Ralph Rogers Wheaton
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Navy
Mr. Wheaton served in World War II in the Pacific Theater.
He served in the U.S. Navy from February 1, 1943, until March 1946. He trained at the U.S. Navy Midshipman School at Notre Dame University, and he was commissioned an Ensign on May 27, 1943. He was assigned to a minesweeper in the Pacific. Later, he was an instructor at a Navy base.
He was assigned to the 3rd Fleet, serving under Admiral William Halsey, South Pacific. He was then assigned to the 5th Fleet, serving under Admiral Chester Nimitz. In early 1944, Mr. Wheaton was assigned to the staff of Admiral Lawrence Reifsnider, Commander, Amphibious Group 4, Pacific Fleet Task Group 58. In this capacity he was involved in the Navy, Army, and Marine assault on Okinawa.
After the surrender by Japan, Mr. Wheaton was assigned to a Navy communications office in Tokyo.
His rank at the time of his discharge was Navy (full) Lieutenant (03).
Mr. Wheaton later served in the Navy Reserve, including two years of active duty during the Korean War.
Mr. Wheaton was decorated with the:
World War II Victory Medal,
Asiatic-Pacific Theater Commendation Ribbon with the Marianas Battle Star and the Ryukyu Battle Star.
Mr. Wheaton was born in 1920 in Caledonia, Houston County, Minnesota, the son of Ralph Roe Wheaton and Edna Marie (McLaughlin) Wheaton.
Original entry on VMH website:
Ralph Wheaton grew up in St. Paul and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1942. After training at the U.S. Navy Midshipmen School at Notre Dame University, he was commissioned as an ensign on May 27, 1943. He was assigned to a minesweeper operating off the Pacific Coast and later was an instructor at a Navy base. In early 1944, he was assigned to the staff of Amphibious Group Four, led by Adm. Lawrence Reifsnider. In this role he was later involved in the Navy, Army, and Marine assault on Okinawa. He says the number of ships and men involved in the assault exceeded that involved in the D-Day landings at Normandy. There were 1,600 ships and a combined force of 540,000 Army and Marine personnel in the landings. Wheaton was assigned to a Navy communications office in Tokyo after the war and was separated from active duty on Feb. 8, 1946, at the rank of Lieutenant. He later served in the Navy Reserve, including two years of active duty during the Korean War. After the war, he was an engineer for space projects for defense contractors and then worked as a counselor for the Minnesota Employment Service until his retirement in 1986.
