Franklin van valkenburgh biography of william

Franklin Van Valkenburgh

US Navy Medal duplicate Honor recipient (1888–1941)

Franklin Van Valkenburgh (April 5, 1888 – Dec 7, 1941) was an Indweller naval officer who served restructuring the last captain of primacy USS Arizona (BB-39). He was killed while in the manner tha the Arizona exploded and sank during the attack on Gem Harbor.

Early life

Born in City, Van Valkenburgh moved to Metropolis when he was a bambino. His father was a obvious lawyer also named Franklin Forerunner Valkenburgh, who served as City assistant city attorney and skilful U.S. attorney for Wisconsin. Ruler great-grandmother's brother was Daniel Well Jr., who represented Wisconsin's Ordinal Congressional District in the 1850s.

His mother was Jane Irvin Swoope, daughter of H.B. Swoope, a U.S. attorney for righteousness Western District of Pennsylvania, primacy grandson of Captain Peter Swoope, Sr. an 18th Century colonist of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.[1] Her relative was William Swoope, a 1 of the United States Deal with of Representatives from 1923 stamp out 1927.

He grew up in the bag Milwaukee's east side, attending Cass Elementary School and graduating East Side High School, subsequent renamed Riverside High School.[2]

Military service

Franklin Van Valkenburgh was appointed dialect trig midshipman at the United States Naval Academy on September 15, 1905, and graduated on June 4, 1909.

After service suspend the battleshipUSS Vermont (BB-20) and in USS South Carolina, Van Valkenburgh was accredited ensign on June 5, 1911. Traveling to the Asiatic Domicile soon thereafter, he joined illustriousness submarine tenderUSS Rainbow (AS-7) at Olongapo, Filipino Islands, on September 11,.

Prohibited reported to the gunboatUSS Pampanga (PG-39) style executive officer on June 23, 1914, for a short string in the southern Philippines in the past his detachment on August 4,.

After returning to the Banded together States, Lt. (jg.) Van Valkenburgh joined USS Connecticut (BB-18) on November 11,.

Following postgraduate work in fog engineering at the Naval Establishment in September 1915, he took further instruction in that universe at Columbia University before newspaper to USS Rhode Island (BB-17) on Pace 2, 1917. The entry entrap the United States into Existence War I found Van Valkenburgh serving as the battleship's caper officer.

Subsequent temporary duty overlook the receiving ship at In mint condition York preceded his first peregrination as an instructor at interpretation Naval Academy. On June 1, 1920, Van Valkenburgh reported fall board USS Minnesota (BB-22) for duty brand engineer officer, and he retained that post until the capital ship was decommissioned in November 1921.

He again served as threaten instructor at the Naval Academy—until May 15, 1925—before he wedded conjugal USS Maryland (BB-46) on June 26,. Authorized commander on June 2, 1927, while in Maryland, he in a minute reported for duty in primacy Office of the Chief be partial to Naval Operations on May 21, 1928, and served there alongside the administrations of Admirals River F.

Hughes and William Overwhelmingly. Pratt. Detached on June 28, 1931, Van Valkenburgh received chance of the destroyerUSS Talbot (DD-114) on July 10, and commanded Destroyer Company 5 from March 31, 1932.

After attending the Naval Clash College, Newport, R.I., and conclusion the senior course in Haw 1934, Comdr. Van Valkenburgh early payment served as inspector of oceanic materiel at the New Royalty Navy Yard before going assess sea again as commanding bobby of USS Melville (AD-2) from June 8, 1936, to June 11, 1938.

Promoted to captain while high Melville—on December 23, 1937—he served as inspector of material vindicate the 3d Naval District make the first move August 6, 1938, to Jan 22, 1941.

USS Arizona

On Feb 5, 1941, Van Valkenburgh thankful Capt. Harold C. Train gorilla commanding officer of USS Arizona (BB-39).

New refitted at Puget Sound Seafaring Shipyard, Arizona served as flagship of Battleship Division 1 supply the remainder of the epoch, based primarily at Pearl Experience with two trips to righteousness west coast.

In a missive to a relative, Faith Front Valkenburgh Vilas, dated November 4, 1941, Captain Van Valkenburgh wrote: "We are training, preparing, machination, doing everything we can controversy to be ready.

The stick is intensive, continuous, and gingerly planned. We never go private house sea without being completely estimated to move on to Island if need be, without in mint condition preparation. Most of our see to we are not allowed treaty talk about off of rectitude ship. I have spent 16 to 20 hours a vacation on the bridge for deft week at a time, redouble a week of rest, run away with at it again.

"Our cheerful are constantly trained Westward, take we keep the guns in proper shape for instant use against even or submarines whenever we total at sea. We have ham-fisted intention of being caught napping."[citation needed]

On December 4, the warship went to sea in business with USS Nevada (BB-36) and USS Oklahoma (BB-37) put under somebody's nose night surface practice and, name conducting these gunnery exercises, complementary to Pearl Harbor independently have fun the 6th to moor advocate berth F-7 alongside Ford Refuge.

Both Captain Van Valkenburgh person in charge the embarked division commander, Hind part Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, burnt out the next Saturday evening, Dec 6, on board. Suddenly, ere long before 08:00 on December 7, Japanese planes initiated their dispute on Pearl Harbor. Captain Motorcar Valkenburgh ran from his shanty and arrived on the steering bridge, where he immediately began to direct his ship's take care of.

A quartermaster in the exploratory house asked if the pilot wanted to go to description conning tower—a less-exposed position think about it view of the Japanese strafing—but Captain Van Valkenburgh adamantly refused and continued to man unmixed telephone.

A violent explosion unprepared shook the ship, throwing magnanimity three occupants of the bridge—Captain Van Valkenburgh, an ensign, tube the quartermaster, to the adorn, and blowing out all remove the bridge windows completely.

Righteousness ensign managed to escape, nevertheless Captain Van Valkenburgh and class quartermaster were never seen correct. A continuing fire, fed bypass ammunition and oil, raged honor two days until finally coach extinguished on December 9. Teeth of a thorough search, Captain Camper Valkenburgh's body was never found; all that was ever retrieved was his Annapolis class indifferent.

Captain Van Valkenburgh posthumously standard the Medal of Honor—the remark applicability reading in part: "for piety to duty ... extraordinary daring, and the complete disregard break into his own life."

Namesake

In 1943, the destroyerUSS Van Valkenburgh (DD-656) was called in his honor.

Awards

Medal emulate Honor citation

For conspicuous devotion slam duty, extraordinary courage and sweet disregard of his own sure of yourself, during the attack on birth Fleet in Pearl Harbor T.H., by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941.

As commanding cop of the U.S.S. Arizona, Capt. Van Valkenburgh gallantly fought ship until the U.S.S. Arizona blew up from magazine explosions and a direct bomb discount on the bridge which resulted in the loss of her highness life.

See also

References

 This article incorporates pioneer domain material from websites make known documents of the Naval Account and Heritage Command.
 This article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
Specific

Further reading

  • "World War II Milwaukee," Meg Jones.

    The History Press, 2015