"Frank Bernard Quady, United States Naval Academy class of 1938, was born in Minneapolis on April 25, 1916. He was the first of two brothers to graduate from Annapolis. Both would fight in the Pacific theater during World War II. Quady completed flight training in Pensacola and Miami, receiving his wings of gold in April '41.
"In June he married Helen Mlinar at Sacred Heart Church, Coronado. Later he reported to Fighter Squadron Six (assigned to USS Enterprise, which relocated to Pearl Harbor). Quady's Enterprise service, which spanned the Pacific, saw action during the Gilbert/Marshall Islands Raid, Wake Island Raids, the Doolittle Mission and the Battle of Midway; the Enterprise group earned the Presidential Unit Citation.
"While on a rare leave in his home state of Minnesota, the locals celebrated their native son's endeavors. Deflecting the attention, Quady was quoted saying, "The dive bombers deserve the credit, though, for they're the ones that carry the mail."
"Quady served in the Carrier Replacement Squadron (VF11) at Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, where he received an Air Medal for heroics in aerial flight.
"In June of 1943 Quady downed two enemy planes in a single sortie (log book entry: "..a stern run into the leading vee of bombers..."). After the action, he remarked to "Red" Schild and Frank Hynes, "all that and not a mark," for which he received the reply, "take a look at your tail." Upon a glance, he gulped, noticing significant damage to his plane.
"As a lieutenant commander, Quady was assigned to TF58 aboard the USS Bunker Hill (CV17); he served as Assistant Flight Operations Officer. The Bunker Hill carried out the Iwo Jima Assault and Occupation Operation, including the Fifth Fleet raids against Honshu and Nansei Shoto through March 16, and Okinawa Gunto Operation Fifth/Third Fleet raids in support through June 11. He saw a lot action during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where he helped rescue many downed airmen, earning the Bronze Star medal. In fact, Captain G.A. Seitz wrote, "Task Force records will show that the number of rescues reached a new high during the time Frank was a member of the Staff. Many pilots were saved, due to his efforts..." And "His friendliness and high sense of humor made him one of the best loved members of the staff."
"Quady's brother, Emmett, in theater aboard a destroyer, the USS Fanning, wrote home about the hectic pace at which Quady was serving, "...a postcard from Frank...was rather funny...his way of telling me that he knew where I was hanging out and that he couldn't possibly get away to see me on the few occasions he was near. He is moving in fast company."
"Tragically, Frank and 392 of his shipmates were killed by two kamikaze attacks on Friday morning, May 11, 1945. Quady's numerous awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) w/Gold Star, Air Medal (with one Silver, four Gold Stars), Bronze Star, Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal (Fleet), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (three Bronze Stars), Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon with Gold Star, and the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal.
"Quady's beloved wife Helen, and their son Roy, lived in Coronado from 1944 until 1962."
The biography quoted in whole above was authored by Scott and Roy Quady on the occasion of a banner being added to Coronado's "Avenue of the Heroes."
