Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb was the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations in 2552. He was directly subordinate to Fleet Admiral Sir Terrance Hood, the Chief of Naval Operations. He was also a member of the UNSC Security Committee
Whitcomb is well noted for his accomplishments during the battle for New Constantinople and the Siege of the Atlas Moons. Every SPARTAN-II had studied his record. He claims that he descended from Russian Cossacks, despite his accent, which suggested that he originated from the Texas area.
He was stationed at Reach in 2552. During The Battle of Reach, he had gone to secure his secret project, the Nova bomb, when the HIGHCOM HQ of the Reach Military Complex was destroyed. Whitcomb then became the ranking officer on the planet. Whitcomb radioed the team he had sent to gather the Novas, Charlie Company. It had turned out that the company was forced to defend ODG Facility A-331 and most of them were killed when a flight of Longswords were ordered to bomb the area mistakenly. Instead, he contacted Fredric-104, who was now in charge of Charlie Company. Fred sent Anton-044, Li-008, and Grace-093 to rescue him.
The Admiral had a staff with him, but it is assumed that they were killed. He and the three Spartans then retreated to Camp Independence to avoid Covenant activity. For three weeks they conducted hit and run missions against the Covenant and broadcast Oly Oly Oxen Free, until they were picked up by John-117 and Lieutenant Haverson. They then went to rescue Fred's team, and returned to the captured Ascendant Justice/Gettysburg aboard a captured Spirit.
Whitcomb then took command of the vessel, navagating it through an anomalous Slipspace bubble and defeating the Covenant, despite the heavy damage to the ship. He then took it to Eridanus Secundus, blackmailing Governor Jacob Jiles to help him repair his ship. But they were unable to hold back the Covenant onslaught, and with great remorse, Whitcomb retreated, dooming the Eridanus Rebels to death in Covenant hands.
He then approved Operation: FIRST STRIKE, and observed the Spartan team's actions from behind a nearby moon. He died after the mission, while using the captured flagship to lure starships towards the Unyielding Hierophant in an attempt to maximise Covenant losses. He was successful, and he perished along with Lieutenant Haverson and the Ascendant Justice. His sacrifice prevented Earth from being overrun by 500 Covenant vessels, a fight that would surely have met with disaster for Humanity's homeworld[1].