WWII U.S.N. Distinguished Flying Cross Temporary Award Citation for a Decorated Naval Officer ~ Hand Signed by *Admiral William “Bull” Halsey*
*I have included multiple photos of the recipient, Captain Charles Blenman (during his time as Base Commander of Naval Ordnance Test Station, China Lake, California) with President John F. Kennedy giving him a tour of the military installation on June 7th, 1963.*
The citation is in very good condition and comes nicely framed + matted, with the size of the frame being 12”x 13.5”. In addition, this piece is protected by very expensive and high quality Tru Vue Conservation Grade Glass with 99% UV protection.
About the Recipient: Captain Charles Blenman, Jr., was born on June 23, 1911, in Los Angeles, California, son of Judge Charles Blenman Sr. of Tucson, Arizona. He was also the brother of USN Rear Admiral William Blenman (1913-1977). He entered the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on June 12, 1930, on appointment from Arizona, after graduation from Tucson High School. While a Midshipman, he served on the Log and Lucky Bag Staffs and Pep Committee and was a member of the Rifle Team (Captain, 1934) and in 1934 won the Secretary of the Navy Rifle Trophy and the Sons of the Revolution Trophy. Graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science and commissioned Ensign in the U. S. Navy, he subsequently advanced to the rank of Captain, to date from January 1, 1953.
Upon graduation from the Naval Academy in May 1934, he was assigned to the USS CHESTER, in which he served for three years as a junior division officer Radio Officer and Aircraft Gunnery Observer. Detached from the CHESTER in June 1937, he had flight training at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, during the next year, and was designated Naval Aviator in June 1938. Ordered to the USS RANGER, he served from August of that year until August 1940 as a pilot, Engineering Officer and Navigator of Scouting Squadron 41, based on that aircraft carrier.
He returned to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, to serve as a Flight Instructor for three months, and from December 1940 until November 1941 had similar duty at the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. While there he secured, through the Navy, a patent on Instrument Flying Training Device. In December 1941 he became Executive Officer of Scouting Squadron 14, the first Navy Scouting Squadron deployed to the South Pacific (Samoa) after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, T. H. From December 1942 until February 1944, he served as Executive Officer of Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron ONE (PB4Ys), which was deployed to Guadalcanal early in 1943.
He received a Letter of Commendation from Commander South Pacific Force for meritorious service as Executive Officer of Scouting Squadron 14 in 1942, and was awarded the Air Medal, Gold Stars in lieu of two additional Air Medals, and the Distinguished Flying Cross, for “heroism and extraordinary achievement” in aerial flight as Executive Officer of Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron ONE during operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands Area from June 16 to July 5, July 8 to 21, July 22 to September 14, and September 17 to November 2, 1943, respectively. During those periods he completed five missions each, making “repeated low-level flights over enemy territory to obtain photographs vital to our ground and air operations against the enemy,” and on a patrol on July 13, he bombed a hostile submarine off Bougainville.
He is also entitled to the Ribbon for the Navy Unit Commendation awarded Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron ONB, for heroic service in the South Pacific (Solomon Islands) Area during the periods April 15, 1943, to September 1, 1944, and May 18 to September 2, 1945.
Detached from the Squadron in February 1944, he reported the next month as Officer in Charge of the Photographic Training Unit of Fleet Air Wing FOURTEEN, at the Naval Air Station, San Diego, California, where for five months he trained photographic pilots and patrol pilots in PB4Y aircraft. There he assisted in the development of a successful method of determining depth of water from aerial photographs and in the development of a view finder for photographic reconnaissance aircraft.
From August 1944 to January 1945, he served as Officer in Charge of VB4 Operational Training Unit #2 at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida, and during the latter months of the war he was Multi-Engine Training Officer on the Staff of the Chief, Naval Air Operational Training, supervising this type of training at seven Naval Air Stations. As Commanding Officer of Air Evacuation Squadron ONE at Guam, he was in charge of the air transportation of sick and wounded to the United States from Okinawa, Iwo Jima, China, Japan and the Philippines during November and December 1945. Then, until September 1947 he commanded Air Transport Squadron SIX, Guam, under the Naval Air Transport Service, with similar assignments plus freight and passengers. In this two-year post war period, his squadron transported 37,000 patients without loss of life.
He next served as Ordnance and Gunnery instructor and as Public Information Officer at the Naval School, General Line, Monterey, California. While there, he prepared textbooks on Aviation Ordnance and Guided Missiles in 1949-1950. From February 1950 until June 1951 he served as Administrative Officer on the Staff of Commander Air Force, Pacific Fleet, after which he had fourteen months' duty as Executive Officer of the USS VALLEY FORGE (CV-45), deployed to Korean waters under the United Nations Command. In the winter of 1951-1952 his ship and her air group broke all previous records of damage inflicted on the enemy.
After a tour of duty as Chief, Operations and Training Division, at Headquarters, Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, Washington, D. C., he was a student at the National War College from August 1954 until May 1955. He then served for two years on the Staff of the Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic, and on June 27, 1957, was ordered detached for command of the USS WINDHAM BAY(T-CVU-92). On October 3, 1958, he was designated Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations to Commander Operational Development Force, and became Chief of Staff in June 1959. He served in the latter capacity until February 17, 1961, when he was ordered detached for duty as Commander Naval Ordnance Test Station, China Lake, California. Captain Blenman finally retired in 1964, putting an end to his meritorius 30-year career with the U.S. Navy.
Blenman joined the UA Optical Sciences Center as a program manager supervising research projects. He was responsible of the day-to day operations of contracts and grants for those faculty members who were awarded the contracts, primarily by NASA.
From 1967 until his retirement in January 1981, Blenman was a senior program manager for the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona and research associate for the NASA Ames Research Center. During his tenure, Blenman oversaw the Pioneer 10 and 11, Jupiter and Saturn Missions.
In addition to the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with two Gold Stars, the Commendation Ribbon and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, Captain Blenman has the American Defense Service Medal with star; the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four stars; American Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal, Asia Clasp; the National Defense Service Medal; Korean Service Medal with two stars; and the United Nations Service Medal.
As with all autographs that I sell, I guarantee this signature will pass authentication by any of the the three most trusted and dependable third party authentication companies (PSA, JSA, and/or Beckett). If for any reason at all it were to not pass authentication, I will gladly refund you in full - no matter how much time has passed since your original purchase! Will ship fully insured via USPS. Feel free to message me with any questions or for any additional photos. Thanks for looking!
