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Henry Clark Whittlesey
| Henry Clark Whittlesey | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 August 1906 Chongqing, China |
| Died | 1945 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| Arm / service | Military Intelligence |
| ASN | 0358386 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Rank at Ritchie | First Lieutenant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 3 (2 November – 23 December 1942) |
| Section | H |
| Distinguished Service Cross |
- Killed in action. Listed in By The Numbers/Awards (from Ritchie Boy Secrets by Beverley Driver Eddy).
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Henry Clark Whittlesey (10 August 1906 – 1945) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 3.
Biography
He was also a member of the Dixie mission (1944-5), an American observation mission to Yan'an, China, to investigate and consider establishing official relations with the Chinese Communists. Henry attended Born and raised in China, Henry Whittlesey moved back to the United States before going to college. He worked as a it was during this trip that the burgeoning thirty-year-old diplomat began to reveal his nascent literary talent. He was a writer and a member of the Dixie Mission. 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. He went to Chefoo Schools in China through 1918. 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. 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. 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.
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 |
Timeline
- Distinguished Service Cross.
- and raised in China, Henry Whittlesey.
Sources
- Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
- Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
- 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)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Henry C. Whittlesey for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Whittlesey, Henry C. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: HENRY C. WHITTLESEY.doc)