Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1952 Lucky Bag:

Robert William Whaling

Take a smiling face, add a dish of sparkling wit, a ready story, shake well and flavor with a Saturday afternoon drag, and you have Bob. This blond-haired ray of sunshine brought to the Naval Academy lots of chuckles and smiles. Dividing his time between his bed and a charming OAO, Bob set two records: logging the most sack time and never missing a hop. Taking academics and the Executive Department completely in stride, Bob enjoyed every minute at Navy. Conscientiousness and loyalty, coupled with a winning sense of humor, made him popular with all his classmates.

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He was also a member of the 1st Company staff (1st set).

Loss

Robert was lost on April 15, 1961 when the F9F8T Cougar he was aboard crashed while on approach to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

Other Information

From Independent Press-Telegram of Long Beach, California, on April 16, 1961:

Two El Toro Marine Corps aviators were killed Saturday when their F9F8T Cougar jet crashed in a swamp while making a landing approach at the Pensacola, Fla., Naval Air Station. The two were identified as Capts. Robert W. Whaling, 31, assistant safety officer for headquarters and headquarters squadron at El Toro, and James J. Brennan, 30, executive officer of the squadron. Capt, Whaling, who lived at 706 N. Sherry Lane, Santa Ana, is survived by his wife, Carolyn and two children.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

When Robert was four years old, he sailed with his parents from Haiti to New York City in August 1934.

In October 1941, Robert attended the Avondale Military School in Laurel, Maryland. He graduated in May 1944.

In December 1946, Robert was badly cut about the face when his father’s car crashed into another car in Henderson, North Carolina.

In 1948 Robert graduated from Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland. In his senior year, he was midshipman lieutenant and platoon commander. President Grover Cleveland’s son Richard was principal speaker at the graduation exercises.

In July 1950, Robert was on a continental air cruise and then spent a month’s leave with his parents.

Robert reported to El Toro for duty in November 1960.

His parents were William John and Vona Whaling. His father was a Marine Brigadier General, a distinguished marksman with both pistol and rifle, and a member of the 1924 United States Olympic team.

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Robert’s wife’s maiden name was Karcher; his father was a Brigadier General in the Marines.

Photographs

From the Times Herald on June 1, 1952