Whalen, John Turner, 1898-1980.

Maryland National Guard army soldier during World War I.

John Turner Whalen was born in Maryland on June 18, 1898. In May 1917, at the age of nineteen, Whalen enlisted in the Maryland National Guard in the 2nd Company Coast Artillery Corps. On August 7 of that same year, the company proceeded to Fort Howard, Maryland, during which time the entire National Guard in Federal service was drafted into the Army of the United States. During this period, Whalen spent much time in the hospital; he had a cast on his leg, most likely due to an attempt by the doctors to correct his flat feet. On November 4, 1917, the 2nd Company, along with the 1st Company, was assigned the duty of guarding the piers at Canton and at Locust Point in Baltimore. Not long after arriving at Locust Point, Whalen went to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., for an operation to correct his flat feet. By January 1918, Whalen had returned to Locust Point. By that time, the companies had been rearranged, and Whalen was now part of the 6th Company, Coast Defenses of Baltimore. Relieved of guard duty in May 1918, the 6th Company returned to Fort Howard.

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