John Whittet
Encyclopedia
Master Chief Petty Officer
John D. Whittet (September 4, 1925 – May 7, 1989) was the second Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
.
on March 24, 1943, and upon completion of recruit training, was assigned to the Aviation Machinist’s Mate School in Great Lakes, Illinois. He followed the school with an assignment with Carrier Aircraft
Service Units which operated from Guam
. He won his combat aircrewman wings flying 31 missions from the carrier USS Lexington (CV-2)
and USS Anzio
, which won Presidential
and Navy Unit Citations respectively. He ended his wartime service aboard Anzio following the ship's participation in the capture of Iwo Jima
.
Following the war, Whittet completed flight engineer training for the B-24 Liberator
aircraft and was assigned to Saudi Arabia
. In 1950, he was transferred to Miramar Naval Air Station, San Diego. While serving as the leading petty officer of a shipboard detachment of F9F Panther
aircraft, he was assigned temporary duty in the Western Pacific
aboard the carrier . While there, his air group participated in combat action in the Korean War
and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
.
Whittet followed his Korean War duty with assignments to several naval air station and aviation activities as a Jet Power Plant Instructor in the United States. In 1957 he was transferred to the Continental Air Defense Command at Colorado Springs, Colorado
, where he worked as the flight crew plane captain for the Commander of Naval Forces at that command. In March 1960, Whittet joined Fighter Squadron One Nine Three and made three additional Western Pacific deployments aboard Bonhomme Richard.
Returning to stateside duty, Whittet spent two years with heavy attack squadrons at Whidbey Island
Washington, and in 1964, was assigned to the Aerospace Recovery Facility at El Centro, California
, where he performed duties as the Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Leading Chief Petty Officer
. In 1967, Whittet was transferred to the NAS Argentia, Newfoundland
, and served a three-year tour of duty as the Aircraft Maintenance Control Chief and the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Commander, Fleet Air Argentia. Immediately prior to assuming the duties as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, he was assigned as the Master Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
Air Force, in Norfolk, Virginia
.
Whittet served as MCPON during a tumultuous time in the Navy's history. The Chief of Naval Operations
, Admiral
Elmo Zumwalt, was enacting radical changes, via his "Z-grams", to long-standing Navy policies and traditions. It fell to MCPON Whittet to solicit input and feedback from the enlisted force to the CNO and Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) regarding these changes, such as the removal of the traditional jumper uniform "crackerjacks" from the junior enlisted seabag, and replacement with the jacket and tie uniform worn by commissioned officers and Chief Petty Officers. Grooming standards were relaxed; sailors were permitted to grow beards, and the maximum hair length was increased. One of his greatest challenges was getting the senior enlisted leadership to adapt to what they perceived as a relaxation of military order and discipline. Whittet's tenure saw many modernizations to policy that are still in place today, such as the first posting of women to ships, the institution of random urinalysis
for drug testing, revisions to the performance evaluation and enlisted advancement procedures and institution of the Chief Petty Officer selection board, and race sensitivity training to decrease racial tension within the enlisted ranks.
After his tour as MCPON, Whittet accepted the position with the Human Resources Management Program at Naval Amphibious School, Coronado, California
. A year after his MCPON tour was over, and after having served over 30 years on active duty, Whittet would become one of the first members of the new Master at Arms rating. After retirement from active duty in 1976, Master Chief Whittet went on to a position as director of morale, welfare, and recreation at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
. He became caught in the rocks and drowned. He was interred in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.
(eight awards), the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
, the Philippine Liberation Medal
, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Service Medal
. On June 25, 1974, the Chief of Naval Operations presented Whittet with the Distinguished Service Medal
.
Master Chief Petty Officer
- Master Chief Petty Officer :U.S. Coast GuardMaster ChiefPetty OfficerCap & Collar deviceU.S. Coast GuardMaster ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaGood conductRating badgeMaster ChiefPetty OfficerCap & Collar Insignia...
John D. Whittet (September 4, 1925 – May 7, 1989) was the second Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Navy, which has a paygrade of E-9. The holder of this rank and post is the most senior enlisted member of the U.S...
.
Career
Whittet enlisted in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
on March 24, 1943, and upon completion of recruit training, was assigned to the Aviation Machinist’s Mate School in Great Lakes, Illinois. He followed the school with an assignment with Carrier Aircraft
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
Service Units which operated from Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. He won his combat aircrewman wings flying 31 missions from the carrier USS Lexington (CV-2)
USS Lexington (CV-2)
USS Lexington , nicknamed the "Gray Lady" or "Lady Lex," was an early aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. She was the lead ship of the , though her sister ship was commissioned a month earlier...
and USS Anzio
USS Anzio (CVE-57)
USS Anzio , was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy.Originally classified as auxiliary aircraft carrier ACV-57, was laid down on 12 December 1942 by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Washington, under a Maritime Commission contract ; named Alikula Bay on 22 January...
, which won Presidential
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
and Navy Unit Citations respectively. He ended his wartime service aboard Anzio following the ship's participation in the capture of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
.
Following the war, Whittet completed flight engineer training for the B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
aircraft and was assigned to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. In 1950, he was transferred to Miramar Naval Air Station, San Diego. While serving as the leading petty officer of a shipboard detachment of F9F Panther
F9F Panther
|-Popular culture:The Panther played a prominent role in the 1954 movie Men of the Fighting Lady . The F9F was featured in the flying sequences in the 1954 movie The Bridges at Toko-Ri, although in the 1953 James A...
aircraft, he was assigned temporary duty in the Western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
aboard the carrier . While there, his air group participated in combat action in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
.
Whittet followed his Korean War duty with assignments to several naval air station and aviation activities as a Jet Power Plant Instructor in the United States. In 1957 he was transferred to the Continental Air Defense Command at Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, where he worked as the flight crew plane captain for the Commander of Naval Forces at that command. In March 1960, Whittet joined Fighter Squadron One Nine Three and made three additional Western Pacific deployments aboard Bonhomme Richard.
Returning to stateside duty, Whittet spent two years with heavy attack squadrons at Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
Washington, and in 1964, was assigned to the Aerospace Recovery Facility at El Centro, California
El Centro, California
El Centro is a city in and county seat of Imperial County, the largest city in the Imperial Valley and the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also...
, where he performed duties as the Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Leading Chief Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
. In 1967, Whittet was transferred to the NAS Argentia, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, and served a three-year tour of duty as the Aircraft Maintenance Control Chief and the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Commander, Fleet Air Argentia. Immediately prior to assuming the duties as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, he was assigned as the Master Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
Air Force, in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
Whittet served as MCPON during a tumultuous time in the Navy's history. The Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
, Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Elmo Zumwalt, was enacting radical changes, via his "Z-grams", to long-standing Navy policies and traditions. It fell to MCPON Whittet to solicit input and feedback from the enlisted force to the CNO and Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) regarding these changes, such as the removal of the traditional jumper uniform "crackerjacks" from the junior enlisted seabag, and replacement with the jacket and tie uniform worn by commissioned officers and Chief Petty Officers. Grooming standards were relaxed; sailors were permitted to grow beards, and the maximum hair length was increased. One of his greatest challenges was getting the senior enlisted leadership to adapt to what they perceived as a relaxation of military order and discipline. Whittet's tenure saw many modernizations to policy that are still in place today, such as the first posting of women to ships, the institution of random urinalysis
Urinalysis
A urinalysis , also known as Routine and Microscopy , is an array of tests performed on urine, and one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis...
for drug testing, revisions to the performance evaluation and enlisted advancement procedures and institution of the Chief Petty Officer selection board, and race sensitivity training to decrease racial tension within the enlisted ranks.
After his tour as MCPON, Whittet accepted the position with the Human Resources Management Program at Naval Amphibious School, Coronado, California
Coronado, California
Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...
. A year after his MCPON tour was over, and after having served over 30 years on active duty, Whittet would become one of the first members of the new Master at Arms rating. After retirement from active duty in 1976, Master Chief Whittet went on to a position as director of morale, welfare, and recreation at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
Death
On May 7, 1989, Master Chief Whittet was diving in the Colorado riverColorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. He became caught in the rocks and drowned. He was interred in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.
Awards
In addition to two Presidential Unit Citations and two Navy Unit Commendations, Whittet holds twelve other awards including the Good Conduct MedalGood Conduct Medal
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was...
(eight awards), the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
, the Philippine Liberation Medal
Philippine Liberation Medal
The Philippine Liberation Medal is a military award of the Republic of the Philippines which was created by an order of Commonwealth Army of the Philippines Headquarters on December 20, 1944...
, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
. On June 25, 1974, the Chief of Naval Operations presented Whittet with the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
.
External links
- Extensive biographical essay about MCPON Whittet.