Police Officer William Steven Whalen Dayton Police Department Ohio End of Watch: Friday, March 22, 1991
Biographical Info Age: Not available Tour of Duty: Not available Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details Cause of Death: Gunfire Date of Incident: Friday, March 22, 1991 Weapon Used: Rifle; AR-15 Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Officer Whalen was shot and killed while attempting to stop a vehicle wanted in connection with a shooting at a local hotel. As he attempted to stop the truck the driver opened the rear window and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle. Officer Whalen was able to return fire twice but was struck in the head and killed.
The suspect was apprehended and sentenced to life in prison.
His badge, No. 163, was officially retired from duty.
Yahle had been injured along with five other firefighters in an explosion at 10 Simms St. several days before his death. Even though he appeared to be recovering, he died unexpectedly from a clot that cut the flow of blood to his heart.
Patrick Yahle had been honored numerous times during his years with the fire department and was presented the prestigious 100 Club Outstanding Service Award for rescuing a child from a burning building in 1981. In 1983 he was honored for his rescue work during a devastating fire at the old Travel Master motel on W. First Street downtown. In 1986, he helped rescue three firefighters trapped in a collapsed building at 251 N. Main St. downtown.
Pat Yahle had been a sports star at Belmont High School during his school days. He was honored as an All-Ohio tackle for the football team, and in his senior year was selected one of the top 10 high school football players in the nation by Coach and Athletic Magazine. The No. 72 that Yahle wore when he played football for Belmont was officially retired when he graduated from high school in 1968. He accepted a football scholarship at Notre Dame, and then transferred home later to Wright State University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1973.
This is what Pat had told to Dale Huffman of the Dayton Daily News:
"It is a job where I know I can make a difference," he said. "And it is a job that includes a lot more than just putting out fires. When we are on duty, we belong to the people. We are there for them, no matter what."
And he added, "There is such a small margin between heroism and failure - between life and death. But we fight hard and pray for the best."
Courtsey Mary Ann Sullivan Professor Emerita of English and Art History Bluffton University Bluffton OH 45816 website: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/
Marine Corps - LCPL - E3
Age: 19 Race: Caucasian Sex: Male Date of Birth Aug 25, 1946 From: DAYTON, OH Religion: PROTESTANT Marital Status: Single
LCPL - E3 - Marine Corps - Regular
Length of service 1 years Casualty was on Oct 30, 1965 In QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY OTHER EXPLOSIVE DEVICE Body was recovered
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Marine Corps - LCPL - E3
Age: 19 Race: Caucasian Sex: Male Date of Birth Nov 12, 1946 From: DAYTON, OH Religion: PROTESTANT Marital Status: Single
LCPL - E3 - Marine Corps - Regular
Length of service 1 years Casualty was on Jul 24, 1966 In QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered
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PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Dayton, OH Date of birth: 05/23/1941
MILITARY DATA
Service: United States Marine Corps Grade at loss: E3 Rank: Lance Corporal ID No: 2227031 MOS: 0311: RIFLEMAN Length Service: 00 Unit: I CO, 3RD BN, 1ST MARINES, 1ST MARDIV, III MAF
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: ------ Incident Date: 02/16/1967 Casualty Date: 02/16/1967 Age at Loss: 25 Location: Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam Remains: Body recovered Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright Casualty Reason: Ground casualty Casualty Detail: Other explosive device
URL: www.VirtualWall.org/dc/CartwrightMG01a.htm
ON THE WALL Panel 15E Line 040
Age: 19 Race: Caucasian Sex: Male Date of Birth Aug 3, 1947 From: DAYTON, OH Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC Marital Status: Single
PFC - E3 - Army - Selective Service 4th Infantry Division
Length of service 0 years His tour began on Apr 7, 1967 Casualty was on Jul 12, 1967 In PLEIKU, SOUTH VIETNAM Hostile, died while missing, GROUND CASUALTY GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered
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Age: 21 Race: Caucasian Sex: Male Date of Birth Mar 7, 1946 From: DAYTON, OH Religion: PROTESTANT Marital Status: Married
WO - W1 - Army - Reserve
Length of service 0 years His tour began on Aug 11, 1967 Casualty was on Oct 22, 1967 In PLEIKU, SOUTH VIETNAM Non-Hostile, died missing, HELICOPTER - CREW AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND Body was recovered
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Marine Corps - PFC - E2
Age: 19 Race: Caucasian Sex: Male Date of Birth May 17, 1948 From: DAYTON, OH Religion: PROTESTANT Marital Status: Single
PFC - E2 - Marine Corps - Regular
Length of service 0 years His tour began on Mar 10, 1968 Casualty was on Apr 16, 1968 In QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM Hostile, died of wounds, GROUND CASUALTY GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered
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Age: 20 Race: Caucasian Sex: Male Date of Birth Oct 27, 1947 From: DAYTON, OH Religion: BAPTIST Marital Status: Single
PFC - E3 - Army - Selective Service 1st Infantry Division
Length of service 0 years His tour began on Mar 30, 1968 Casualty was on Jun 19, 1968 In BINH LONG, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered
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Thursday, April, 17, 1969
WASHINGTON___ A U.S. Navy reconnaissance Plane with 31 men aboard was lost Tuesday (April 15, 1969) in the Far East and Communist North Korea claimed they shot it down "with a single shot at a high altitude."
The White House reportedly told congressional leaders that two MIG jets shot down the plane.
A massive search for the plane is under way in the Sea of Japan, 95 miles south of Ch'ongjin, North Korea.
The Pentagon said the aircraft had orders to fly no closer than 50 nautical miles from the North Korean coast and that it actually was 90 miles at sea when heard from last.
It was identified as a version of the Air Force EC-121, four-engine, propeller driven craft loaded with sophisticated intelligence gathering equipment.
14-APR-69 SQUADRON: FLEET AIRBORNE RECONNAISSANCE SQDN ONE (VQ-1) AIRCRAFT: EC-121M, BuNo 135749, PR-21, "Deepsea Two One" LOCATION: SE of Chongjin, North Korea. EVENT: Shot down by two North Korean MIG fighters over the Sea of Japan. LOSS: 31 of 31-man crew killed: CREW: LCDR James H Overstreet LT John N Dzema LT Dennis B Gleason LT Peter P Perrottet LT John H Singer LT Robert F Taylor LTJG Joseph R Ribar LTJG Robert J Sykora Louis F Balderman, ADR2 Stephen C Chartier, AT1 Bernie J Colgin, AT1 Ballard F Connors, Jr, ADR1 Gary R DuCharme, CT3 Gene K Graham, ATN3 LaVerne A Greiner, AEC Dennis J Horrigan, ATR2 Richard H Kincaid, ATN2 Marshall H McNamara, ADRC Timothy H McNeil, ATR2 John A Miller, CT3 John H Potts, CT1 Richard T Prindle, AMS3 Richard E Smith, CTC Philip D Sundby, CT3 Richard E Sweeney, AT1 Stephen J Tesmer, CT2 David M Willis, ATN3 Hugh M Lynch, SSGT, USMC
Located in the Memorial Gardens of the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, 55 names of the 55th Strategic Recon Wing members killed during the Cold War are prominently displayed. The memorial was dedicated in September 2003.
Courtsey Mary Ann Sullivan
