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March 10, 2017
GOSPORT
Whiting descendant visits air station By Jay Cope NAS Whiting Field Public Affairs Officer
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or Moira Walden and Fred Nehring, a trip to Northwest Florida became a homecoming of sorts as the couple travelled to Milton to see the air station named after her grandfather nearly 74 years ago. NAS Whiting Field (NASWF) was named for Capt. Kenneth Whiting on July 16, 1943. As naval aviator No.16, and also often called the “Father of the Aircraft Carrier,”Whiting is one of the renowned names in naval aviation. Walden is the daughter of Whiting’s youngest daughter, also called Moira. This was Nehring and Walden’s first trip to the installation. Not knowing how to arrange such a visit, they called their local congresswoman’s office, Chellie Pingree of Maine, to ask for assistance. A staffer from the office contacted NAS Whiting Field on their behalf to arrange access. Walden and Nehring weren’t sure what to hope for. “We were expecting a drive-by with a picture of the front gate,” Nehring, a former enlisted Sailor, said. “We would have been happy with that.” The installation team managed quite a bit more. NAS Whiting Field Commanding Officer Capt. Todd Bahlau shared some information about
the command’s mission and history before Walden and Nehring were treated to a tour of the installation. They visited the air traffic control towers, Training Air Wing Five’s two simulator buildings, the night vision device lab and some aircraft on the flightlines. The highlight of the tour was a chance to see the memorial dedicated to her grandfather that was unveiled by her mother more than 70 years earlier. Although
she never m e t h i m , Wa l d e n was familiar with some of her ancestor’s history. She even wore a shirt with a picture of the ship named after her grandfather, USS Kenneth Whiting (AV 14), a seaplane tender. Although she was aware of his impact on the Navy, Walden was pleased to see some unfamiliar photographs
Moira Walden stands next to the stone memorializing Capt. Kenneth Whiting, who passed away just three months prior to the commissioning of then-Naval Auxiliary Air Station Whiting Field. NAS Whiting Field Commanding Officer Capt. Todd Bahlau (right), Executive Officer Cmdr. Don Gaines (center) and CMDCM Lee Stephens join her in the photo. Photo by Jamie Link
and papers in t h e archive held by the base that filled some of the gaps in her recollections. “My mother loved my grandfather a great deal and spoke about him a lot,” Walden stated. “She always said he was a true patriot ... and a thrill-seeker.” Walden related a story about how when her
mother was young, she used to walk around the edge of the house on the ledge bordering the upper story. Her mother got in trouble, but the next day, Whiting tried it just to see if he could make it all the way around the house like his daughter did. He was unsuccessful and ultimately came back in from the ledge. For a man who once crawled out of a torpedo tube he ordered closed behind him – just to prove it could be used as an escape hatch – trying to walk a ledge had to rank pretty low on his list of thrills.
Whiting’s historic naval career seemingly encompassed every possible community. He served as a submarine commander, aviation squadron commander, ship executive officer and commanding officer, as well as a shore installation commander during his 38 years in uniform. He is famous for being the final student to learn to fly from Orville Wright, and his steadfast determination to see ships manufactured to launch aircraft. He spent much of his time following World War I working to obtain authorization to refit the
USS Jupiter, a coal ship, into the USS Langley (CV 1) to prove his theories. Whiting, albeit temporarily as the acting CO, was the first officer to command an aircraft carrier and made the first catapult launch from USS Langley’s deck on Nov. 18, 1922. “Capt. Whiting’s career still serves as an inspiration to our team here at NAS Whiting Field,” Bahlau said. “We were absolutely thrilled to host some of his family, and I hope that this is only the beginning of creating stronger ties to his descendants.”