Eugene Anthony Valencia Jr. (13 April 1921 – 15 September 1972) was a 3rd highest scoring

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

fighter ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

with 23 claims.

Early life

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.

Naval career

Valencia received his

wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...

in February 1942 and joined Fighting Squadron 9 a year later. During his first combat deployment to the Pacific, he flew

Grumman F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...

s from 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 large dogfight over Truk Atoll on 17 February. 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 and during 1945, and Valencia's division accounted for 43 of the squadron's 130 victories. Valencia himself joined the ranks of the " aces in a day" 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.Tillman 1996, p. 68 With 23 victories, Valencia remains the United States Navy's third-ranking ace of all time. 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

VFAW-3 All Weather Fighter Squadron 3 (VF(AW)-3) was a designation which was used by two separate U.S. Navy aviation squadrons. The first squadron to use the designation was established as Composite Squadron THREE (VC-3) on 20 May 1943, was redesignated ...

, an air defense squadron, from 1958–1960. Valencia's decorations include the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

, six Distinguished Flying Crosses, and six

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

Later life

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.

References

Bibliography

* Olynyk, Frank. ''Stars & Bars: A Tribute to the American Fighter Ace 1920–1972''. London: Grub Street, 1993 * Tillman, Barrett. ''Hellcat Aces of World War 2''. London: Osprey Publishing, 1996. * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Valencia, Eugene A. Jr. United States Navy personnel of World War II American World War II flying aces Aviators from California Military personnel from San Francisco Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Air Medal United States Navy officers 1921 births 1972 deaths