WWI at Home Pt 18

Leo LeVeque Whalen standing at center.

Leo LeVeque Whalen of Cheney, was working as an electrician with Cheney Light & Power when he joined the Navy at age 22 on June 30, 1917. He was assigned to the 6th Marines, 2nd Division medical department as a corpsmen. He was sent to France with the 2nd Division serving at the battles of Bois de Belleau at Aisine-Marne, Soissons, St Mihiel, Champagne, and Argonne. Whalen was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Navy Distinguished Service Cross for his actions at Soissons.

“The Navy Cross is awarded to Hospital Apprentice First Class LeVeque L. Whalen, United States Navy for extraordinary heroism while serving with the U.S. Marines in action near Vierzy on July 19, 1918. Hospital Apprentice Whalen worked through the day, under terrific artillery and machine-gun fire, dressing the wounded and removing them to safety. Several times he performed this duty between opposing lines.”

There were 12,000 American and 95,000 French casualties during the three-day battle of Soissons. What LeVeque Whalen did was extraordinary, he saved the lives of many men.

He returned to the states and was discharged on August 23, 1919. He later became the golf pro at the Ellensburg Golf and Country Club.

LeVeque Whalen 1920s