David F. Wherley Jr.
David Franklin Wherley Jr. (February 9, 1947 – June 22, 2009) was a United States Air Force Major General who served as commander of the District of Columbia National Guard. Early life. Wherley and his future wife, Ann, attended York Catholic High School together in their hometown of York, Pennsylvania. They graduated in 1965, and married on July 19, 1969. Career. Wherley began his military career in 1969 when he received his commission as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Fordham University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham , and in 1977 gained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park. After he was released from active duty Wherley served in a number of staff assignments with the National Guard in Maryland, and for a short time deployed as the deputy operations group commander for fighters at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. As a pilot and instructor, he clocked up more than 5,000 hours of flying time over a multitude of missions. Wherley gained his first command in 1985 with the 121st Fighter Squadron, and went on to command Detachment 1 (later to  be re-designated 201st Airlift Squadron). At the time of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Wherley was commander of 113th Wing, the Guard unit responsible for protecting Washington D.C.. That morning, Wherley ordered his pilots, who did not launch until after the Pentagon attack, to operate weapons free, meaning that they were permitted to shoot at will. Wherley was appointed commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard in 2003. He retired from that position and from the Air Force in 2008. Death. On June 22, 2009, Wherley and his wife Ann were killed in a collision between two  Red Line trains, shortly after concluding a volunteer orientation program at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The Wherleys were interred together at Arlington National Cemetery on June 30, 2009.