Chuck (Val) Valentine:  

Life Started out my aviation career as a Naval Aviator (Code 1315, NavCad) flying the F-8 Crusader during two tours in Viet Nam aboard the USS Kitty Hawk; subs cross decking to the USS Constellation. Returned to the states (CONUS) where I transitioned into the McDonnell F-4 Phantom with VF-213, January 1965 and once again deployed aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. Cross decked to the Connie and again sustained two more tours in Viet Nam. Returned to the states again for what I thought was my final tour in the navy; we actually operated a few U-2's! and OV-10's from the KH's deck, people didnt believe it but it is/was true. Hired by Litton Industries (San Carlos) as a systems engineer, January 1968, great company/job, met the love of my life, Kristin Soderquist, Sr Flight Attendant, Western Airlines DC-10 crew. Many adventures including running a 1963 Corvette SWC in B Production and went auto crossing as well. We decided to take a trip to South America on the Pan American highway leaving San Francisco ending up in Santa something, 5 months, 17,000 miles later in Argentina! Took some of the better pictures along with a narrative and submitted same to Corvette News magazine a year or two later then they published it! Furloughed at Littton late summer 1970 and returned to DEN to start over, again. Landed an engineering job with a company in north DEN then the Navy came calling and said I'm being recalled (curse of being a reservist) and for the third time deployed on the Kitty Hawk, even got my old stateroom on the O-3 level back! I could tell that my time in V-N was a lot different from my previous tours but still losing too many good people and aircraft. Many sad days and nights. Cross decked to the Connie for the last time though there were some ops shared aboard the USS Enterprise.... Landed a slot with Eastern Airlines flying DC-8's from MIA to JFK, lots of celebrities, then as a single father, lost Kris to breast cancer, put sweet daughter Traci in Cheeseman Academy on the edge of Cheeseman Park (DEN). Worked well for me and she liked it a lot, sweet ;-) Took the op to transfer to Eastern's Shuttle program flying B727's and sharing a co-op in Kew Gardens close to the airport (JFK). Allowed me to bid two eight day trips a month and be home (DEN) with my sweet daughter for the rest of the time. Went to Iran under special program for Grumman on the F-14's, enjoyed the time, interesting, also lots o...Expand for more