George Henry Whisler Jr.

July 8, 1919 ~ March 25, 2012

Carmel ~ Captain George Whisler Jr. was born in Pasadena, California on July 8, 1919 and raised in Palo Alto, graduating from Palo Alto High School in 1937. He attended Menlo Junior College and then the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduating in June, 1942 with the class of 1943. During World War II, Captain Whisler served on the light cruiser USS Trenton and saw action aboard the aircraft carrier USS Randolph in the Western Pacific. He met Elizabeth Collington in Newport, Rhode Island in August, 1944 and they were married in Norfolk, Virginia on the 19th of October.

In 1945, Captain Whisler reported to Corpus Christi, Texas for flight training and was awarded Navy wings at Pensacola in May 1947. His first flying assignment was in dive bomber attack squadron VA154 at NAS Alameda. After attending Guided Missile School in Fort Bliss, Texas, he served as project officer developing three of the Navy’s early guided missiles. He then served in an aircraft ferry squadron, VR 31, at Norfolk from 1952 to 1955, followed by two years in the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington, D.C.

Among his achievements as a Naval Aviator was the first transcontinental round-trip solo flight between sunrise and sunset on July 23, 1953. He had breakfast in Norfolk, lunch in San Diego and, finally, dinner in Norfolk. He was then given command of the first Navy supersonic F8U Crusader jet fighter squadron, VF142, in Southern California at NAS Miramar from 1957 to 1958. Captain Whisler next served as Air Officer aboard the carrier USS Midway for two years. He then saw duty in Washington D.C. as Air Launched Systems Officer in the Bureau of Naval Weapons.

In 1963, Captain Whisler was sent to the staff of Commander Seventh Fleet in the Western Pacific. For his duty on that staff in the Vietnam War, Captain Whisler was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service. During his flying career, he flew 4000 hours in 25 models of Navy and Air Force aircraft and made landings on 13 different aircraft carriers.

After Navy retirement in 1967, Captain Whisler first took a management position with Hughes Tool Company in Culver City, California and then with Hughes Aircraft Company support systems division with the F-14 Phoenix Missile Program. He retired from Hughes in 1980.

He and his wife, Elizabeth (Betty), then bought the 44-foot sailing yacht “Providence” in Florida. They enjoyed cruising in the Bahamas for seven months and then in the Eastern Caribbean for four memorable years, visiting the Virgin Islands, Leeward and Windward Islands and Venezuela. They were frequently joined by family and friends. After selling the yacht in 1985, they settled in Carmel, California.

Captain Whisler’s beloved wife of 59 years, Betty, died in 2003 and his daughter, Kathleen, died in 2007. He is survived by his sons, James of Hawaii and Stephen of Napa; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass for Captain Whisler will take place at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of Carmel Mission on Friday, April 13, at 10:00 AM.