David F. Wherley, Jr.

David F. Wherley, Jr.
Major General David F. Wherley, Jr.
Born	(1947-02-09)February 9, 1947
Died	June 22, 2009(2009-06-22) (aged 62)
Place of death	Washington, D.C.
Buried at	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1969 – 2008
Rank	Major General
Commands held	121st Fighter Squadron 201st Airlift Squadron 113th Wing District of Columbia National Guard
Battles/wars	Global War on Terrorism
Awards	Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal (2) Air Medal Air Force Commendation Medal
Spouse(s)	Ann Strine

David Franklin Wherley, Jr. (February 9, 1947 – June 22, 2009) was a United States Air Force Major General who served as Commander of the District of Columbia National Guard.

Early life

Wherley and his future wife Ann, attended York Catholic High School together in their hometown of York, Pennsylvania. They graduated in 1965, and married on July 19, 1969.

Career

Wherley began his military career in 1969 when he received his commission as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Fordham University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham, and in 1977 gained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park.

After he was released from active duty Wherley served in a number of staff assignments with the National Guard in Maryland, and for a short time deployed as the deputy operations group commander for fighters at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. As a pilot and instructor, he clocked up more than 5,000 hours of flying time over a multitude of missions.

Wherley gained his first command in 1985 with the 121st Fighter Squadron, and went on to command Detachment 1 (later to be re-designated 201st Airlift Squadron).

At the time of the 911 attacks in 2001, Wherley was commander of 113th Wing, the Guard unit responsible for protecting Washington D.C.. That morning, Wherley ordered his pilots, who did not launch until after the Pentagon attack, to operate weapons free, meaning that they were permitted to shoot at will.

Wherley was appointed Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard in 2003. He retired from that position and from the Air Force in 2008.

Death

Main article: June 2009 Washington Metro train collision

On June 22, 2009, Wherley, his wife Ann, and seven others were killed when the train they were travelling in struck the rear of another train in Northeast, Washington, D.C.. The couple had just finished a volunteer orientation program at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center when they boarded the Metro. The cause of the crash was determined to be faulty track circuits. The Wherleys were interred together at Arlington National Cemetery on June 30, 2009.

Assignments

1. September 1969 – September 1970, student, undergraduate pilot training, 3576th Student Squadron, Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
2. September 1970 – October 1972, T-38 instructor pilot, 3553rd Pilot Training Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
3. October 1972 – October 1973, T-38 class commander, 3550th Student Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
4. October 1973 – September 1978, F-105 pilot, 121st Fighter Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
5. September 1978 – June 1982, flight safety officer, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
6. June 1982 – June 1985, F-4 instructor pilot, 121st Fighter Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
7. June 1985 – December 1985, operations officer, 121st Fighter Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
8. December 1985 – July 1987, commander, 121st Fighter Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
9. July 1987 – March 1989, director of operations, Headquarters, District of Columbia Air National Guard, Washington, D.C.
10. March 1989 – November 1995, commander, Detachment 1/201st Airlift Squadron, Headquarters, District of Columbia Air National Guard, later Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
11. November 1995 – December 1997, vice commander, 113th Wing, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
12. January 1998 – April 1998, deputy commander for operations (fighters), 4404th Wing (Provisional), Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia
13. May 1998 – June 2003, commander, 113th Wing, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
14. July 2003 – 2008, commanding general, District of Columbia National Guard, Washington, D.C.

Flight Information

Rating: Command Pilot

Flight hours: More than 5,000

Aircraft flown: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Lockheed T-33, Northrop T-38 Talon, Republic F-105 Thunderchief, C-21 Learjet, Boeing C-22, C-38 Courier

Awards and decorations

	Legion of Merit
	Meritorious Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Medal
	Air Force Commendation Medal
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
	Combat Readiness Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	National Defense Service Medal
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one gold hourglass
	Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
	Air Force Training Ribbon
	District of Columbia Distinguished Service Medal

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force website http://www.af.mil.

External links

• A Capital Guardian Remembered... Tribute page to Gen. Wherley at the D.C. National Guard website