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Van Valkenburgh, Franklin

Date of birth:
April 5th, 1888 (Minneapolis/Minnesota, United States)
Date of death:
December 7th, 1941 (Pearl Harbor, Hawaiï)
Mentioned on:
U.S.S. Arizona Memorial
Nationality:
American (1776 - present, Republic)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Captain
Unit:
U.S.S. Arizona (BB-39), U.S. Navy
Awarded for:
Operation Z (1941)
For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor T.H., by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. As commanding officer of the U.S.S. Arizona, Capt. Van Valkenburgh gallantly fought his ship until the U.S.S. Arizona blew up from magazine explosions and a direct bomb hit on the bridge which resulted in the loss of his life.

Awarded posthumously
Medal of Honor - Navy/Marine Corps (MoH)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Captain
Unit:
U.S.S. Arizona (BB-39), U.S. Navy

Posthumously awarded
Purple Heart
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)

"Fleet clasp"
American Defence Service Medal
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)

1 bronze service star
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

Sources

  • Photo 1: U.S. Navy
  • - Jordan, Kenneth N., Yesterday’s Heroes, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., USA, 1996.

Photo