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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- PEOPLE -- UNITED STATES --
Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen, USNR(Retired), (1912-199-)
Howard W. Whalen was born in October 1912. During the early
part of World War II he joined the Naval Reserve , receiving a
officer's commission. In October 1943 he was promoted to the rank
of Lieutenant. A year later he helped place the new attack transport
Sanborn (APA-193) in commission and, late in the year,
sailed with her as she headed for the Pacific war zone. During
the February 1945 Iwo
Jima Operation, Lt. Whalen 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.
Whalen owned a 35mm Leica camera, with which he had earlier
photographed some of Sanborn's crew members. Though standing
orders forbade it, he used that camera and several rolls of Kodachome
film to make a unique series of color transparencies during the
Iwo Jima invasion, showing pre-landing bombardment, assault landings
and other aspects of the operation. Though reprimanded for this
action, he was able to retain the slides, along with others concerning
his ship and other late wartime subjects.
Leaving active duty as a Lieutenant Commander, Whalen became
a high school history teacher at Bakersfield, California, and
used his Second World War photographs in his classes. He was later
an educational administrator and remained a member of the Naval
Reserve until April 1962. Following his death, his widow shared
her husband's color images with popular magazines and with veterans
groups. Some of these photographs were published in the "National
Geographic" magazine's February 1995 issue and in the December
1996 issue of the U.S. Naval Institute publication "Naval
History". Mrs. Whalen donated the original slides to the
Naval Historical Center in August 1997. With the exception of
a few items that are duplicative, unidentifiable or of poor quality,
these photographs are now in the process of presention on the
Online Library.
This page features all the views we have of Howard W. Whalen,
and provides links to photographs taken by him.
Photographs (originally 35mm Kodachrome transparencies)
taken by Lt. Howard W. Whalen during or shortly after World War
II are filed as Photo #s NH
104300-KN through NH 104397-KN. In addition, these images
are filed topically in the following Online Library pages:
Iwo
Jima Operation -- H.W. Whalen's Color Photos of Pre-landing Bombardment,
circa 19 Feb. 1945;
Iwo
Jima Operation -- H.W. Whalen's Color Photos of Pre-landing Bombardment,
circa 19 Feb. 1945 (Part II); and
Iwo
Jima Operation -- H.W. Whalen's Color Photos of Pre-landing Bombardment,
circa 19 Feb. 1945 (Part III).
Iwo
Jima Operation -- H.W. Whalen's Color Photos of the 19 February 1945 Landings.
Iwo
Jima Operation -- H.W. Whalen's Color Photos of the 19 February 1945 Landings (Part II).
Other photos taken by Howard W. Whalen will
be added in the future.
Click on the small photograph to prompt
a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 104300-KN (color)
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Howard W. Whalen, USNR
Photographed circa 1942-1943.
Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency.
Collection of Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen, USNR. Donated
by Mrs. Nadine Whalen, 1997.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 68KB; 475 x 765 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 104375-KN (color)
Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen, USNR
At New Caledonia, circa 1945, while he was serving as an
officer of USS Sanborn (APA-193).
Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency.
Collection of Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen, USNR. Donated
by Mrs. Nadine Whalen, 1997.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 106KB; 740 x 525 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 104380-KN (color)
Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen, USNR
On board USS Sanborn (APA-193), circa 1945.
Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency.
Collection of Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen, USNR. Donated
by Mrs. Nadine Whalen, 1997.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 54KB; 740 x 530 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 104389-KN (color)
Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen, USNR
With binoculars, on board USS Sanborn (APA-193), circa
1945.
Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency.
Collection of Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen, USNR. Donated
by Mrs. Nadine Whalen, 1997.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 53KB; 740 x 530 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 104382-KN (color)
Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen, USNR
Holding binoculars on the bridge of USS Sanborn (APA-193),
circa 1945.
His helmet is marked "Gunnery Officer".
Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency.
Collection of Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen, USNR. Donated
by Mrs. Nadine Whalen, 1997.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 56KB; 740 x 530 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 104388-KN (color)
Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen, USNR
Holding binoculars on the bridge of USS Sanborn (APA-193),
circa 1945.
His helmet is marked "Gunnery Officer".
Note the binnacle and other bridge equipment.
Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency.
Collection of Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen, USNR. Donated
by Mrs. Nadine Whalen, 1997.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 530 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 104381-KN (color)
USS Sanborn (APA-193)
Group of the ship's officers posing on board, circa 1945.
They are (from left to right, as identified by Andrew M. Klein
during the 1990s):
Ensign Andrew M. Klein;
Lieutenant Howard W. Whalen;
Ensign Louis V. Shepard; and
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Carl Jackson.
Note the grey uniform worn by Lt. Whalen and the khaki uniforms
worn by the other officers.
Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency.
Collection of Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Whalen, USNR. Donated
by Mrs. Nadine Whalen, 1997.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 77KB; 740 x 525 pixels |
 |
Photographs (originally 35mm Kodachrome transparencies)
taken by Lt. Howard W. Whalen during or shortly after World War
II are filed as Photo #s NH
104300-KN through NH 104397-KN. In addition, these images
are filed topically in the following Online Library pages:
Iwo
Jima Operation -- H.W. Whalen's Color Photos of Pre-landing Bombardment,
circa 19 Feb. 1945;
Iwo
Jima Operation -- H.W. Whalen's Color Photos of Pre-landing Bombardment,
circa 19 Feb. 1945 (Part II); and
Iwo
Jima Operation -- H.W. Whalen's Color Photos of Pre-landing Bombardment,
circa 19 Feb. 1945 (Part III).
Other photos taken by Howard W. Whalen will
be added in the future.
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Historical Center home page.
Page made 31 December 2006