Frisz, Valentine G. Jr.

Date of birth:: January 6th, 1922 (Vincennes/Indiana, United States)
Date of death:: April 12th, 1944 (Dunquerque, France)
Nationality:: American

Biography

Valentine G. Frisz, Jr, was born in Vincennes, Indiana, on January 6th, 1922. Nicknamed Valley, he was the fourth of nine children. Valley worked for his father until his enlistment in the United States Army Air Forces on September 26th, 1942. After basic and radio training, he was assigned to the 558th Bomb Squadron, 387th Bomb Group, IX Bomb Wing, 8th Air Force. The group went to England and flew its first mission on July 16th. It took about 30 missions, most of them disastrous, to teach the higher command that the B-26 was not a satisfactory low-level bomber, and the group was transferred to the 9th Air Force and assigned to medium-level missions, where the B-26 came into its own. During the run-up to the Normandy invasion, the group flew many missions attacking coastal targets in northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. On April 12th, 1944, Valley was flying as radio gunner in the lead plane of a mission over Dunkirk. After exiting the target area, the plane took a direct flak hit in the left wing, inboard of the engine. The wing was blown off, and the plane quickly flipped over onto its back and started falling. The tail section fell away, and two men were thrown from the plane. Their parachutes were seen to open, one belonging to the formation control observer, First Lieutenant John R. McGhee and the other belonging to Valley. Valley landed in the water about 1/2 mile (0.8 km) offshore and was dead (listed in Missing Air Crew Report 3745 as KIA) when a German boat reached him. McGhee survived, landing on dry land, and was taken prisoner.

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