Valentine Holzapfel - Obituary

aptain V. G. Holzapfel, USN (Ret) Valentine (Val) Holzapfel a resident of Davidsonville, MD died 8 March 2012 of natural causes. Val completed 32 years of naval service in 1967 after participating in three wars. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, the Naval War College and the Air University. He has a MS Degree from George Washington University. In WWII, he served as a gunnery officer in the USS CHICAGO, participating in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the invasion of Guadalcanal, including the night Battle of Savo Island in which the CHICAGO was torpedoed. During this period, he came under fire five times, three from Japanese and twice by friendly fire. After qualifying as a naval aviator, he spent the balance of WWII in the Battle of the Atlantic, combating German submarines. In Korean War, Val was stationed in Japan coordinating the air evacuation of wounded personnel. In the Vietnam conflict, he served on the Staff of Secretary McNamara in the Pentagon. His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Navy Commendation Medal, and the Pacific Area Campaign Medal with two battle stars. Arrangements by the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, Edgewater, MD.