Allen Whilite VF-172 Korea
 

A member of VF-172 commander JB Cain's flight in 1952, alongside Lts Don Haynsworth and R. Desmond Kidd. I have found details of these two but Whilite is still a mystery to me. Can anyone identify him? He may have had the middle initial "L".

best regards

Keith

Re: Allen Whilite VF-172 Korea
 

I wonder if he can be identified as Alan Shepherd Wilhite instead. See https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...epherd-wilhite and https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obit...ilhite-4890364.

Gravestone (also) says WW II, must have enlisted in late war given his age then (18 yrs in 1945).

AAIR has Alan S. Wilhite in an F2H-2 Banshee accident operating from USS Wasp and with VF-172. This on 19 Nov 1953, Pacific area.
An earlier accident was on 4 Nov 1947 in a F4U-4 Corsair from NAS Jacksonville, FL (VF ATU #1).

Leendert

Re: Allen Whilite VF-172 Korea
 

The (R?)F-8 Crusaders depicted in the photo gallery of his obituary may refer to his time with VFP-62 in the mid-1960s. See #64 here: https://vfp62.com/shipmates_log_3.html

Leendert

Re: Allen Whilite VF-172 Korea
 

Leendert. That's brilliant! :)

K

Re: Allen Whilite VF-172 Korea
 

According to the photograph of "Jim" Flight, Allen "Write a Letter" Whilite was one of the wingmen but it's pretty clear from what you found that it's a misprint probably in the cruise book.

Cain takes the nickname "Rasputin". The word "repochie" is used for Kidd and Haynsworth but I have no idea what that means.

K