Valencia F6F February 1945

[RWGWAG]

Did Eugene Valencia actually fly F6F-5 side number 19 for the Tokyo mission on February 16th, 1945? Or is it just assumed he flew it because it had four Japanese flags under the cockpit?

 

[Barrett]

We'll probably never know. Gene's first claim of the '45 cruise was on the 16th. His logbooks were destroyed in the San Diego museum arson fire in the 70s. Perps were juveniles and apparently escaped the punishment they deserved. His son lost most of what was left in a N California fire last year...

Follow-up:

Even now, decades later, a great many modelers & artists assume that because the AAF frequently assigned personal aircraft that the navy & marines did too. Totally different environments especially aboard carriers. Only air group commanders actually flew "their" airplanes--Dave mcCampbell's Minsi III and Hugh Winters' Hanger (sic) Lily being prime examples. But almost without exception, pilots flew whatever was spotted in their position on deck. The Hero Shots with suitable kill flags and stenciled name were end of cruise fare intended for the hometown paper. If you look closely at Squadron X's hero shots you'll see they were often posed in the same airplane.

'nother example: Joe Foss was bemused at the parade of inquisitors asking about "his" markings. Joe loaned me his logbook, and I counted THIRTY-FOUR WIldcats at Guadalcanal with victories in ten...

 

[RWGWAG]

We'll probably never know. Gene's first claim of the '45 cruise was on the 16th. His logbooks were destroyed in the San Diego museum arson fire in the 70s. Perps were juveniles and apparently escaped the punishment they deserved. His son lost most of what was left in a N California fire last year...

Follow-up:

Even now, decades later, a great many modelers & artists assume that because the AAF frequently assigned personal aircraft that the navy & marines did too. Totally different environments especially aboard carriers. Only air group commanders actually flew "their" airplanes--Dave mcCampbell's Minsi III and Hugh Winters' Hanger (sic) Lily being prime examples. But almost without exception, pilots flew whatever was spotted in their position on deck. The Hero Shots with suitable kill flags and stenciled name were end of cruise fare intended for the hometown paper. If you look closely at Squadron X's hero shots you'll see they were often posed in the same airplane.

'nother example: Joe Foss was bemused at the parade of inquisitors asking about "his" markings. Joe loaned me his logbook, and I counted THIRTY-FOUR WIldcats at Guadalcanal with victories in ten...

Did the same idea hold true for Phil Torrey of CAG-9 in Feb. 45? Was the bird he was flying, BuNo 71445, side number 99 when he was lost?