David F. Wherley, Jr.
| David F. Wherley, Jr. | |
|---|---|
Major General David F. Wherley, Jr.
|
|
| Born | February 9, 1947 |
| Died | June 22, 2009 (aged 62) Washington, D.C. |
| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1969 – 2008 |
| Rank |
 Major General
|
| Commands held |
121st Fighter Squadron 201st Airlift Squadron 113th Wing District of Columbia National Guard |
| Battles/wars | Global War on Terrorism |
| Awards | |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Strine |
David Franklin Wherley, Jr. (February 9, 1947 – June 22, 2009) was a United States Air Force Major General who served as Commander of the District of Columbia National Guard.
Wherley and his future wife Ann, attended York Catholic High School together in their hometown of York, Pennsylvania. They graduated in 1965, and married on July 19, 1969.
Wherley began his military career in 1969 when he received his commission as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Fordham University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham, and in 1977 gained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park.
After he was released from active duty Wherley served in a number of staff assignments with the National Guard in Maryland, and for a short time deployed as the deputy operations group commander for fighters at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. As a pilot and instructor, he clocked up more than 5,000 hours of flying time over a multitude of missions.
Wherley gained his first command in 1985 with the 121st Fighter Squadron, and went on to command Detachment 1 (later to be re-designated 201st Airlift Squadron).
At the time of the 911 attacks in 2001, Wherley was commander of 113th Wing, the Guard unit responsible for protecting Washington D.C.. That morning, Wherley ordered his pilots, who did not launch until after the Pentagon attack, to operate weapons free, meaning that they were permitted to shoot at will.
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