Lonnie Ortega Aviation Art

Maj. William T. Whisner, Jr.

USAF WWII/Korea (21.00)

William Thomas Whisner, Jr. was born on 17 October 1923 in Shreveport, LA.

Whisner entered the USAAF in March 1942 and earned his wings in March 1943 at age 19. In Europe, he served with the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352d Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, where he flew 127 combat missions in 456 combat hours in both the P-47 and P-51. In his early days in England, he flew as the wingman of Captain George Preddy. First Lieutenant Whisner was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his actions in strafing ground targets on 24 May 1944.While in a huge air fight near Merseburg, Germany, on 21 November 1944, Captain Whisner shot down 6 enemy aircraft and had a 'probable' destruction of a 7th plane. This action earned him the Distinguished Service Cross. On 1 January 1945 at Asch, Belgium, Captain Whisner shot down 4 enemy aircraft, although his P-51 was severely damaged (he was one of 12 pilots who engaged 115 German airplanes on that New Year's Day). This action earned him a second Distinguished Service Cross.

In Korea, Major Whisner flew F-86A fighters with the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter Interceptor Group, Fifth Air Force. On 23 February 1952, Maj Whisner shot down a MIG-15 that was attacking a F-86 flown by a member of his own group. That MIG-15 raised his total number of planes destroyed in Korea to five and one-half, which established him as the seventh jet ace of the Korean War. For this he was awarded his third DSC.

In all, Whisner downed 21 enemy airplanes. His kill record consisted of 15-1/2 German planes in World War II, sharing a half credit with his then-commander, Captain George Preddy. In the Korean War, he had 5-1/2 kills, becoming the 18th-leading ace among U.S. fighter pilots. 

Whisner was the only U.S. Air Force pilot to be an Ace in both World War II and the Korean War, and to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army Air Force's second highest award for valor, three times.

He won the Bendix Trophy Race in 1953, setting a then-record time of 3 hours 5 minutes 45 seconds, for an average speed of 603.5 mph, over a 1,900 mile course, in an F-86F Sabre jet.

Whisner served in Vietnam in 1963-64 as Deputy Director Operations, 2nd Air Division.

Death and Burial

Colonel William Thomas Whisner, Jr. died on 21 July 1989 in Alexandria, LA, from complications resulting from the sting of a flying insect, a Yellow Jacket. Colonel Whisner was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Red River.