More detail on this person: V.C."Whit" Whitmire
passed away at the age of 88 in Gulf Breeze,
Florida. He was born and raised in Choctaw County,
Mississippi, the son of Wesley and Cora Whitmire,
the third of six children. He graduated at age 15
from Weir High School. In August 1941, he joined
the Navy and served as a pharmacist mate. In 1948,
he completed flight school in Pensacola to become
a Mustang, one of the Navy Pilots selected from
the enlisted ranks. He served as a seaplane pilot
for the USS Topeka and USS Pasadena.
His first flying experience was flying sea planes
catapulted off the cruisers USS Topeka, USS
Pasadena, and USS Louisville. As one of the
earliest instrument rated pilots, he trained other
pilots and crews in instrument navigation at Naval
Air Technical Training Unit in Olathe, Kansas.
While in Olathe, he met Jean Albers in Kansas City
where she was a TWA airline hostess, and they
married six months later. Whit then served as the
Officer in Charge of Ground Control Approach units
in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and at the Blackbush
Aerodrome in England.
On returning to the United States, Whit attended
Post Graduate School in Monterrey, California.
While still in the Navy, he earned his BA degree
in English from the University of Mississippi in
1957. He became a helicopter pilot in 1958, and
served with a number of squadrons including
assignments in Norfolk, VA, Quonset Point, RI, Key
West, FL and Pensacola FL, including HS-7, HS-1,
HS-13, HT-8 and HC-4.
He was Officer in Charge of a Military Assistance
Group (MAG) to Brazil to train Brazilian pilots on
the logistics and methods of flying aboard an
aircraft carrier. He served aboard the USS
Randolph and USS Boxer as Ship's Company.
His last overseas duty was as the Executive
Officer of HAL-3 "The Sea Wolves" helicopter
attack squadron in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam in
1969, where he was awarded the Bronze Star
Medal with Valor. Whit retired from his final post
at NAS Pensacola in 1972 at the rank of
Commander after 31 years of service.
Whit was a devoted husband, father, brother and
son, spending family time working on cars with his
children while providing fatherly advice and
guidance. He was also an avid golfer and could be
seen playing golf at AC Read Golf Course at the
Pensacola Naval Air Station most weekends with
his Navy friends, or any day ending in a "Y". Whit
and his late brother Warren ran Choctaw Auto Parts
in Mary Ester, FL for several years, too, and
enjoyed their time together in that venture.
Whit is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jean and
his five children and nine grandchildren,
including: Robert Whitmire of Gulf Breeze; David
and Celia Whitmire and their daughters Katherine
and Elaine of Plano, TX; Mark and Melissa
Whitmire of Havre-de-Grace, MD and Mark's
daughters Amelia and Louisa of Fairhope; AL,
Jenny Whitmire Clark and husband Jim of
Huntsville, AL with daughters Sarah Clark and Anne
Clark Harris and Anne's husband Alex; and James
and Stacey Whitmire and sons Michael, Wesley
and Robert of Navarre, FL.
Whit is also survived by his sisters Sue Patty of
Meridian, MS, Louise West of Tupelo, MS and Mary
Alice Kerr of Memphis, TN, as well as Jean's
brother Clifton Albers and his wife Jenny of Grand
Haven, Mi.
A Gathering of Family & Friends will be at Rose
Lawn Funeral Home in Gulf Breeze on Tuesday,
June 18th from 3 to 5 PM. There will be a military
service at Barrancas National Cemetery, on
Wednesday, June 19th at 10:15 AM.
The family greatly appreciates the care provided
by Dr. David Kellen, The Villas at Gulf Breeze,
and Covenant Hospice. In lieu of flowers,
donations in his memory may be made to Covenant
Hospice or Alzheimer's Association .
You may offer condolences, share memories and
sign the guestbook at www.roselawn-fh.com
Express your condolences in our guestbook at
pnj.com/obits
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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