Man searches for father's friend from WWII
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 11 months AGO
William “Fred” Haithcox, Wally Larson and Leo Cunningham.
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | July 18, 2017 4:36 PM
William “Fred” Haithcox served in World War II on the USS Lexington.
Haithcox was a bombardier, gunner and radio operator who served with a pilot named Wally Larson from Whitefish.
Now, Haithcox’s son Rick is looking to find anyone that might have known Larson.
“It would be great to find Wally, his son or daughter or anyone that may have known about him,” said Rick Haithcox.
His father has since passed away and Wally may have as well, but Rick says he would still like to find anyone that may have known him.
Rick Haithcox notes that Wally might not be his first name, but possibly a nickname. A log book notation and a “fun” card that was made for them notes the name of what he says looks like J.G. Larson.
Fred Haithcox, of Statesville, North Carolina, served alongside Larson and the third mate was Leo Cunningham. Rick has a photo of the trio standing on the destroyer after being rescued after their plane went down on April 1, 1944 in the Pacific.
Rick relayed the story of that day as told to him by his father:
“There was a mission to take off from the carrier to go on a bombing/torpedo raid to attack Wolei Island. Their plane had been hit before and was in repair. After all planes had taken off, the maintenance guy came out and told them their plane was ready and did they want to go. They said ‘well, they have nothing else to do so lets go.’ They loaded up and attempted to take off. The carrier had already turned out of the wind and upon take off, their plane went straight into the Pacific Ocean. The carrier kept going and radioed the destroyer USS Craven, that was following the carrier that they had a plane down and three men in the water. After the third pass by the destroyer, they were spotted and hauled aboard.”
The log book and “fun” card was made for each of them to commemorate the experience, Rick notes.
If anyone knows of a Wally Larson or J.G. Larson from Whitefish, Rick asks that they get into contact with him. Send mail to William R. Haithcox (Rick), 119 Dills Dr., Dallas, NC 28034, or email [email protected], or call 704-813-2584.
ARTICLES BY HEIDI DESCH
Whitefish City Council set to approve draft budget
Whitefish City Council on Monday is poised to approve a $63.4 million preliminary budget for fiscal year 2027.
Whitefish considers annexation for land on south entrance
Whitefish City Council on Monday will decide whether to annex about 18 acres of land on the south entrance of the city.
Senior Spotlight: Glacier High School student looks to use science to help others
Knowing she wanted to help others, there was a time when Anitha Ravipati considered pursuing a career as a medical doctor. But applying her science acumen during an internship last summer opened the possibility of assisting through research.