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Frank "Big Frank" Valesh History - Page 2

 by Les and Delores Valesh Lautman
("Big Frank's" sister and brother-in-law)

Related Page: Frank Valesh Crew Page  |  Dick Johnson History
 

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Frank Valesh
100th BG Photo Archives

FRANK "BIG FRANK" VALESH CHRONOLOGY:

EVENT DATE SOURCE CATEG
Frank Edward Valesh born at Graceville, MN 15-Apr-20   P
Enlistment Physical at Ft. Snelling, MN 29-Jan-42 A  
Enlisted as Aviation Cadet at Mpls-Duration + 6m-S/N: 0-742914 25-Mar-42 A P
Service began 12-Apr-42 A P
Lv Home 12-Jun-42   P
Arr AFRTC Santa Anna, CA 16-Jun-42   P
Leaving for Primary at Williams Field, AZ 13-Aug-42 C-88  
At Thunderbird II, Scottsdale, AZ-First ride 1-Sep-42 C-92 P
Solos at 9 hour 7 minutes 19-Sep-42 C-94 P
At Thunderbird II- 30 hours flight time 8-Oct-42 C-97 Passed 60-hour
check-at TB II
At Pecos Flying School, Sq 4 ,Flt. B 7-Nov-42 C-99  
Solos in BT 13-Nov-42 C-100  
To Luke Field, AZ 2-Jan-43 C-108  
Flight Physical at Luke Field-Shows total of 160 Flight hours 8-Jan-43 C-114&15-A  
Washed back from 43-C to 43-D,Gnd loop &Formation flying problem 15-Feb-43    
Flight Physical at Luke Field-For Reinlistment (Commission) 11-Apr-43 A  
Gets Wings-Commissioned 2nd Lt.  (See letters C-123, 124 &125) 12-Apr-43 A P
At Ephrata, WA-395BG/589Sq 18-Apr-43 C-126  
At Walla Walla, WA-88BG/316Sq 24-Apr-43 C-127  
First ride in B-17( At Ephrata) ,TDY? 28-Apr-43 C-128  
Lands B-17 at Gowan Field, ID with 3 minutes of fuel-Weather Prob 6-May-43 C-17  
At Walla Walla-45 hours in B-17s 10-May-43 C-59  
At Moses Lake-592Sq/396BG-Crew assembled except for navigator 29-May-43 C-56  
Graduation- Cascadian Hotel, Wenatchee, WA -"Gets Navigator"(no) Jun-43 C-45  
Dick Johnson joins crew at Walla Walla 10-Jul-43 J-2  
At Walla Walla -318Sq/88BG 20-Jul-43 C-53  
To Redmond, OR  from Walla Walla for third phase training 11-Aug-43 C-50,& J-2  
At Redmond, OR-Frank to get his own B-17 19-Aug-43 C-48  
At Grand Is., NE-Orders to Great Britain-Unsched. stop@Spngfld, MA 3-Sep-43 J-2  
Depart US via Goose Bay,Bluie W. 1,Keflavic,Stornoway Is,& Ayr 5-Sep-43 A-P  
In Sperry Prvsnl Gp-Passing through Iceland-Letter Dtd at APO 9/18 18-Sep-43 P  
Arrived England 12-Sep-43 A&C-72 P
At 2903rd Replacement Training Group 24-Sep-43 C-72&J-2  
At 2903rd RTG-2099 CCRC Gp 4-Oct-43 C-68  
Orders to 94th BG 4-Oct-43 J-2  
At Operational base, 410Sq-First Raid Soon 11-Oct-43 C-70  
Thorpe Abbotts-first letter from 100th BG/351Sq 20-Oct-43 C-71  
Abort of first mission-Oil leaked from overfilled tank 3-Nov-43 J-2 P
Mission 1/1- Gelsenkirchen-Flew Sqdrn spare #997 5-Nov-43 J-2 P
M2/2-Duren 7-Nov-43 J-2  
M3/3-Bremen-Ball Turret Problem 13-Nov-43 J-2&C-3 P
M4/4-Rujan Norway 16-Nov-43 J-2  
Takeoff Accident With Red Cross Girls 26-Nov-43 C-10&J-2 P
M-/5-Johnson Mission w/ another crew 26-Nov-43 J-2&C-10  
Frank, Flack & Campion placed under arrest in quarters 27-Nov-43 A  
Promoted to 1st Lt. 1-Dec-43 A  
M5/6-Bordeaux 5-Dec-43 J-2  
M6/7-Emden 11-Dec-43 J-2  
M7/8-Kiel 13-Dec-43 J-2  
M8/9-Bremen 16-Dec-43 J-2  
M9/10- V-1 Base-Electrical/Gasoline fire inBomb Bay 24-Dec-43 J-2 P
M10/11-Ludwigshaven-Horiz Stab Dmg.-Landed @RAF Lympne 30-Dec-43 J-2&C-14 P
M11/12-Kiel-#2 Engine Problem- Landed@Leconfield 4-Jan-44 J-2 P
Court Martial Conducted-Fined $100. & Reprimand 20-Jan-43 A P
M12/13-St. Omar 21-Jan-44 J-2  
Zetland leaves crew-is lost on first flight w/A.O. Drummond-TO Accid. 24-Jan-44 J-2 P
M13/14-Frankfurt-Tail Dmg-Lost Urich-Landed@Eastchurch 24-Jan-44 J-2 P
Got new tail gunner and bombardier 15-Feb-44 C-9  
Arrived back from leave-Have New A/C--HE#4 20-Feb-44 C-13  
M14/15-Stetten, Poland-Dehn is new Bombardier 20-Feb-44 J-2&C-13  
M15/16-Brunswick-Last mission w/100th BG 21-Feb-44 J-2 P
Orders to 482nd BG for PFF Training-Alconbury 22-Feb-44 J-2 P
Transferred to 813 Sq, 482nd Gp 25-Feb-44 J-3  
Assigned to 96th BG 413th Sq-Snetterton Heath 19-Mar-44 J-3&C-5 P
Finished PFF Training-Required Missions raised to 30 21-Mar-44 C-4 P
M16/17-Brunswick w/100th 23-Mar-44 J-2  
Al Franklin assigned as Dead Reckoning Navigator 7-Apr-44 J-2  
M17/18-Lepzig w/100th 12-Apr-44 J-2&C26  
M18/19-Brandenburg-w/95th 18-Apr-44 J-2  
M19/20-Berlin-w/385th-F breaks eardrum on Landing approach 29-Apr-44 J-2&C28 P
Leave in Scotland May-44 C P
M20/21-Brux, Chech.-w/100th -Randy Chadwick Pilot-F. Grounded 12-May-44 J-2  
To TA to fly w/100th-Overran on landing- A/C Totaled-some injuries 19-May-44 J-2&C-15 P
M20/22-Pas de Calais-w/95th 2-Jun-44 J-2  
M21/23-Pas de Calais-w/? 4-Jun-44 J-2  
M22/24-French Coast-W100th 5-Jun-44 J-2  
M23/25-Invasion Beaches On D-Day-Brought bombs home 6-Jun-44 J-2&A P
Moved again, D-day+6--95th BG/335Sq (presume @ Horham 12-Jun-44 C-12  
M24/26-Hanover-w/? 18-Jun-44 J-2  
M25/27-Berlin-w/385th-2 engines out-Landed @Seething 21-Jun-44 C-1&J-2 P
M26/28-France-Tactical targets 8-Jul-44 J-2&C-31  
M27/29-Munich-w/100th 11-Jul-44 J-2&C-33  
28/30-Hemminstedt, Denmark-w/385th,or  possibly 100th 18-Jul-44 J-2&B-1  
Last Mission 19-Jul-44 A P
29/31-Schweinfurt-w/100th-Johnsons last mission-Prob. Franks also 19-Jul-44 J-2 P
Departs England 16-Aug-44   P
Returned to Zone of Interior (US)--Date from AFFCH Records 22-Aug-44 A  
Arrives US--Date from Army Discharge papers 24-Aug-44 A P
Orders from Ft Sheridan, IL to AAFRDS Miami Beach w/23 days  DER 28-Aug-44 A  
Interview w/St. Paul paper while on 21 days home leave 5-Sep-44   P
Reports to AAFRDS Miami Beach via NY (MJ's folks) 23-Sep-44 A &C-35 P
Reports to AFFCH Nashville, TN 4-Oct-44 A &C-35 P
Approved for full-duty by AFFRDS 9-Nov-44 A P
Lv Nashville for Miami Beach 13-Nov-44 C-36  
At Hendricks Field, Seibring, FL----B-17 Transition School 4-Dec-44 C-19  
At Larado, TX Gunnery School (Last letter fm here,C-40, Dtd 1 May 45) 21-Dec-44 C-38 P
Instrument Certificate (white) Issued at Larado.  TT=1069, 12 Mo=500 12-Apr-45 A  
At Randolph Field, TX, Diploma, Co-pilot Trnstn Trng , B-29,15-29 May 2-Jun-45 A  
Separated from Army @ Camp Mc Coy, WI 10-Nov-45 A P
Frank Valesh Marries Helen Riegel 15-Apr-83    
Frank Valesh Dies 21-May-84   P

Decorations:
Air Medal w/4 Oak Leaf Clusters
EAME Theatre Ribbonw/3Bronze Stars
DFC Presidents Citation w/2OLC

Note: DATE
1. When the source shown is a "C-" number only it indicates the date of a letter which was actual date of the event.
2. If the event starts with "At" a letter is the source and the date lags.
3. All mission dates are from Dick Johnson's log and can be presumed accurate.
4. Items with a source shown as "A" can be assumed accurate.

Note: SOURCE
A = Army record in Valesh file.
J-2 = Dick Johnson's log-2nd writing.
B-1 = Mighty 8th War Diary.
J-3 = Johnsons letter 9 Jun 93.

Note: CATEGORY
P = Primary information item as selected by DVL.

Note: GRADUATION -- JUNE 43
Letter written before July 4. Navigator mentioned either is not JRJ or J-2 is in error about 10 July arrival. See next item down, this page. Requisitioned JRJ 6 Nov 93 and he is sure he" was the only Navigator assigned ..until Franklin was assigned as DR Navigator after thev ioined PFF.

Notes: GENERAL
C = Letter from Frank.
Departed US from Bangor, ME on 5 Sep 43
M13/14-Frank Gregory flew as bombardier
15 Feb. 44--Tail gunner Szekley flew several missions but was not assigned to the crew. See JRJ letter of 6 Nov.
Paul West data indicates this crash (19-May-44) was in HE#4

LORDIE VALESH LAUTMAN, as mentioned in the previous issue, inherited the papers of her brother, FRANK VALESH, and is writing a book about him. Thanks to DICK JOHNSON's persuasion, Lordie decided to share one of Frank's poems which their mother saved with his letters. Here is an excerpt from his poem about the whiskey cure for frostbite, insomnia, and nerves:

Back at the base, props in low pitch, 
LAND, see S-2, that son of a bitch.
A quick bite to eat, then up to the bar.

But fifteen boys can't say, 'Here we are.' Just have
a quick drink; don't look blue.
Just curse everyone for the dough he owes you.

Your hand shakes a little as you throw her down neat.
You know the law of averages wasn't made to be beat. You're next
and you know it; the thought comes to you: 'I'll quit, I can't take it
after what I've been through. '

And you feel a little guilty as if the boys could read your mind,
So you grin and have another drink - you're drinking with your kind.

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