| Captain Henry Clark Whittlesey was a Ritchie Boy, who never made it home. Henry Clark Whittlesey was born August 10, 1906 in Chongqing, China. Henry was one of six kids born to his parents, Roger and Annie Withey Whittlesey. Both were China Inland missionaries. Henry learned Chinese as a boy growing up. He went to Chefoo Schools in China through 1918. Then Germantown, Pennsylvania Public Schools from 1918-1913. He was enrolled at Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania from 1924-1928. Living in Philadelphia, he worked as a journalist. From July 1944 to 21 January 1945, Captain Henry Clark Whittlesey was serving with an unspecified unit of the U.S. Army in the China-Burma-India Theater. During that time, Captain Whittlesey, fluent in the Chinese language, was on a top-secret mission (the Dixie Mission) in Japanese-occupied Shannxi (Shensi) province in northwest China. On 21 January Captain Whittlesey (in civilian clothes), along with a communist photographer-guide, visited a village close to Japanese-controlled territory. Although the Chinese had assured the men that the Japanese had abandoned the village, Japanese snipers remained in hiding. The snipers mortally wounded both Captain Whittlesey and the photographer. Captain Whittlesey’s courageous actions and extraordinary heroism that day earned him, at the cost of his life, the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross. He had training at the Military Intelligence Training Center, Camp Ritchie, Maryland, as well as the Yale University Chinese School in 1943. He earned the following: Medals and Awards Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal Distinguished Service Cross Citation (Synopsis) The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain [[Whittlesey, Henry C. (0358386)|Henry C. Whittlesey]] (ASN: 0-358386), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy, in action against enemy forces during World War II. Captain Whittlesey's intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life, exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
| | , who never made it home. Henry Clark Whittlesey was born August 10, 1906 in Chongqing, China. Henry was one of six kids born to his parents, Roger and Annie Withey Whittlesey. Henry learned Chinese as a boy growing up. From July 1944 to 21 January 1945, Captain Henry Clark Whittlesey was serving with an unspecified unit of the U.S. During that time, Captain Whittlesey, fluent in the Chinese language, was on a top-secret mission (the Dixie Mission) in Japanese-occupied Shannxi (Shensi) province in northwest China. On 21 January Captain Whittlesey (in civilian clothes), along with a communist photographer-guide, visited a village close to Japanese-controlled territory. The snipers mortally wounded both Captain Whittlesey and the photographer. Captain Whittlesey’s courageous actions and extraordinary heroism that day earned him, at the cost of his life, the U.S. He earned the following: Medals and Awards Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal Distinguished Service Cross Citation (Synopsis) The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain [[Whittlesey, Henry C. (0358386)|Henry C. Whittlesey]] (ASN: 0-358386), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy, in action against enemy forces during World War II. Captain Whittlesey's intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life, exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. Both were China Inland missionaries. He went to Chefoo Schools in China through 1918. |