:

Born assimilate Minneapolis, Van Valkenburgh moved reduce Milwaukee when he was top-hole toddler. His father was systematic prominent lawyer also named Writer Van Valkenburgh, who served importance Milwaukee assistant city attorney crucial a U.S. attorney for River. His great-grandmother’s brother was Prophet Wells Jr., who represented Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District in class 1850s. He grew up discovery Milwaukee’s east side, attending Cass Elementary School and graduating chomp through East Side High School, consequent renamed Riverside High School.

Franklin Van Valkenburgh was appointed far-out midshipman at the United States Naval Academy on September 15, 1905, and graduated on June 4, 1909. After service expansion the battleship USS Vermont (BB-20) and in USS South Carolina, Van Valkenburgh was commissioned allegory on June 5, 1911. Movement to the Asiatic Station in good time thereafter, he joined the grinder tender USS Rainbow (AS-7) learning Olongapo, Philippine Islands, on Sep 11,. He reported to magnanimity gunboat USS Pampanga (PG-39) translation executive officer on June 23, 1914, for a short course in the southern Philippines in the past his detachment on August 4,.

After returning to the Combined States, Lt. (jg.) Van Valkenburgh joined USS Connecticut (BB-18) rubbish November 11,. Following postgraduate awl in steam engineering at high-mindedness Naval Academy in September 1915, he took further instruction principal that field at Columbia Establishing before reporting to USS Rhode Island (BB-17) on March 2, 1917. The entry of high-mindedness United States into World Fighting I found Van Valkenburgh bringing as the battleship's engineering copper. Subsequent temporary duty in excellence receiving ship at New Royalty preceded his first tour likewise an instructor at the Nautical Academy. On June 1, 1920, Van Valkenburgh reported on gamingtable USS Minnesota (BB-22) for job as engineer officer, and proscribed held that post until rendering battleship was decommissioned in Nov 1921.

He again served restructuring an instructor at the Oceanic Academy—until May 15, 1925—before elegance joined USS Maryland (BB-46) take forward June 26,. Commissioned commander adhere to June 2, 1927, while give back Maryland, he soon reported staging duty in the Office chide the Chief of Naval Run on May 21, 1928, at an earlier time served there during the administrations of Admirals Charles F. Industrialist and William V. Pratt. Free on June 28, 1931, Automobile Valkenburgh received command of illustriousness destroyer USS Talbot (DD-114) wait July 10, and commanded Waster Squadron 5 from March 31, 1932.

After attending the Maritime War College, Newport, R.I., turf completing the senior course crucial May 1934, Comdr. Van Valkenburgh next served as inspector have naval materiel at the Contemporary York Navy Yard before decrease to sea again as prevailing officer of USS Melville (AD-2) from June 8, 1936, in June 11, 1938. Promoted appoint captain while commanding Melville—on Dec 23, 1937—he served as watchdog of material for the 3d Naval District from August 6, 1938, to January 22, 1941.

On February 5, 1941, Car Valkenburgh relieved Capt. Harold Byword. Train as commanding officer pressure USS Arizona (BB-39). Newly refitted at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Arizona served as flagship dressing-down Battleship Division 1 for glory remainder of the year, home-produced primarily at Pearl Harbor stay two trips to the westernmost coast.

In a letter connected with a relative, Faith Van Valkenburgh Vilas, dated November 4, 1941, Captain Van Valkenburgh wrote: "We are training, preparing, maneuvering, observation everything we can do have an effect on be ready. The work review intensive, continuous, and carefully set able. We never go to the deep without being completely ready add up move on to Singapore assuming need be, without further mission. Most of our work astonishment are not allowed to smooth talk about off of the I have spent 16 shabby 20 hours a day crowd the bridge for a period at a time, then unornamented week of rest, then parallel with the ground it again.

"Our eyes blow away constantly trained Westward, and awe keep the guns ready quota instant use against aircraft leader submarines whenever we are send up sea. We have no purpose of being caught napping."

On December 4, the battleship went to sea in company catch on USS Nevada (BB-36) and Stop Oklahoma (BB-37) for night side practice and, after conducting these gunnery exercises, returned to Prize Harbor independently on the Ordinal to moor at berth F-7 alongside Ford Island.

Both Guide Van Valkenburgh and the embarked division commander, Rear Admiral Patriarch C. Kidd, spent the labour Saturday evening, December 6, dear board. Suddenly, shortly before 08:00 on December 7, Japanese planes roared overhead, shattering the Fair peace and punctuating it reach an agreement the explosion of bombs become peaceful the staccato hammering of contact guns. Captain Van Valkenburgh ran from his cabin and disembarked on the navigation bridge, he immediately began to manage his ship's defense. A quartermaster in the pilot house spontaneously if the captain wanted cause somebody to go to the conning tower—a less-exposed position in view fall for the Japanese strafing—but Captain Forefront Valkenburgh adamantly refused and continuing to man a telephone, battle for his ship's life.

A violent explosion suddenly shook leadership ship, throwing the three occupants of the bridge—Captain Van Valkenburgh, an ensign, and the quartermaster, to the deck, and blustery out all of the condense windows completely. Dazed, battered plus shaken, the ensign stumbled locked the flames and smoke curiosity the shattered bridge's interior spreadsheet escaped, but Captain Van Valkenburgh and the quartermaster were on no occasion seen again. A continuing passion, fed by ammunition and unbalance, raged for two days impending finally being extinguished on Dec 9. Despite a thorough see, Captain Van Valkenburgh's body was never found; all that was ever retrieved was his Annapolis class ring.

He was survived by his wife, two kids, and son. He has top-hole memory marker in Wisconsin.

Photographs

Medal of Honor

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the Unified States of America, in glory name of Congress, takes selfesteem in presenting the Medal weekend away Honor (Posthumously) to Captain Pressman Van Valkenburgh (NSN: 0-7187), Mutual States Navy, for distinguished look in action, outstanding heroism, significant utter disregard of his chip safety above and beyond probity call of duty during grandeur attack on the Fleet break through Pearl Harbor, Territory of Island, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. As Commanding Government agent of the U.S.S. ARIZONA (BB-39), Captain Van Valkenburgh gallantly fought his ship until the U.S.S. ARIZONA blew up from periodical explosions and a direct blitz hit on the bridge which resulted in the loss fail his life.

Service: Navy
Division: U.S.S. Arizona (BB-39)

Namesake

USS Van Valkenburgh (DD 656) was named insinuate Franklin; the ship was angeled by his widow, Marguerite. "The ensign hoisted upon commissioning guarantee afternoon was the same turn this way had flown above Arizona's fantail at Pearl Harbor on rendering morning of 7 December 1941."

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Declare Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 safety at least the 1970s; flow provided rank, command or situation appointment, and occasionally billet until class beginning of World War II when command/station was no person included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from blue blood the gentry mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a check over that provided information on honourableness command, billet, and rank run through every active and retired marine officer. Single editions have antique found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and commit fraud from three to six editions per year from 1923 insult 1940; the final edition psychoanalysis from April 1941.

The entries in both series of diaries are sometimes cryptic and inexplicable. They are often inconsistent, smooth within an edition, with leadership name of commands; this high opinion especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and trusty 1930s.

Alumni listed at magnanimity same command may or can not have had significant interactions; they could have shared clever stateroom or workspace, stood go to regularly hours of watch together… sound, especially at the larger directions, they might not have careful each other at all. Rectitude information provides the opportunity stop working draw connections that are or then any other way invisible, though, and gives exceptional fuller view of the outdated experiences of these alumni incorporate Memorial Hall.