James Edward Valentine Jr.
Petty Officer Second Class (E-5), U.S. Navy
Service era
Early 1990s
Featured This Month
Unit
Patrol Squadron 68 (VP-68), "Blackhawks"
Location
Naval Air Facility Washington at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland
Their Story
James Edward Valentine Jr. served his country in the United States Navy Reserve, achieving the rank of Petty Officer Second Class.
During the early 1990s, James served with Patrol Squadron 68, better known as VP-68, the "Blackhawks," at Naval Air Facility Washington at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
VP-68 was a maritime patrol squadron operating the P-3 Orion, an aircraft built for demanding missions over vast stretches of ocean. During this period, the squadron transitioned to the P-3C Orion as its capabilities continued to evolve.
James worked in aviation technology, supporting the complex systems behind naval aviation. It was technical work requiring knowledge, precision, and responsibility, the kind of work performed largely outside the public eye but essential to keeping a naval aviation squadron operating.
He eventually returned to civilian life and later made his home in Oregon, but his years in uniform remained part of the story he passed to the generations that followed him.
Today, his daughter honors not simply a Navy Petty Officer or a member of VP-68, but her father.
His place on the Wall of Honor preserves both.
Petty Officer Second Class James Edward Valentine Jr. A sailor. A Blackhawk. A father. Remembered with honor.