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Henry Purefoy Whitehurst, Jr. was born on 16 February 1920 at New Bern, N.C. He was appointed a midshipman on 14 July 1938 and, because of the exigencies of war, graduated with the Naval Academy's Class of 1942 on 19 December 1941. He reported to the heavy cruiser Astoria (CA 34) on the morning of 18 January 1942 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Whitehurst served as a junior watch and division officer in Astoria as the ship took part in the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, and was in the cruiser when she participated in the landings on Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942. The next day, Astoria screened the vital transports as they unloaded supplies and equipment for the marines ashore, and that evening stood out to a night retirement station off Savo Island.
A little after 0152 on the morning of 9 August, a Japanese force under Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa, which had slipped undetected into the waters south of Savo Island, unleashed a devastating night attack on the Southern and Northern Forces. In the former, Chicago (CA 29) was damaged and the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra crippled so badly that she later sank. The Northern Force, unaware of the enemy's presence until too late, soon took staggering punishment. Vincennes (CA 44) and Quincy (CA 39) sank before daylight, but Astoria lingered on while her surviving officers and men labored to save their ship. However, the damage proved too great; and Astoria, like her two sister ships, eventually succumbed shortly after noon on 9 August. Among the dead suffered in the Battle of Savo Island was Ensign Whitehurst.
USS Whitehurst (DE 634) (1943-1969) was the first ship named in his honor.
(Photo from the The Citadel, Citadel History) |
Bill Gonyo |
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late 1943: San Francico Bay. (U.S. Navy photo, National Archives #BuShips200669) |
Nick Tiberio |
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3 July 1945: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - undergoing Inclining tests (U.S. Navy photo, National Archives #19LCM-DE634-1) |
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3 July 1945: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - undergoing Inclining tests (U.S. Navy photo, National Archives #19LCM-DE634-2) |
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3 July 1945: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - undergoing Inclining tests, TEG conversion is visable (U.S. Navy photo, National Archives #19LCM-DE634-3) |
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3 July 1945: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - undergoing Inclining tests (U.S. Navy photo, National Archives #19LCM-DE634-4) |
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3 July 1945: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - undergoing Inclining tests (U.S. Navy photo, National Archives #19LCM-DE634-5) |
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15 March 1952: Mare Island Naval Shipyard - Change of command ceremonies aboard USS Whitehurst (DE 634) at Mare Island. Lcdr Marvin D. Jones relieved Cdr Malcolm G. Evans as commanding officer. (U.S. Navy photo #DE-634 12347-3-52) |
Darryl Baker |
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undated postwar image (appears to be a Marine Photo and Publishing ship portrait taken while departing San Diego) |
Jerry Church |
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circa 1952: Point Loma at the mouth of San Diego Bay (hand colored print of previous photo) |
Nick Tiberio |
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28 April 1971: at sea - Final moments of the target vessel ex-USS Whitehurst (DE 634), as seen through the periscope of the USS Trigger (SS 564). (U.S. Navy photo by RM3(SS) Tom Boyer, 1971-1973, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com) |
Mike Green |
