Thomas Bernard Whitehouse was born in Rochester, N.Y., in 1914. He attended East High School in Rochester, the Admiral Farragut Academy, Toms River, N.J., and the University of Illinois prior to entering the U.S. Military Academy from which he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1939.
Upon graduation from West Point, General Whitehouse was commissioned a second lieutenant of cavalry, and began flying training with the Air Corps, which culminated with his graduation at Kelly Field, Texas, as a pilot in June 1940. From June 1940, to October 1943, he served as an instructor and in various supervisory capacities in the flying training programs of Air Training Command, including a tour as director of flying training at Stewart Field, West Point, N.Y.
After a short tour with the 469th Fighter Group at Santa Maria, Calif., General Whitehouse was assigned to the 14th Fighter Group in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations where he served as the deputy group commander and group commander. Prior to returning to the United States in October, 1945, he flew 71 combat missions in P-38 Lightnings for a total of 358 hours of combat flying, during which time he was officially credited with destroying four enemy aircraft.
In January 1946, he began the first of three tours at the Pentagon, this one with the War Department General Staff. After a short tour as a student at the Armed Forces Staff College, he was again assigned to the Pentagon in the headquarters of the newly formed U.S. Air Force. In 1951, he began a tour in Germany where he was assigned to the headquarters of the U.S. Twelfth Air Force, and later as the commander of the 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing.
Returning to the United States in June 1954, General Whitehouse was assigned as commander of Perrin Air Force Base, an interceptor combat crew training wing in Texas. In 1957, he became a student at the National War College in Washington D.C., and upon graduation, he was assigned as executive to the vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
In June 1961, he was assigned to Headquarters Air Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, where he assumed the duties of deputy chief of staff for plans, programs and operations services. In addition to this position, he served as assistant chief of staff, training development, a new Air Training Command agency, which was formed in October 1962.
July 1963 saw General Whitehouse being assigned to Hancock Field, Syracuse, N.Y., as commander of the Syracuse and later Boston North American Air Defense Command, Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command Sectors.
On June 15, 1964, General Whitehouse was transferred to. Stewart Air Force Base, N.Y., as the vice commander of the 26th Air Division (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment).
General Whitehouse was promoted to brigadier general in March 1961. His military awards include the Silver Star; Legion of Merit; Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster; Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, French Croix de Guerre with palm; and Greek Military Cross.
(Current as of February 2021)