Rifleman Whelan did not remain a private for long after the war began. He continued training at New River as a PFC for several months before his regiment packed up and headed west to California, there to board the transports that would take them to a new camp in New Zealand. The original plan called for the freshly-organized 1st Marine Division to practice amphibious operations in New Zealand for quite some time before launching an offensive, but reports of a Japanese airstrip nearing completion in the Solomon Islands drastically reduced the time available. Whelan and his comrades were bundled back aboard their transports, and sailed off for a previously unremarkable island called Guadalcanal. 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (2/5) was split off from the remainder of the regiment, and ordered to support landing operations on Tulagi, a small island off Guadalcanal that was home to a Japanese garrison. At 0916 on August 7, 1942, Whelan was splashing ashore on Tulagi’s Beach Blue. His company was sent to support the Company B of the First Raider Battalion; they spent their first day in combat helping search out enemy stragglers, and their first night helping to repel scattered enemy counterattacks and infiltrators. August 8 saw Whelan’s company advancing against the last of the Japanese resistance, herding them into a ravine where a strong, combined attack wiped most of them out – Tulagi was essentially secure. 2/5 moved to Sasapi, on the island’s northeastern coast, and set up beach security positions. Whalen participated in a handful of additional patrols without encountering any major action until August 21, when his battalion was ferried across to Guadalcanal. They spent the next several weeks much as they had on Tulagi – patrolling during the day, guarding the line at night, supporting other combat units – but on a much larger scale. Whalen’s first taste of serious pitched combat came during the September 14 attack against the Raiders on Bloody Ridge; his company was moved up towards the end of the fighting as reinforcements, but still suffered casualties. On September 25, the battalion was ordered to prepare to move out. 1st Battalion, 7th Marines had run into strong enemy resistance along the Matanikau River; 2/5 ran into Marines from the 7th returning with nearly two dozen stretcher cases. As if to reinforce the sense of impending trouble, scouts from Whalen’s Company E found the remains of enemy cook fires – with the ashes still warm. The following day, September 26, saw 2/5 advancing along the east bank of the Matanikau until they reached the river. The Japanese gave no sign of their presence until Company E attempted to cross the river – then they opened up with hidden machine guns and mortars, stopping the Marines in their tracks and forcing them back to the trees where they started. PFC Whelan was killed in the attack across the Matanikau River; due to the conditions of the battle, his remains could not be recovered.

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His older brother. His name is Ronald H. Whelan. May 8th, 1920 - January 1st 1995. After his brother's Kenneth's death, he enlisted in WWII, in the Merchant Marines and became an officer through the "90 Day Wonder" program.