John Donaldson Whittet enlisted in the Navy on March 24, 1943, and upon completion of recruit training was assigned to the Aviation Machinist’s Mate School in Great Lakes from which he graduated as an enlisted Naval Aviation Pilot. He soon earned his combat aircrewman wings flying 31 missions from the carriers USS Lexington and USS Anzio, which won Presidential and Navy Unit Citations respectively. Following the war he completed flight engineer training for the B-24 Liberator aircraft and was assigned to Saudi Arabia. In 1950 he was transferred to Miramar Naval Air Station, San Diego, following which he served aboard the carrier USS Bon Homme Richard as his air group participated in the Korean War and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.
Following the Korean War, Whittet had assignments to several naval air stations as a Jet Power Plant Instructor. In 1957 he was transferred to the Continental Air Defense Command in Colorado where he was the flight crew plane captain for the Commander of Naval Forces at that command. He next had several Western Pacific deployments before being assigned in 1964 to the Aerospace Recovery Facility at El Centro, California, where he was the Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Leading Chief Petty Officer. In 1967, Whittet was transferred to Newfoundland where he served as the Aircraft Maintenance Control Chief and the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Commander, Fleet Air, Argentia. He was next assigned as the Master Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet Air Force, followed by duty as the second Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. In this assignment from April 1971 to September 1975, he served two Chiefs of Naval Operations. Whittet served as MCPON during a tumultuous time in the Navy’s history as uniform changes were made, grooming standards were relaxed, the first posting of women to ships occurred, and random urinalysis for drug testing was begun. His tenure saw many modernizations to policy that are still in place today.
After his tour as MCPON, Whittet was assigned to the Naval Amphibious School, Coronado, California, and in this assignment he became one of the first embers of the new Master at Arms rating. Whittet retired in 1976 after serving an illustrious career of over 30-years. Upon retirement, Whittet became the Director of morale, welfare, and recreation at Coronado. On May 7, 1989, Whittet was diving in the Colorado River and became caught in rocks and drowned. He was interred in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego where his memorial marker carries the inscription: MCPON - US NAVY - WORLD WAR II - KOREA - VIETNAM.
NAVY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL CITATION
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Donaldson Whittet, United States Navy, was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy from 1 April 1971 to 25 September 1975. His singularly distinctive accomplishments and his dedicated contributions in the service of his country reflect the highest credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)
