Valdez (FF 1096) - Naval Cruise Book

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the NAVY CROSS posthumously to .:. f.,,-f -Q fl ,W-W V Mc' aaa, .g:..-,, A M UT ' 5' Y Q 3asl,..i.,.bn..ltf.,5Z ,M ..-.-f-.. -L THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY WASHINGTON. D. C. 20350 The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting PHIL I VALDEZ HOSPITAL CORPSMAN THIRD CLASS UNITED STATES NAVY CITATION For conspicuous in action on the morning of 29 January 1967 B , First Battalion, First Marines in the of Vietnam. As corps- man with the third platoon I-lospitalmanj Valdez par- ticipated in a helilift with of Company H of the Second Battalion platoon came under heavy enemy fire and sustained while maneuvering forward. Without hesitation Petty ran over seventy-five yards of open terrain under constant enem ., re to aida fallen Marine. He then moved the wounded man to a sa i, ea and quickly and competently, rendered medical assistance A sing himself to enemy fire, Petty Officer Valdez moved across ,tw 5 y 4 ly fifty yards of open ground to another Marine While tre E ' arine, he positioned him- Phil Isadore Valdez self between the man and t s was at this time that Petty Officer Valdez was mortall ysmall-arrns fire. Through his heroic actions and selfles if duty, he was responsible for saving the lives of two Marine 1 spiring efforts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. For the President, fs! Robert H. B. Baldwin Acting Secretary of the Navy Phil Isadore Valdez was born 13 April 1946 in Dixon, New Mexico, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Valdez. He was graduated from Espanola High School Espanola, New Mexico, l November 1965 and trained as a Hospitalman Apprentice at the Naval Hospital Corps School, San Diego, California. Having advanced to Hospitalman in May 1966, he served in the Naval Hospital at Key West, Florida, until 19 December 1966. He was then assigned to the First Battalion First Marine Division Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, serving in Vietnam. Hospital Corpsman Cthen Hospitalmanj was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on the morning of 29 january 1967 while serving with Company B , First Battalion, First Marines, in the vicinity of DaNang Republic of Vietnam. He was a corpsman with the Third Platoon and participated in a helilift with his platoon in support of Company H of the Second Battalion. Upon landing, the platoon came under heavy enemy fire and sustained several wounded while maneuvering forward. Petty Officer Valdez ran over open terrain, under constant enemy fire to aid a fallen Marine. He then moved the wounded man to a safe area and rendered medical assistance. Again exposing himself to enemy fire, Petty Officer Valdez moved across open ground to another Marine. While treating the second Marine he positioned himself between the man and the hostile fire. It was at this time that Petty Officer Valdez was mortally wounded. In addition to the Navy Cross, Petty Officer Valdez was posthumously awarded the Vietnamese Military Merit Medal and Gallantry Cross with Palm from the Government of Vietnam. His citation reads in part: Courageous combatant, well known for his sacrifice, who always exhibited good will and cooperation. He assisted the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces in blocking the Red Wave of aggression from engulfing South Vietnam and Southeast Asia. With his enthusiasms and exemplary devoted manner, he willingly executed all of his entrusted assignments and, disregarding all hardships and dangers, set a brilliant example for his Comrades-in-Arms. for service as set forth in the following and I ' ! l D n --.-E I .-Q.. ,lg n o :' ,I . . . . hy: 51-iii' 2 -- . , fur., .:'gx,fji,5', 'I ' ' , j ir f 2 'A li if Q I' . , V V 1 1 CK H 1 1

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Shipis istory The United States Ship VALDEZis named in honor of Hospital Corpsman Third Class Phil Isadore Valdez, United States Navy and is the first ship ever to bear his name. She is one of a series of 27 single purpose frigates of theHEWES class built by Avondale Shipyards under multiple rrro ,year ship procurement contracts. The keel was laid on 30 June 1972 and she first touched water on 24 March 1973 under the sponsorship of Mrs. Carlos Valdez, the mother of HM3 Phil Isadore Valdez. The ship is designed for optimum performance in locating and destroying submarines, and to screen support forces and convoys at long ranges from home bases. In addition to her primary mission of antisubmarine warfare, VALDEZ is fully equipped to perform effectively in several additional missions including destruction of surface shipping, reconnaisance, and integrated operations with friendly surface and air forces. The VALDEZ is particularly well suited to the performance of demodulation, for which she is supported by multiple sensor systems. Her complex electronic suits and integral bow-mounted long-range and stern-mounted variable-depth sonars Cunderwater sound sensorsb permit detection and classification of a wide spectrum of emissions. Together this equipment constitutes an intricate electronic network to provide early warning or to aid in secure communications and safe navigation of the ship. VALDEZ possesses substantial growth margin for space and weight for future sophisticated weapons systems, including a formidable defence capability in anti-air warfare and anti-surface missile defence. Her principal armament centers about the homing torpedo. Placed in the general vicinity of an enemy submarine, this tor-pedo will seek out and destroy its prey. The ship's impressive weapons arsenal is provided a high degree of versatility by her triple threat torpedo launching system. The highly accurate components of this torpedo delivery system are four twin-launcher torpedo tubes, the ASROC CAntisubmarine Rocketj, and the LAMPS CLight Airborne Multi-Purpose Systeml , a manned helicopter. Other major armament includes the 5 f54 rapid fire gun which chiefly provides anti-air and anti-surface defence. It also is effective for shore bombardment in support of forces from beachheads to several miles inland. The ship is 438 feet long with a beam of 47 feet, maximum draft of 24 feet, and has a full load displacement of 4,200 tons. A highly reliable engineering plant powers a steam turbine to produce 35,000 shaft horsepower to drive a single five bladed, twelve ton propeller. Featuring Automatic Combustion Control of her boilers which operate at steam pressures of approximately 1200 pounds per square inch, she is capable of speeds in excess of 27 knots Cmore than 30 miles per hourj. This is the VALDEZ'second major deployment since commissioning. l 1 1 3