Ennis Clement Whitehead
Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force

Ennis Clement Whitehead entered the University of Kansas in 1914 to obtain a law degree. His plans were changed by the U.S. entry into World War I in April 1917. Whitehead enlisted as a private in the Aviation Section, Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps at Fort Riley, KS, on 16 August 1917. He became an Aviation Cadet on 10 February 1918, training at a wartime Army School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and at an Air Service flight school at Chanute Field, IL. He qualified for a rating of "Reserve Military Aviator" On 19 October 1917, Whitehead was commissioned as a First Lieutenant, Signal Officer Reserve Corps, with the rating of "Reserve Military Aviator." He sailed for France on 14 November 1917 and, upon arrival, was posted to the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center at Issoudun for additional training. After attending gunnery school at Bordeaux, 1LT Whitehead became a test pilot and spent the rest of WWI performing that duty.

The Interwar Period

Whitehead was demobilized from the Army in January 1919. He returned to the University of Kansas and, in 1920, graduated with an Engineering degree. After graduation, he applied for a commission in the Regular Army and was re-commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the Air Service, on 11 September. 1LT Whitehead was initially stationed at March Field, CA, where he served as a flying instructor. In 1921, he was transferred to Kelly Field, TX, where he assumed command of the 94th Pursuit Squadron of the 1st Pursuit Group. On 20 July 1921, he participated in Brigadier General Billy Mitchell's demonstration bombing attack of the ex-German dreadnought Ostfriesland. The 1st Pursuit Group moved to Selfridge Field, MI, in July 1922. In 1926, Whitehead attended the Air Service Engineering School at McCook Field at Dayton, OH, graduating first in his class.

In December 1926, Whitehead was assigned as the co-pilot for Major Herbert A. Dargue, leading the 22,000-mile Pan American Good Will Flight touring South America. During a landing at Buenos Aires in March 1927, their aircraft, a Loening OA-1A float plane nicknamed New York, was involved in a mid-air collision with the Detroit, another OA-1A, forcing both Dargue and Whitehead to bail out. Whitehead suffered only a sprained ankle, but the pilot and co-pilot of the Detroit were killed. The remaining 4 planes of the flight completed the tour, for which all 10 airmen, including Whitehead, received the first awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After 3 years as an engineering officer with the Air Corps Materiel Division at Wright Field, OH, he attended the Air Corps Tactical School at Langley Field, VA, from September 1930 to June 1931, where he was promoted to Captain. Returning to the 1st Pursuit Group, he took command of the 36th Pursuit Squadron. He then did staff duty tours at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone with the 16th Pursuit Group; at Barksdale Field, LA, with the 20th Pursuit Group; and, at the headquarters of the General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force at Langley Field. Whitehead was promoted to temporary major in April 1935 and attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, KS, in 1938.

World War II

In May 1942, Lieutenant General George Brett, the Allied Air Forces commander in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA), lodged a request with Lieutenant General Henry H. Arnold, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces, for Whitehead to be sent out in the grade of brigadier general as a replacement for Brigadier General Harold Huston George, who was killed in an air crash near Darwin, Northern Territory on 29 April 1942. Whitehead was promoted to brigadier general on 16 June 1942 and ordered to the Southwest Pacific. Upon arrival in Australia on 11 July, BG Whitehead was shocked by the confusion and lack of organization he found.

During the period 23 July 1942 to 8 January 1943, then-Brigadier General Whitehead was serving as Commanding General, V Bomber Command, Fifth Air Force, in the South West Pacific Area. During the Papuan Campaign in New Guinea, BG Whitehead’s unit was in action against Japanese forces. BG Whitehead’s leadership, personal bravery, courageous actions, marked efficiency and precise execution of operations, earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

On 7 July 1943, now-Major General Whitehead (DOR 15 March 1943), was still Commanding General, V Bomber Command, Fifth Air Force. In the course of the Allied Land Force Campaign for Salamaua, MG Whitehead received a request to bomb key positions at Mubo, Territory of New Guinea. In response to this request, he conceived, planned and participated in the heaviest bombardment attack that was ever made by the Fifth Air Force. MG Whitehead arrived over the targets at 0850 hours on the morning of the attack in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and remained in the area despite the constant heavy antiaircraft fire that continued until the bombardment attack was completed at 1013 hours. Involved in this attack were B-25 Mitchell and B-24 Liberator bombers that dropped a total weight of 211,800 pounds of air-burst and delay fuse bombs on 3 targets. Without knowing that MG Whitehead had participated in this attack, the Commander of the Allied Land Forces in the Mubo area radioed, "Your bombardment was faultless." Later information from the Allied Land Forces revealed that Allied troops, following the bombardment, had captured the 3 target positions without any casualties. On occupation of these objectives, Allied troops found the area littered with mangled corpses of Japanese Infantry troops destroyed by the bombing attack. MG Whitehead’s personal bravery, leadership and precise execution of the operations he planned, earned him the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor, the Silver Star Medal.

MG Whitehead assumed command of the Fifth Air Force in June 1944. In the Battle of Leyte, GEN MacArthur attempted to move forward beyond the range of land-based aircraft. A long battle of attrition then began on the ground and in the air, as the Fifth Air Force struggled to gain the upper hand with inadequate numbers of aircraft that could be based on Leyte. Gradually, MG Whitehead gained the upper hand. He was promoted to Lieutenant General on 5 June 1945.

Post-World War II

LTG Whitehead continued in command of the Fifth Air Force, participating in the occupation of Japan. He succeeded GEN Kenney as Commander of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF) in December 1945. He commanded FEAF until March 1949, when he returned to the U.S. to assume command of the Continental Air Command. LTG Whitehead was instrumental in splitting this organization into the Tactical Air Command and Air Defense Command, commanding the latter from January 1951. He was seen by some in the Air Force hierarchy as "too attached to Kenney and MacArthur, too political, too outspoken, and too tactically focused" to be Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. Whitehead was dismayed by the appointment of Hoyt Vandenberg rather than Kenney as Chief of Staff of the USAF in 1948 and lost his mentor when the new COS relieved Kenney as commander of Strategic Air Command in October 1948. LTG Whitehead was also disappointed at not receiving a 4th star. Those reasons, combined with deteriorating health, led him to retire on 31 July 1951.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Distinguished Service Cross
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Army Air Forces Distinguished Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Silver Star Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award with Silver and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Command Pilot Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Brigadier General Ennis Clement Whitehead (ASN: 0-10572/A), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy, in action against enemy forces in New Guinea, during the Papuan Campaign, 23 July 1942, to 8 January 1943. As Commanding General, V Bomber Command, FIFTH Air Force, General Whitehead displayed extraordinary courage, marked efficiency and precise execution of operations during the Papuan Campaign. His gallant leadership, intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the Fifth Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.

Headquarters, South West Pacific Area, General Orders No. 5 (January 11, 1943)

Death and Burial

Lieutenant General Ennis Clement Whitehead died of emphysema in Newton, KS, on 12 October 1964. He is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, VA, in Section 34, Site 137-A.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57022991/ennis-clement-whitehead