Rural Missouri - December 2015 - (Page 8)

Lucky, Lucky Me Army 2nd Lt. George Whiteman was ﬂying a P-40 Warhawk similar to this one when his plane, nicknamed Lucky, Lucky Me, was shot down by Japanese ﬁghter planes during the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. photo courtesy of the Library of Congress George Whiteman's dreams of ﬂying ended with his tragic death at Pearl Harbor by Jim McCarty | jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop D ec. 7, 1941, dawned for residents of Sedalia the same way it did for the rest of the country: peaceful, with the thought of death and destruction thousands of miles away on a tiny island far from anyone's mind. Those reading the morning paper learned of a Christmas decoration contest and that there were just 15 shopping days left until the big day. "Keep 'Em Flying" starring Abbott and Costello was playing at the Fox Theatre. President Roosevelt was still working for peace in the Far East. Few could have dreamed of the tragedy that would unfold that day at Pearl Harbor or of Sedalia's connection to it. One of the town's native sons would be among the ﬁrst to die on that "day that will live in infamy." The life of 2nd Lt. George A. Whiteman was short, but his legacy lives on. At the home of John and Earlie Whiteman, the family was especially oblivious to world events on that fateful day. John was off in St. Louis, driving an oil truck. His wife, Earlie, was at home with ﬁve of her 10 kids. The battery on the family's radio was dead, so no news came over the airwaves. It was dawn at Pearl Harbor and early afternoon in Missouri when Japanese carrier-based planes attacked the U.S. forces in Hawaii. A neighbor told the Whitemans about the attack, knowing they had a son who might be stationed there. But the family didn't believe the news, citing a Movietone reel that showed progress toward peace. Earlie would later tell Sedalia Democrat reporter D. Kelly Scruton of her disbelief when she read the telegram delivered to her by a taxi driver. The telegram read: "Second Lieutenant George A Whiteman killed in action this date. Further information will George dashed to the plane, which was being reach you from War Dept Washington. Sincere symarmed, jumped in and ordered the crew off its wing. pathy, Short C.G. Ft. Shafter." "It's hard to believe," Mrs. Whiteman told the Without waiting for the engine to warm up and with the machine gun covers left off, he gunned the reporter. "It may have been a mix up, it all happened so quickly. engine and headed into the fray. There's nothing we can do but wait He was ﬂying a P-40B, one of the best ﬁghtfurther news from Washington." er planes the U.S. had available in 1941. It was, however, no match for the lighter, That conﬁrmation was not long in coming. A second, tersely worded telefaster Japanese Zeros attacking the ﬁeld. Sedalia gram read: "Deeply regret to inform you Before George got off the ground, he was ofﬁcial information received, your son, spotted by two or three enemy pilots. He was able to get the plane into Second Lieutenant George A. Whitethe air, but at an altitude of 50 feet, a man, killed December 7 in Hawaii. burst of machine gun ﬁre raked across No decision possible as to when the remains can be returned. You will be furits engine, wings and cockpit. George attempted a belly landing on the beach north of the ther advised when shipment is contemplated." Then Earlie spoke the words that would show airﬁeld. He crashed and the plane burst into ﬂames. the resolve of so many American mothers who The ground crew tried to save him, but they were would receive similar telegrams in the years to too late. George was dead and is recognized as the come: "We've got to sacriﬁce loved ones if we want ﬁrst aviator killed in the war. The story made the front page of the morning to win this war." When the raid started, George Whiteman was Sedalia Democrat the next day. A photo of George in his room at the bachelor's ofﬁcer barracks. He in his P-40 - autographed with the words "Lucky, immediately guessed what was happening. Within Lucky Me" - ran next to a headline that read "Seda5 minutes, he was in his car and headed for Wheel- lia pilot dies in raid." The story described the family's shock over the er Field, where his P-40 Warhawk was based. He tragedy: "It's God's will," said Mrs. Whiteman, sadleft so fast he failed to don his ﬂying suit. The initial raid already had destroyed Wheeler faced, but tearless, feeling that grief is sometimes Field and its 50 ﬁghters. So George drove to nearby worse than when tears fall. "George was a good boy. Bellows Field, where 12 of the squadron's P-40s Last Mother's Day he sent me some money and said were based. A lone Japanese Zero had strafed the he wished he could be with me. He felt a responsibility for the younger children and was ambitious to ﬁeld, but it was otherwise undamaged. As the 22-year-old aviator arrived at the ﬁeld, do something for them." It had been nearly six months since the family the base came under attack. The ground crew frantically tried to ready one of the P-40s, only to seek had received a letter from George. In it, he stated shelter under its wing as bullets from Japanese that his unit was being moved from Fort Shafter in Hawaii to a location he could not disclose, except planes ﬂew all around. Sedalia remembers Despite the passage of many years, Sedalia never forgot its native son, 2nd Lt. George Whiteman. It also keeps close ties to Whiteman Air Force Base, which can trace its origins to the Sedalia Glider Base built in 1942. Visitors can learn about George's short and tragic life and his legacy as the namesake for one of the U.S. Air Force's most important bases - home to the B-2 bomber - through Sedalia's Whiteman Memorial Trail. There are three stops on the trail, and each has an interpretive plaque. The ﬁrst stop is at 623 W. 24th St.. In this tiny white house, shown at right, George lived and his mother received news of his death. The home is a private residence, so please respect the privacy of those who live there. Just west of the home in Katy Park, you will ﬁnd a sculpture titled "Whiteman, Legacy of Freedom." The large steel sculpture was created by local artist Don XX RURAL MISSOURI | DECEMBER 2015

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Rural Missouri - December 2015