Donald M. White

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Donald M. White
Nickname(s)Don
Born(1915-08-19)19 August 1915
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Died10 September 1995(1995-09-10) (aged 80)
Pensacola, Florida
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1937–1970
RankRear Admiral
Commands held
Battles/warsWorld War II
Korean War
Awards

Donald Morison White (19 August 1915 – 10 September 1995) was a United States Navy rear admiral. A decorated veteran of World War II, he earned the Navy Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross as a torpedo bomber pilot and squadron commander in the Pacific theatre.

Early life and education[edit]

White was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raised in Ossining, New York.[2][3] He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1933 and graduated with a B.S. degree in June 1937.[1] After completing flight training, he was designated a naval aviator in 1940.[4][5] White later completed a naval warfare course at the Naval War College in 1956.[3][6]

Military career[edit]

White was at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. He was subsequently assigned to torpedo bomber squadron VT-6 aboard USS Enterprise and participated in 1942 combat operations.[4]

Before the end of 1942, White was reassigned as squadron commander of VT-9 aboard USS Essex.[3][7] He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during a raid on Rabaul Harbor in November 1943 and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions at Truk Atoll in February 1944.[8] Later in 1944, White was sent to the Naval Air Training Center in Pensacola, Florida.[9]

From 1951 to 1953, White was assigned to NAS San Diego, becoming the operations officer in February 1951.[3][10] From 1954 to 1955, he served as executive officer of the carrier USS Bennington.[3] White was promoted to captain in July 1955.[11]

From 1956 to 1958, White served as department head and professor of mathematics at the Naval Academy.[3][12][13] From July 1958 to April 1959, he was given command of the ammunition ship USS Shasta.[14] From June 1961 to June 1962, White was commanding officer of the carrier USS Forrestal.[15]

In October 1964, White was promoted to rear admiral.[16] Given command of Carrier Division 20, his flagship USS Intrepid retrieved the Gemini 3 astronauts and their spacecraft after their Atlantic splashdown in March 1965.[17] Later that year, White shifted his flag to USS Lake Champlain.[18]

From 1966 to 1969, White served as commander of the Alaskan Sea Frontier.[3] His final assignment was as deputy director for inspection services in the office of the assistant secretary of defense for administration.[19] He retired from active duty in July 1970.[20]

Personal[edit]

White married Ruth Rachel Koch (23 October 1914 – 19 October 1987) on 3 June 1939 at the Naval Training Station Chapel in San Diego, California.[3][21][22] They had five sons, a daughter and, as of 1995, fifteen grandchildren.[3][4]

After retirement, White lived in Pensacola, Florida. He died of cardiac arrest at Baptist Hospital there after abdominal surgery and was interred beside his wife at Barrancas National Cemetery on 15 September 1995.[4][5][21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Register of Alumni: Graduates and Former Naval Cadets and Midshipmen. The United States Naval Academy Alumni Association, Inc. 1 July 1956. p. 343. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  2. ^ Lucky Bag. U.S. Naval Academy. 1937. p. 164. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "White, Donald Morison". The American Catholic Who's Who. NC News Service. 1977. p. 568. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  4. ^ a b c d "Donald White, 80, Decorated Admiral". The New York Times. 14 September 1995. p. B15. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  5. ^ a b "Deaths: Donald M. White Navy Admiral". The Washington Post. 17 September 1995. p. B7. ProQuest 307920718. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  6. ^ Register of Officers 1884–1977. The United States Naval War College. 1977. p. 121. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  7. ^ "Torpedo Squadron Nine". Naval Aviation News. February 1948. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  8. ^ "Donald Morison White". Military Times. Sightline Media Group. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  9. ^ "Decorations and Citations". All Hands. August 1944. p. 57. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  10. ^ "Ranking Officers Change Commands". The Journal-Compass. Vol. 39, no. 8. Coronado, California. 22 February 1951. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  11. ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1 January 1956. p. 25. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  12. ^ Lucky Bag. U.S. Naval Academy. 1957. p. 27. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  13. ^ Lucky Bag. U.S. Naval Academy. 1958. p. 191. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  14. ^ "USS Shasta (AE-6)". NavSource Naval History. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  15. ^ "USS Forrestal (CVA-59)". NavSource Naval History. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  16. ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and Reserve Officers on Active Duty. Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1 January 1966. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  17. ^ Shayler, David J. (26 March 2018). Gemini Flies!: Unmanned Flights and the First Manned Mission. Springer-Praxis. p. 249. ISBN 978-3-319-68142-9. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  18. ^ "Atlantic Fleet: Lake Champlain (CVS-39)". Naval Aviation News. July 1965. p. 35. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  19. ^ Official Congressional Directory. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1970. p. 446. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  20. ^ Register of Retired Commissioned and Warrant Officers, Regular and Reserve, of the United States Navy. Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1 October 1984. p. 783. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  21. ^ a b "Donald M White". Veterans Legacy Memorial. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  22. ^ "Married: White-Koch". Army and Navy Journal. Vol. 76, no. 42. 17 June 1939. p. 997. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
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