Another coincidence: This time about our last post concerning USAF Fighter Pilot Captain Melaine “First” Valentin, the Daedalian Society’s Top Leadership awardee of the September 2022 314th Fighter Squadron Graduating Class at Holloman AFB, NM.
Considering the size of the USAF, as an amazing coincidence, almost simultaneously, just as we posted her story, the Air Force Academy‘s prestigious Quarterly Magazine for its Alumni Organization, CHECKPOINTS, also printed a parallel feature story about “First” Valentin.
Here, below, is the cover of that issue: (We found out about this coincidence from Col. Alan Fisher, an AF Academy graduate and regular reader of CHECKPOINTS, who excitedly informed your webmaster, that “FIRST” had also just been featured in a distinguished graduate story the same month she was awarded the top LEADER award in her graduating Fighter Class at Holloman. When the Academy CHECKPOINTS staff wrote the article, they didn’t know anything about Captain Valentin’sLeadership award ceremony – nor did we know about their story.
Cover of September 2022 CHECKPOINTS – photo of Cadet 3rd Class Lydia Cella in Combat Survival Training Program
Through the good efforts of two Air Force Academy fellow graduates and long-time FASF members, Alan Fisher and Wes Baker, we were led to the magazine’s Managing Editor, Jeff Holmquist, who gave us the OK to reprint their “First” story. Without further ado, here it is:
[TO VIEW THIS PDF COPY SIMPLY EITHER USE THE “+” SIGN IN THE TOOLBOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VIEW YOU SEE OR CLICK ON THE SMALL POPOUT ICON () YOU SEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF THE VIEWER, WHICH WILL PUT THE PDF INTO YOUR BROWSER FOR VIEWING. OF COURSE, THE THE SCROLLBARS ARE USED IN THE NORMAL WAY]
Now let’s look at a short (3:57) video of “First,” one also produced by “CHECKPOINTS” and get a look at how Captain Valentinuses her non-pilot-oriented artistic talents:
[NOTE:Suggest you click on the “Full Screen” mode button at the lower right of the video for the best high-resolution viewing experience.]
A little over a week ago the 314th Fighter Squadron (L) at Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB) near Alamogordo, NM, celebrated their latest class of graduates from the F-16 Viper Fighter Pilot program: Class 22-ABH.
As usual, the El Paso-based Flight 24 of the Daedalians was on hand to present their much-coveted Leadership Award to the graduate who demonstrated the finest qualities of leadership among the graduating class’ student pilots.
Luckily, your webmaster was the official presenter at the gala dinner event, and was again pleasantly surprised to discover that the winner in this latest class was – once again – – – a female fighter pilot: Captain Melaine “FIRST” Valentin. She clearly lived up to her official fighter pilot call sign (or “handle” as the pilots prefer), “First!”
Here’s a NEWS UPDATE thanks to one of our old-time FASF members and fellow Daedalian – Col. Alan Fisher,an Air Force Academy Graduate (and Flight Captain of the El Paso Daedalian Flight), about this post’s principle subject: Capt. Melaine Valentin(The below photo is from Col. Fisher’sUSAFA quarterly Magazine “Checkpoints” in which a glowingly upbeat story was just published about Captain Valentin):
Here is “FIRST’s” photo, along with one of her many artistic USAF contributions, a special inspirational boost for her fellow female USAF aviators: Capt. Melaine “FIRST” Valentin, winner of the Daedalian Leadership Award in her 314th Class.
Let’s first start off with the official 22-ABH Class video, produced by class member, Lt. Frank “MinMin” Hippler: (suggest you use the lower right corner button to view the video full screen)
The following photos show the celebratory occasion along with the above class video, and a short clip (of fewer than two minutes in length), which shows the Class Leader, Captain Valentin, acting as the MC for the awarding of commendatory citations to the Squadron’s support staff. (To view any of the below photos in hi-res or HD quality, simply click on them.)
L to R: Mrs. Emily Sanford & Squadron CO, Lt. Col. Kirby Sanford, Daedalians Cols. Alan Fisher, and Mario Campos
L to R: Mrs. Sarah Rich& husband, Chaplain Nicholas Rich chatting with DaedalianColonel Mario Campos.
Another photo of the RicheswithColonel Campos
L to R: Daedalian Flight Captain, Colonel Alan Fisher talking to Major James Hill
L to R: Colonels Campos and Fisher share photos with Major Hill
L to R: Colonel Fisherand Daedalian-FASF Webmaster, Ric Lambart in front of the 314th Squadron Emblem
More Squadron members in discussions with Colonels Fisher and Campos
Time for dinner . . . Colonel Mario Campos at far right above.
Short (1:38) video clip (above) of the graduation event.
Ric Lambart congratulates Captain Melaine ‘First’ Valentin, Class recipient of the Daedalian Leadership Trophy
A pleased Daedalian presenter, Lambart, and newly graduated top class Leader, “First” Valentinpose for one more . . .
Squadron Commander, Col. Kirby Sanford poses with Captain Melaine Valentin, to show her Graduation Certificate
L to R: Maj. Bradford ‘Nightmare’ Waldieat the podium and new graduates: Lieutenants Jesse ‘Donde’ Maese, Chase ‘MinMin’ Hippler, Abby ‘CYA’ Maio, Cody “RNOT’ Donald, Caleb ‘Ocho’ Mathes, Vince ‘Squid’ Sabin, Gerrod ‘MosseJaw’ Smith, Trent ‘PIT’ Meisel,Capt. Melaine ‘FIRST’ Valentin,andLts. Ellis ‘Groot’ Alexander and Nathaniel ‘Peppy’ Welch.
Flight 24 Daedalians (L to R) Alan Fisher, Ric Lambart, andMario Campospose with Top Leadership winner, Melaine “FIRST” Valentin.
Top Class Leader: “FIRST” – From Class Video
Melaine ‘FIRST” atop an F-16 Viper (From “MinMin’s”class video).
Ric Lambart talks with Captain Melaine “FIRST” Valentin about her assignment in Korea.
All of the Class of 22-ABH – “FIRST”is in middle, on the Fuselage
Many thanks for helping with this post go to “MJ” Tucker,Unit Program Coordinator for the 314th FS, Cols. Alan Fisher and Mario Campos for taking some of the photos used, and to Lt. Chase “MinMin” Hippler for creating the exceptionally high-caliber 22-ABH class video, and for letting us use it here, Well done.
The speculation and rumors will soon change because the big reveal is not too far distant. This video from Sandbox News/Airpower with Alex Hollings tells the story. The below video is 18:52 in length.
Last week’s news had ex-Marine Corps Pilot, FASF news scout, and long-time member, Jerry Dixon (L), on the prowl for some appropriate memories for our WWII Yanks and Queen Elizabeth II’s last flight into the sunset. The video itself was created by “HISTORIC WINGS.“
He found the following short (8 min) video commemorating the B-17, The Rose of York, christened with that name to honor the extremely gracious and hospitable young Princess Elizabeth of York, her very first Royal Title. Here, below, is that memory in video form. This first image of the video will play in a separate window, one hosted by YouTube, itself. The second image will show the video right here on the FASF site.
Video in memory of the long reigning Queen of England, The Rose of York.
To see this film embedded right here, just click the following image. We strongly recommend you open the screen view to full size in order to properly enjoy the experience:
Here below are some more photos of the Royal event with the 306th Bomb Group’s Rose of York saga: Photo of Book Cover “Rose of York” written by Clarence Simonsen
A grainy but nice close-up of the Rose of York nose art with the Princess and her father, the King. Two things are evident here – the nose art was very professionally done and the Princess was a very beautiful young lady at 18 years.
This photo was taken from the base tower of the entire ceremony as it took place in front of the hangar.
And, here’s another interesting twist in a 78-year-old WWII story: The return of the Rose of Yorkin modern times. Rose of York lives on again:
Boeing KC-135R aerial refueling tanker at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, 9 September 2009.
The tanker recently was affixed with replica nose art to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the christening of the original Rose of York and the bravery and selfless service of all of her crew members, including her first Aircraft Commander and New Hampshire resident Joseph Couris.
In 1944 Joseph Couris was stationed at Thurleigh Royal Air Force Base near Bedford, England serving as a B-17 Aircraft Commander in the 306th Bombardment Group, 367th Bombardment Squadron of the U.S. Eighth Army Air Force. Tech. Sgt Stephens and Staff Sgt. Johnsonof the NHANG, designed the new decal and all three unit members installed the nose art on the tanker. Photo: 157th Air Refueling Wing NHANG.
Close-up of new Rose of York’s artwork . . . not as complete and polished as the original. Photo by Fergal Goodman
It was almost 40 years ago when the Williams AFB, Arizona Daedalian “Willie” Flight #82 began to give an award to each graduating class of new F-16 Fighter Pilots at Luke Air Force Base(LAFB) (near Phoenix) a highly and much cherished “Leadership” trophy.
NOTE: Click on any photographs to see them in full (high) resolution on a separate page.
Above: F-16 Viper takes off for a mission.
The Training staff would vote for the student who displayed the greatest leadership qualities. When that LAFB F-16 VIPER training program was transferred to Holloman AFB (HAFB) near Alamogordo, NM, the pleasant duty of presenting each class’s Daedalian Leadership Award fell upon the El Paso, Texas Daedalians’ Flight 24.
The below 3:12 minute long video gives a glimpse of the F-16 Viper training program, which began at Luke AFB, AZ, and is now carried on at Holloman.
All members of El Paso Flight 24 are long-time FASF members, which is why the FASF posts each of those HAFB Viper Graduation Ceremonies right here, whenever possible.
This post’s headline above refers to the two amazing coincidences that took place at each of the last two graduations at Holloman: The most recent one was on August 20th, and before that, on May 21st of this year.
A few weeks ago the honored awardee of the Leadership prize was a new female fighter pilot, Captain Nicole L. “Clump” Palyok (Below) – – – Go to the end of the post to read Captain Palyok’s short biography.*
Flight 24 had awarded that same achievement trophy to its very first female fighter pilot over five (5) years ago; Lt. Claire “Harry” Bieber. The now Captain Bieber is only the second part of the event’s coincidences. The most astounding component of the coincidences began with what actually took place last May when the top Leader graduate was Captain Mark “GEF3” Palyok. (Below)
Captain Mark Palyok’s8th Tactical Fighter Squadron Graduation Program Photo
Were they brother and sister? No, rather a husband and wife. And, after their graduation, both will be stationed in Japan – – – and at the same location: Misawa Air Base.
Of course, the odds of this happening are beyond minuscule, but it did take place. And your webmaster was privileged to witness this amazing coincidence unfold.
The other astounding small-world coincidence concerning these two female Fighter Pilots is that your Webmaster sat next to Lt. Colonel Jim Hayward and his wife during the 311th TFS graduation dinner just four weeks ago.
When I mentioned to Colonel Hayward that there was only one other female that had been selected as a graduating squadron’s top leader – – – and that that award had been presented by me five years ago. The Colonel inquired about that female awardee’s name.
He was quite surprised. Not only did he know her, but he said, “She was my ‘wingman’ in Afghanistan!“
The Colonel then went on to assert that she was the finest, a ‘wingman’ who was among the best pilots he’d experienced, one that he knew always “had his back” . . . in short, “She was great!”
So, without further ado, let’s see the characters involved in these two coincidences (follow the link above to see all about Capt. Bieber).
Last May 21st was when Captain Mark Palyok was awarded the Daedalian Leadership Trophy by long-time FASF member and current Daedalian Flight 24 Captain, Colonel Alan Fisher:
Col. Alan Fishercongratulates Capt. Mark Palyok on his achievements
L to R: Col. Bob Pitt, Col. Alan Fisher, Capt. Mark Palyok, Ric Lambart, and Col. Miles “Cowboy” Crowell
That evening, Col. Miles “Cowboy” Crowell,Daedalian, explained the Vietnam Era“River Rat” Award
Colonel Crowellcongratulates Lt. David “Souper” Cooper, recipient of the River Rat Award
And now, let’s pick up the next Palyok event, Here, below, are the photos from that Graduation:
Colonel Fisher presents the Leadership Trophy to Captain Nicole “Clump” Palyok.
Colonel Fisherexplains the significance of the award from the Daedalians to the audience as Capt. Palyok listens.
The evening’s graduates stand on stage at the end of the ceremonies. L to R above are Capt. Timothy Crain, Lt. William Tatum, Capt. Palyok, Capt. Phill Warden, Guest Speaker Major (Ret.) T. O. Hanford, Lt. Isaiah Butcher, Lt. Eliot Shapleigh, Capt. Nicholas Reisch, Lt. Austin Good, Lt. Connor Davis,and Lt. David Louthan.
The Graduates removed their Dress Uniform jackets to reveal their traditional “Party Shirts” in readiness for the celebratory session. L to R above are Lt. William Tatum, Lt. Isaiah Butcher, Capt. Nicholas Reisch, Capt Phill Warden, and our star for the evening, Capt. Nicole Palyok.
Ric Lambart, Col. Alan Fisher, Col. Mario Campos, Nicole Palyok,Colonels Bob Pitt, and “Cowboy”Crowell.
Chatting after the ceremonies are: L to R: Capt. Nicole Palyok, Colonels Bob Pitt and Mario Campos
During the award ceremonies, Col. “Cowboy” Crowellpresented the “River Rat” award to Captain Timothy Crain.
* Nicole grew up in an Air Force family moving around her entire life. Her grandpa flew cargo in Vietnam, her dad flew the F-15C fighter, and her brother is a B-1 pilot stationed at Ellsworth SD right now.
So Nicole has 3 generations of pilots in the family which is “pretty awesome.”
She went to college at the University of Virginia where she got a BS in Biology. Originally she was Pre-Med while doing AFROTC, but after giving flying a try for a few hours in a Cessna she decided to apply for a pilot slot.
Nicole was commissioned and moved to Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, TX for Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT). She stayed there after UPT as a First Assignment Instructor Pilot (FAIP) and taught students how to fly the T-38 for 3 years in the 87th Flying Training Squadron.
That is where she met her husband, Mark Palyok, who was also a T-38 FAIP at the time. Her husband and Nicole moved to Holloman AFB last summer and both went through F-16 training at the same time, though he was two months ahead of his wife’s class.Mark is already out at Misawa AB, Japan, and she will be joining him there in October. They are “very excited to be flying the Viper and to have the opportunity to travel overseas too.”
Nicoleremarked that it was “funny that we both ended up being selected for the (Leadership) award, It was quite an honor.”
Thanks, first to “Military News,” here are three videos about the next generation of jet fighters currently in the works . . . first with NATO, and then we’ll explore what the USAF has in the works. This first video is 10:08 in length.
Second: This time thanks to “Military Tech,” is a look at our own 6th Generation enterprise. Length: 9:14 SUGGESTION: For best quality, make sure to go to “full screen” on each video.
Third, thanks to “DAILY AVIATION,” we’ll see how an entire “generation” may actually be skipped! This last video is 11:17 long.
As a youngster of about 6, your webmaster’s father arranged to have him taken up for his first airplane ride at Curtiss-Wright Field north of Chicago, Illinois (it was also a Naval Reserve Training Station). That first airplane adventure hooked yours truly on becoming a pilot which I did, some 8 years later only a few miles from that old Curtiss Airport. At that time, WWII was in full swing (1944) and the old Curtiss Airport was now a hyper-busy all-Navy Flight Training Station (NAS).
But, back in 1935, that first airplane ride was on the civilian side of Curtiss Airport, and in a Stinson Reliant owned by American Airlines and sometimes used to give the public their first flying experience. This is a photo of that plane (an airplane built by the same family featured below):
American Airlines Stinson SR-9C “RELIANT”
And now, let’s explore an example of the vital role often played in early American aviation pioneering by the family of some of those intrepid pilots . . . both male and female. This Stinson Family Video is only 11:50 long. Suggest you watch this in full-expanded size on your screen:
The below short video is another feature video, 3:13 in length, about Katherine Stinson’scareer: You might enjoy this video more if you also watch it full-size.
As terror strikes Ukraine and its very survival as an independent nation rests in the balance, a steady flow of tragic news and suffering comes from this nation. The immense human suffering is certainly the worst news, but to those of us who love aviation and its history, the recent demise of the world’s largest airplane, the Ukrainian-built Antonov 225 is surely one of those pieces of tragic news, too. The AN-225 was most affectionately known as Mriya, which in Ukrainian means “dream.”
Thanks to Henry Tenby of JetFlix TV, who made the following video of Mriya several years ago at an airshow, we can appreciate just how huge this behemoth truly was. The ship, unfortunately, could not be quickly enough flown to safety because its engines had been removed for routine maintenance. We have included several other good videos of this giant transport jet, an aircraft that had been designed to carry the USSR’s large booster rockets.
Another excellent and comprehensive history of this giant of the skies is found at AeroTimeHub. The actual destruction of Mriya took place at the Hostomel Airport on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Loree Draudetalks about her experiences as one of the first female pilots to be integrated into a carrier air wing. She served in the US Navy for 10 years, from 1989 to 1999 and left active duty as a Lt. Commander. Loree was one of the first female aviators to make the West Coast deployment of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln.
On Oct. 25, 1994, the then Lt. Draude flew her S-3B Viking (see below) aboard the Lincoln to begin her first six-month deployment as a Navy pilot. It was an important day for another reason, too.
USN Lockheed S-3B Viking Jet Fighter
That same day Lt. Kara Hultgreen, a female F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot, was killed trying to land on the Lincoln.
Hultgreen’s death reignited a firestorm of controversy over whether women should be allowed to fly high-performance combat aircraft so Draude inherited both the underlying resentment of high-performance Naval jet fighters.
From her early days in flight training, however, through to her assignment aboard the Lincoln,Draudeexperienced some institutional resistance to female pilots and some of the hostile atmosphere that obstructed the training and assignment of women to this highly specialized military combat role.
Commander Ward Caroll
The following YouTube video is of former USN Tomcat RIO and Naval Academy graduate, Novelist, Military.com Editor, Commander Ward Caroll, interviewing at length (43:12 long video), Loree Draude. We think you will find this interview by a fellow Naval retiree, an inciteful and highly fascinating experience. You will come away with a better understanding of what our earliest female combat pilots had to endure in order to succeed. Suggestion: View this video FULL SCREEN.
Ken William Emerywas an early member of the FASF Board of Trustees and its official local Columbus, Historian.
The FASF has just learned that Ken died this past Wednesday, the 9th of February, at his Columbus, New Mexico home. He was 87.
Before retiring, Ken was a Cultural Resource Research Archaeologist. His avocation was US History.
Accordingly, he almost naturally spent countless hours thoroughly researching the operations of the US Army’s First Aero Squadron (FAS) during its campaign out of Columbus – and of its 11 young pilots’ lives.
By the time he had completed his studies, it was if Ken had become one of their closest friends, insofar as he knew so much detail about each of their lives . . . both in and out of the Army Signal Corps’ Air Service.
After retiring from Archeology, Ken and his wife, Sheila, regularly spent their summers living full-time in the Arizona wilderness near the old mining town of Globe, where they spent each day of the fire season manning a fire watch-tower in the Tonto National Forest for the USDA’s Forest Service. The couple had met while fellow undergraduate students at New Hampshire’s Plymouth State University. They also lived and worked in Syracuse, NY.
Sheila’s mother, Marjorie Thompson, had been an early American aviation pioneer and was a professional flight instructor before and during WWII. Sheilapassed away in 2020.
Ken was always actively volunteering and helping in Columbus Village affairs and served on the Village Historic Preservation Commission. In addition to contributing articles to the First Aero Squadron’s early newsletter, the AERODROME, Kenalso wrote stories for the New Mexico Desert Exposure monthly publication. Ken had completed all his post-graduate work in Archeology and only needed his oral exam to obtain his Ph.D. However, and typical of Ken,his love of the outdoors was so great, that instead of becoming a full-time academic, he chose to work for the US Forest Service.
The following is most of the surviving video (15 min) clip of Ken addressing the October 2014 Annual Convention of the League of WWI Aviation Historians at Monterrey, CA in which he described the exploits of the small handful of early US Army aviators that manned the indomitable Curtiss Jenny biplanes in a combat enterprise that lead directly to the development of the world’s greatest Airpower some 30 years later, during WWII.
Kenis survived by four grown children: Peter Emery of Farmington, NM; Holly Emery of San Jose, CA; Sasha Duffy of Santa FE, NM; and Andrew “Drew” Emery of Roslyn, WA. Kenand Sheilahad 7 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
*Photo courtesy of long-time FASF member, FASF Photographer,Dave Clemmer.
The below video clip is 15 minutes long. It shows Kenaddressing the Annual Convention of the League of WWI Aviation Historians in Monterrey CA in 2009.
) YOU SEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF THE VIEWER, WHICH WILL PUT THE PDF INTO YOUR BROWSER FOR VIEWING. OF COURSE, THE THE SCROLLBARS ARE USED IN THE NORMAL WAY]
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