Couple remembered as 'best this nation has to offer'

Photo By Staff Sgt. Sean McCollum | Guard members, friends and family gather at the D.C. armory in Washington, D.C., June 29, to remember retired Air Force Maj. Gen. David Wherley, the former commanding general for the D.C. National Guard, and his wife, Ann, who were killed during a Metro train collision, June 23. Speakers remembered the Wherley's commitment to service and mentorship.  

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES

06.30.2009

Story by Staff Sgt. Sean McCollum 

National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former commanding general of the Washington, D.C. National Guard who was killed in a subway accident along with his wife was remembered Monday in a ceremony celebrating his life and accomplishments.

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. David Wherley and his wife, Ann, a mortgage banker, both 62, were returning from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where they were learning how to counsel service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Their Metro train car collided with another train, killing nine people. It was a sudden event that shocked Guard members and civilians alike, and drawing many to the ceremony held here at the D.C. armory to find some sort of closure.

Guard members and other speakers, who participated in the ceremony, remembered Wherley as a hands-on leader, who cared about troops and the community.

"They collectively represented the best this nation has to offer," said Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Many times in the deaths of close friends, there is a need to do something: send flowers, comfort the survivors or just staying busy.

Many Guard members in attendance felt that doing their job was the best way to remember their friend and former commander. "I'm just happy to be here so I can contribute," said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Threat, an honor guardsman, who kept vigil over Wherley's ashes before the ceremony and had known Wherley for more than 12 years. "I can't emphasize how close we were."

Wherley touched many lives with his caring attitude. For Threat, that feeling came through during cookouts at Wherley's house and in one-on-one conversations about Threat's ambition to become an officer.

"We used to sit and talk about how to become commissioned," Threat said. "He told me what the ropes were and kept me encouraged as far as pursuing my goals to become an officer."

With graduation from college only a year away for Threat, he said his goal is still on track.

Although touched in other ways, other Guard members were nonetheless motivated to do their best by Wherley.

"Everyone has a champion," said Army Chief Warrant Officer Sheila Klotz, the commander of the 257th Army Band, D.C. National Guard. "Someone who makes you think you can do no wrong. Who tells you always you are the best. Who says you're the greatest thing to happen in this organization."

For Klotz, Wherley was that champion. He lavished praise upon her, and raised her up beyond what she thought she could achieve, she said.

Along with direct praise and new equipment, Klotz said, Wherley supported the band by coming to every one of their concerts. His sudden absence, she said, will mean Klotz will have to change habits she had integrated into her routine.

"The band is going to miss him this Friday night," Klotz said. "It's going to be hard to turn around and not see that smile and nod of approval from him."

As tribute, Klotz and the 257th Army Band did what they did best. They played Antonin Dvorak's "Goin' Home" and the Irish folk song "Danny Boy" during the ceremony, both of which reminded Klotz of moments with the couple.

At a previous concert, the band played "Goin' Home," which Wherley recognized immediately. And while playing at a funeral for another Guard member more than a year ago, Klotz remembered a compliment from Ann Wherley after a rendition of "Danny Boy."

After playing the selections and speaking about Wherley's influence on her, Klotz felt a sense of closure she didn't have before. "Now I can smile," she said.

After the speeches, musical selections and other remembrances, Threat and the rest of the D.C. Honor Guard carried the ashes of the couple away for a more private memorial service and burial in Arlington National Cemetery today.

• Date Taken: 06.30.2009
• Date Posted: 06.30.2009 16:15
• Story ID: 35813
• Location: WASHINGTON, DC, US