Foil: 33 Panel: 3 Column: 1 Line: 19

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Leader

Honored by:

CAPT George B. Whitten III, USN, was born in Pittsburgh, PA on June 7, 1948. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1970 with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. After obtaining a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University in July 1971, he reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL to commence flight training. After completing carrier qualifications aboard the USS Lexington (CVT-16) in the McDonnell-Douglas A-4 Skyhawk in June 1973, LTJG Whitten was designated a Naval Aviator at NAS Kingsville, TX. As a jet flight instructor at VT-23 between 1973 and 1975, LT Whitten logged over 1000 hours in the North American T-2 Buckeye. His next tour as Assistant Operations Officer, Aerospace Recovery, in Hawaii was cut short when the Apollo-Soyuz splash down ended the Navy's participation in astronaut recovery. LT Whitten returned to NAS Kingsville, TX, and completed refresher carrier qualifications onboard USS Lexington in 1976. LT Whitten was then assigned to VFP-63 at NAS Miramar, CA. He qualified in the supersonic LTV F-8 Crusader, and made deployments to the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. He logged carrier landings aboard USS Coral Sea (CV-43), USS Ranger (CV-61), USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS America (CV-66), and USS J.F. Kennedy (CV-67). LCDR Whitten was the last Navy pilot to have an unconditional night carrier qualification in the F-8. LCDR Whitten attended Georgetown University School of Medicine on a Navy scholarship, and received his M.D. in May of 1983. After a General Surgery internship at Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA, he reported to the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, FL. LCDR Whitten received his Navy Flight Surgeon wings in March 1985. As Navy Flight Surgeon CDR Whitten served as Assistant Wing Surgeon 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Senior Medical Office USS Constellation (CV-64), and Battle Group Medical Officer Joint Task Force Middle East. While a flight surgeon CDR Whitten qualified in the TH-57 Bell Jet Ranger helicopter, and had pilot time in the UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, SH-3 Sea King, and the A-7 Corsair II. After his flight surgeon tours CAPT Whitten completed an Anesthesiology residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA. CAPT Whitten remained at NMC San Diego as the Anesthesia Department Vice Chairman of Operational Medicine until his retirement from the Navy in September 1994. In that capacity he was responsible for assigning anesthesia providers to all the aircraft carriers and amphibious helicopter carriers of the Pacific Fleet. Dr. Whitten currently is a board-certified anesthesiologist in private practice with Park Central Anesthesiology Ltd. in Phoenix, AZ.