Whalen file photo [3026]

Howard Whalen

SurnameWhalen
Given NameHoward
Born1 Oct 1912
CountryUnited States
CategoryPhotography
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseHoward W. Whalen joined the United States Naval Reserve early during the Pacific War. In Oct 1943, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In Oct 1944, he was assigned to the newly commissioned attack transport Sanborn, entering the front lines with that ship later that year. In Feb 1945, Sanborn operated off Iwo Jima during the invasion, and he was responsible for guiding amphibious tractors and landing craft from the ship until they landed Marines and equipment on Blue Beach 2, the northernmost of the Iwo Jima invasion beaches. Even though regulations forbade it, he took numerous pictures of the operation with his personal 35mm Leica camera. He was reprimanded for taking the photographs, but was able to retain the film after the war. He retired from active service at the rank of lieutenant commander and became a high school history teacher and then an educational administrator at Bakersfield, California, United States. He also remained with the Naval Reserve until Apr 1962. After his passing in the 1990s, his wife Nadine Whalen donated the 35-mm Kodachrome slides to the United States Navy Naval Historical center in Aug 1997.

ww2dbaseMany of Whalen's photographs can be found in the photograph collection section of WW2DB.com.

ww2dbaseSource: United States Navy Naval Historical Center.

Last Major Revision: Aug 2007

Photographs

Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen (in grey uniform) with other officers of USS Sanborn, 1945Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen holding binoculars aboard USS Sanborn, 1945, photo 1 of 2Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen holding binoculars aboard USS Sanborn, 1945, photo 2 of 2Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen with binoculars, circa 1945
See all 6 photographs of Howard Whalen

Photographs Taken by Howard Whalen

A C1 type Cargo Ship (AK), circa late 1944 or 1945A C2 type Attack Cargo Ship (AKA), circa late 1944 or 1945American transport USS Barrow making smoke screen during a rehearsal landing for Iwo Jima invasion, late 1944 or early 1945APA Barrow off an unidentified Pacific island, late 1944 or early 1945, probably during landing rehearsals for Iwo Jima
See all 117 photographs by Howard Whalen

Maps

Diagram of Iwo Jima invasion beaches with lines of approach used by boats from APA Sanborn drawn by Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen after WW2

Howard Whalen Timeline

1 Oct 1912 Howard Whalen was born.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
27 Jan 2012 07:55:23 PM

I was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA I went to Bakersfield high school from "51-54". Howard was my counselor. I had no idea he had been in the Navy. I served in the Navy from "58-62" on four different destroyers. He was a fine person! Fred Alexis

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Search WW2DB
More on Howard Whalen
Event(s) Participated:
» Battle of Iwo Jima

Ship(s) Served:
» Sanborn

Howard Whalen Photo Gallery
Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen (in grey uniform) with other officers of USS Sanborn, 1945
See all 6 photographs of Howard Whalen


Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945


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