Hide Article Text (OCR)
— mw»i ■ — *•* * VI w**v ** M. pi VI (I t lllj VVI MVCIX i VliC\ CU Vi XH } ^ 'M il IIIurns to pour across into Hungary spector general of Japanese avia-proper, it was said.) ; tion.Maj. Willhite Killed In Raid Over France On March 11Major Theodore E. Willhite, 26. son of Mrs. Ivy Willhite, 1108 Iowa avenue, serving in the United States Army Air Corps in the Italian theater of operations was killed in action in a bombing mission over France on March 11.Tee message from the War Department, which came to his wife at Centralia, Wash., late Friday, was relayed to his mother. No further details were available.Was With DoolittleMajor Willhite, who had been on foreign duty since November, 1942. was a member of the famous Major Jimmie Doolittle’s command for a considerable period of time. The Muscatine officer was pictured with Major Doolittle in a magazine feature in Life several months ago and also in news reels which recorded achievements of this unit of the United States air forces.In February, The Journal received a story from the 15th Army Air Force, on duty in the Italian theater of operations, which told of the achievements of Major Willhite in directing the flight of a B-25 Liberator after the pilot was wounded on a bomb.ng mission over Ueine. Italy on Jan. 30 when the big ship was struck by flak. Under his supervision and after he had pulled the ship out of its fall, he turned the controls over to the pilot and the bombing mission was completed. A wing operations officer with this air force, he was riding as an observer on the Liberator on this particular mi..or..A native of Muscatine. Major Willhite received his education in the Muscatine schools, enlisting in the Army Air Corps prior toMAJOR WILLHITEPearl Harbor. He was graduated j and received h.s wings at Randolph Field. Tex., in March of 1941 and trained at McCord field in Washington, in Louisiana, Ohio and in Indiana before being assigned for foreign duty.Awarded Purple Heart.Major Willhite was awarded the Purple Heart recently for wounds received in action.Major Willhite’s wife and their son. Theodore Willhite. Jr., reside at Centralia. Wash. He halt; two brothers, PFC. Paul B. Willhite. serving with the Un.ted States Marines somewhere in the South Pacific and Kenton R. Willhite. employed in the North American aircraft plant at Los Angeles. •
Newspaper Details
Muscatine Journal and News Tribune
Muscatine, Iowa, US
Sat, Apr 01, 1944
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anne C.
NA, 25 Jan 2024
Other Publications Near Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine Journal and News Tribune
New Indexed Atlas of Muscatine County Iowa
Atlas of Muscatine County Iowa
Muscatine Daily Journal
Muscatine Weekly Journal
