Lt. Col Douglas C. Whitesell

Lt. Col. Douglas C Whitesell, USAF
B. Aug 8, 1922, Pulaski VA
D. November 10, 2011, Leesburg, VA

Enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1942, aged 21, 'DC' began his primary training in the new Fairchild PT23, the first class not to begin in biplanes. Assigned multi-engine school, he eventually trained as a B24 pilot, assigned to the Pacific Theatre.

His combat duty consisted of flying the Consolidated SB24J "Liberator" with the top secret 868th 'Snoopers' squadron of the hard-hitting 13th 'Jungle' Air Force. Not part of any air group, the 868th operated independently, under direct command of 13th Air Force headquarters, and flew from the tiny Islands of Noemfoor and Morotai in the Celebes chain. Black, solitary, low-level nocturnal ship hunters equipped with new, top secret radar units and often attacking from altitudes of no more than 200 ft above the moonlit sea they were, perhaps, the original 'stealth bombers', suddenly roaring undetected and mysteriously on-target from the night skies. Their primary task was to strangle the Japanese transport of oil from the rich fields of Borneo and they were hugely successful in denying the Japanese war machine of this critical material. The secret, non-group status of the 868th precluded publicity and much-deserved commendation at the time but their significant successes are gradually gaining the historical recognition that they deserve.

His crew of 11, "Paperdoll Three", is credited with the highest single victory for a B24 during the war: the lone sinking of a Japanese CVE class aircraft carrier and also with the longest mission on record at that time, in excess of 3000 miles. In their 35 missions his crew did not lose a single member.

Like so many others of his generation, a man of peace pulled from a good life into the chaos of WWII, he carried out his duties honestly and bravely, returning home 30 lbs lighter to uncomplainingly rebuild his life as an exceptional husband, father and neighbor, eventually retiring after 18 years as an air traffic controller.

He has written an entertaining autobiography which includes many of his aeronautical exploits; it is on file with the Library of Congress, control # 2004117279.

Carrying on the tradition, his grandson, Ensign Neil W. Whitesell, USN, will receive his wings as a Naval Aviator on Jan 3, 2012.

By his son, Lewis L. Whitesell, December 26, 2011