While Whitney was training with the marines, he sent a letter to Lana which Lana wrongly interpreted to be a marriage proposal. Soon after, Whitney and his whole barracks were considered to be the best in marksmen, thus earning them a weekend pass. Whitney then made a surprise visit to Lana at the Talon, where he bumped into Clark. The two had a brief conversation where Whitney explained that he believed he had found his true calling. He learned from Clark that Lana was having second thoughts about their relationship, which provoked him to dismiss Clark while he could spend time talking with Lana.
While in Smallville, Whitney was bombarded with visits and greetings from relatives and acquaintances who wanted to see him. The day after his arrival, he was finally able to spend some time alone with Lana while driving through the countryside and stopping at the site of their last picnic. They briefly talked about their feelings for each other and Lana's second thoughts. Lana was firm however in stating that she still had feelings for him despite her misgivings.[1]
As she began her sophomore year, Lana prepared a video of well-wishes from his friends back home to send to Whitney, but then decided that she should be honest with him. She recorded her own message, breaking up with Whitney. Whitney wrote a letter to Lana in response to the videotape. He mentioned the pain he felt when receiving the message and said it was a truth that he didn't want to hear. But Whitney decided to let go and told her that he was glad she was looking for happiness and hoped that she'd find it.
Whitney on his last mission in Indonesia.
Whitney was killed in action in Indonesia, sacrificing his life trying to save a fallen soldier. His letter to Lana was in his hand at the time of his death and never made it to her.[2]
Whitney was later announced as missing. Tina Greer broke out of Belle Reve Sanitarium and impersonated him in order to be with Lana, but Clark discovered the truth and she was killed in the final confrontation.
Both Clark and Lana were deeply affected by Whitney's death: Lana regretted ever having sent the video to him in the first place and feared that Whitney's last thought before he died was that Lana wasn't there for him and Clark remarked that Whitney had willingly put himself in harm's way to protect other people and wondered if he would have such bravery if he didn't have his abilities.