Col. John F. Whiteley Jr. 170A

John Whiteley was commissioned 2nd Lt. in 1918. He was attached to the Air Service as an aerial observer where he taught himself how to fly while stationed at France Field, Panama after the flight school was closed in 1919. He participated with Billy Mitchell in bombing obsolete US battleships off Cape Hatteras in 1923 and later flew a 2 engine NBS-1 bomber across mid-continental United States to San Francisco and return with a co-pilot and two mechanics. In 1924 he participated in the first night formation flight of bombers cross-country.
As co-pilot to MG Frank Andrews and crew, established an International Airline Distance record for Amphibians on June 29, 1936, flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Langley Field, VA in a Douglas YOA-5 amphibian powered by 2 Wright “cyclone” 800 hp engines. Distance was 1429.685 miles.
He accepted the first Lockheed P-38 fighter plane for the Army in 1941. In 1942 he was appointed The Air Inspector, Army Air Forces by General “Hap” Arnold. After WWII his assignments included appointment as an official observer for the first nuclear bomb test at Bikini Atoll; assignment to the Central Intelligence Agency relating to scientific and technical intelligence activities; and HQ USAF Operations Division, Special Weapons-Nuclear. His foreign service included command positions in Newfoundland, Northeast Air Command US Northeast Command at Pepperell AF Base, St. Johns.
He retired from active duty in July, 1988 after 36 years of continuous active duty and died at age 95 on March 25, 1992. He was the 170th commissioned officer of the U.S. Air Service.