Retired Maj. Gen. David Wherley, former commander of the D.C. Army and Air National Guard, and his wife Ann, were among the victims.
Wherley commanded the 113th Wing at Andrews Air Force Base. The couple lived in the Hill East neighborhood and the general could often be seen walking to and from the armory.
He joined the Army reserve as a second lieutenant in 1969. After a brief tour of active duty, he joined the D.C. air guard. According to his National Guard biography, he was deputy operations group commander for fighters in Saudi Arabia. He had logged more than 5,000 hours of flying time and was a graduate of the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course for the F-4.
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Wherley was the officer who scrambled fighters into Washington’s skies on the day of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“Most of our members have lived in the D.C. area for much of their lives,” Wherley said in an interview a few days after the attacks. “To be patrolling and looking down on their homes, that has been an emotional moment.” – Bill Myers
