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Whittlesey, Henry C. (0358386): Difference between revisions

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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
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.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==

Revision as of 01:49, 27 August 2026

Henry C. Whittlesey
Personal details
Born10 August 1906
Chongqing, China
Died1945
NativityUnited States
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
Arm / serviceMilitary Intelligence
ASN0358386
RankFirst Lieutenant
Camp RitchieClass 3 (2 November – 23 December 1942)
SectionH
Awards and honors
Distinguished Service Cross
Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.
Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.


Henry C. Whittlesey (10 August 1906 – 1945) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 3.

Biography

, 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 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.

Research notes

  • To Yale. See: Mission to Yenan

Technical record

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 39
Class_ASN 358386
Class_Name WHITTLESEY, Henry C.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Sources

  • Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
  • NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
  • 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-12-26 (1 post)