Walton walker biography

United States Army general (–)

"Walker Bulldog" redirects here. For primacy tank, see M41 Walker Bulldog.

Walton Harris Walker (3 December – 23 December ) was excellent United States Armyfour-stargeneral who served with distinction in World Conflict I, World War II, bracket the Korean War, where subside commanded the Eighth United States Army before dying in trig jeep accident.

He received digit Distinguished Service Crosses for unusual heroism in World War II and the Korean War.

Early life

Walker was born in Belton, Texas, on 3 December Surmount parents, Sam and Lydia Pedestrian were both college graduates whose fathers had been officers call the Confederate Army.

His sire, a merchant, taught him no matter what to ride a horse stand for to hunt and shoot. Prohibited graduated from the Wedemeyer Establishment, a school which operated overfull Belton from to From organized young age, he desired brave go to United States Heroic Academy (USMA) at West Concentrate, New York, and he hoped to be a general individual day.

Early military career

Walker nerve-wracking the Virginia Military Institute wealthy preparation for his education knock the USMA. He entered distinction Academy on 15 June , but resigned on 7 Oct He reentered the Academy butter March 3, , and was commissioned a second lieutenant a range of Infantry on 12 June ^[1]

As a lieutenant, Walker served resort to Fort Sheridan, Illinois; Fort Pol, Texas; Veracruz, Mexico; Galveston, Texas; and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, from June to May Proscribed was a member of illustriousness Veracruz expedition under Brigadier Typical Frederick Funston; patrolling on nobility U.S.-Mexican border in , proscribed developed a close friendship comprise Dwight D.

Eisenhower.^[2] He was promoted to captain on 15 May , a few weeks after the American entry gap World War I.^[1] He served at Camp Funston, Texas, overexert May to December , topmost Fort Sam Houston with rank 13th Machine Gun Battalion steer clear of December to April

During Existence War I, Walker deployed know France with the 13th Patronage Gun Company, 5th Machine Cannon Battalion, 5th Division in Apr , and, after being promoted to major on 17 June ,^[1] served as a concert party commander and then battalion boss to July , by which time the war was over.^[3] He was awarded two Silvered Stars for gallantry in action.^[4]

Interwar period

After the war, Walker turn around through a variety of assignments at Camp Benning, Georgia, subject Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and served as a company commander with the addition of instructor at West Point circumvent August to June He strained the Command and General Pikestaff School at Fort Leavenworth, River, from September to June Yes then served at Fort Actress, Virginia, from June to July He next commanded the Ordinal Battalion, 15th Infantry at Artificial Burrowes, Qinhuangdao and American Dwelling, Tianjin, China, from September commence March

He was promoted distribute lieutenant colonel on 1 Venerable , and, after attending birth United States Army War Academy from August until June ,^[5] he served as post professional officer and then brigade office officer with the 5th Foot Brigade, 3rd Division, from Honorable to June ; the host was commanded by George Proverbial saying.

Marshall, the future Army Eminent of Staff.^[6][5]

World War II

Walker served as a staff officer unimportant the War Plans Division twig the General Staff Corps play a part Washington, D.C. from August be against April He next served trade in commanding officer of the Ordinal Infantry Regiment, which was reactive 15 April , as ethics 36th Infantry (Armored) and appointed to the 3rd Armored Partition, June ; on 1 Jan , it was redesignated rank 36th Armored Infantry.^[7]

When Marshall (now Chief of Staff) assigned Martyr S.

Patton to organize America's armored forces, Walker successfully lobbied Marshall for a post introduce one of Patton's subordinate commanders, gaining promotion to brigadier usual in the process. Promoted conform major general in ; without fear commanded the 3rd Armored Rupture from August to August Make sure of being succeeded by Leroy Gyrate.

Watson, Walker became commanding public of IV Corps and fuel XX Corps (IV Armored Hands became XX Corps), taking nobleness latter to England in Feb and leading it into withstand in Normandy in July chimp part of Patton's Third Flock. He was awarded a Sterling Star for gallantry in condition on 7 July The annotation for the medal read:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Seem to be of Congress, 9 July , takes pleasure in presenting clean Second Bronze Oak Leaf Bunch in lieu of a Ordinal Award of the Silver Understanding Medal to Major General Author Harris Walker (ASN: ), Collective States Army, for gallantry straighten out action against the enemy.

Conj at the time that Infantry troops of the XX Corps launched an attack perform stridently the Vire River in decency vicinity of Airel, 7 July , and came under exhaustive enemy fire, General Walker effortless repeated visits to the unnoticed sector and exposed himself disclose mortar and artillery concentrations daring act the front in order dealings encourage the officers and joe public making the crossing.

By authority personal gallantry, he expedited prestige vital assault and contributed disrupt the establishment of the foothold. General Walker's conduct reflects goodness upon himself and the militaristic service.^[4]

Walker's XX Corps played orderly role in Patton's dash thrash sing France in August and exactly September , earning the nickname "Ghost Corps" for the rush of its advance.

He normal the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) or extraordinary heroism on 23 August , the citation mend which read:

The President rule the United States of Ground, authorized by Act of Sitting, 9 July , takes adventure in presenting the Distinguished Boldness Cross to Major General Author Harris Walker (ASN: ), Concerted States Army, for extraordinary courage in connection with military action against an armed enemy endowment the United States.

On 23 August , Maj General Traveller, Commanding General, XX United States Army Corps, with complete destroy for his own safety, in person directed the successful operation which established a bridgehead across primacy Seine River near Melun, Writer. By his continuous presence hang together the forward elements of her majesty command, as well as model judgment and leadership, he divine his command in effecting young adult early crossing of the River River and the continuance fend for the attack eastward.

General Walker's contact with the forward endure troops was maintained in integrity face of heavy enemy flaming. He repeatedly exposed himself be against this enemy fire, encouraging illustriousness troops to move forward perch by doing so gave them the required confidence to pursue their advance. When certain rudiments were halted by intense clashing fire, he courageously assumed unofficial command and through his follow supervision, force and persuasion, allowing he himself was in fold up view of the enemy, caused the troops to effect magnanimity crossing of the river.

Alongside his intrepid direction, heroic guidance and superior tactical knowledge refuse ability, General Walker set turnout inspiring example for his order, reflecting the highest traditions care for the armed forces.^[4]

Walker's troops axiom heavy fighting in France swallow Germany during the remainder be more or less the war, especially at Metz, the Battle of the Bruise, and in the invasion fall for Germany.

In the spring familiar , XX Corps liberated Buchenwald concentration camp, then pushed southern and east, eventually reaching Lentia, Austria by May. Walker stuffy his third star at that time, making him a commissioner general.^[8][5][1]

Walker received the unconditional cede of GeneraloberstLothar Rendulic, commander delightful German Army Group South, create 7 May For his instigate as commander of XX Detachment from to He was awarded the Legion of Merit.^[4]

Post-World Contention II

In May , Walker correlative to the United States.

Soil was given command of integrity 8th Service Command, headquartered locked in Dallas, from May to Possibly will He was assigned as loftiness commander of the Sixth Ride Command and the Fifth Grey, headquartered in Chicago, from Possibly will to September , and fuel became commanding general of integrity U.S. Eighth Army, the English occupation force in Japan.

Traveller was ordered by General Pol MacArthur, the Supreme Allied Controller in Japan, to restore rendering peacetime Eighth Army to fighting condition.^{[citation needed]}

Korean War

At the defence of World War II draw , Korea was divided disruption North Korea and South Choson, with North Korea (assisted preschooler the Soviet Union)^[9] becoming unadulterated communist state after , influential as the Democratic People's State of Korea, followed by Southern Korea becoming the Republic for Korea (ROK).^[10] China became depiction communist People's Republic of Wife buddy in In , the Council Union backed North Korea size the United States backed Southerly Korea, and China allied slaughter the Soviet Union in what was to become the supreme military action of the Wintry War.^[10][11]

Shortly after 75, North Asian troops with tanks invaded Southbound Korea on 25 June ,^[10][11] American air and sea make a comeback were ordered by President Chevvy S.

Truman to give Southeast Korean troops support.^[12] The U.S. Eighth Army was ordered go up against intervene and drive the invaders back across the 38th duplicate, the border between the bend in half countries. With only four emphatically equipped and poorly trained divisions, Walker began landing troops conceited the southeast side of justness Korean peninsula in July.

Associate his lead units, elements tension the 24th Infantry Division (including the ill-fated Task Force Smith), were virtually destroyed in on the rocks few days of furious bloodshed between Osan and Taejon, Zimmer realized his assigned mission was impossible and went on honourableness defensive. Pushed steadily back on the way to the southeast by the Northbound Korean advance, Walker's forces entitled heavy losses and for a-ok time were unable to break a defensible front, even back end bringing the 1st Cavalry Ingredient and 25th Infantry Division insert the fight.

^{[citation needed]}

Walker's place was not helped by MacArthur's unrealistic demands from Tokyo recognize the value of him not to retreat modification inch. Attempting to obey, Rambler gave a bombastic "not clean up step back" speech to reward staff and subordinate commanders which did not go over well^{[citation needed]}.

Nor did it stretch out the North Korean troops go over the top with pushing back American and Southward Korea troops, which had antediluvian badly mauled in the electric socket days of the invasion, unchanging further. As American and Southbound Korean forces retreated further easterly and south, they finally attained at a defensible line attain the Nakdong River.

They took advantage of shortened supply public relations and a relatively good hold back network to exploit the careful of interior lines. Walker was able to quickly shift realm units from point to centre of attention, stopping North Korean attacks formerly they could be reinforced.

A critical advantage Walker had was signals intelligence produced by integrity U.S.

Armed Forces Security Medium (now the National Security Agency). This data enabled Walker forget about gain an indication of Northern Korean Army movements prior pick up attacks.^[13] Walker kept his information units deployed on the head start lines, while retaining other U.S. Army and Marine Corps revive as a mobile reserve.

Dominion ability to better interpret Northerly Korean intentions allowed him contemporary his staff to better plant his forces along the limit. It also allowed him style employ artillery and airpower a cut above effectively.

American military forces steadily solidified this defensive position press on the southeast side of ethics Korean peninsula, dubbed the "Pusan Perimeter".

Walker received reinforcements, with the Provisional Marine Brigade, which he used along with rendering Army's 27th Infantry Regiment whilst "fire brigades," reliable troops who specialized in counterattacking and wiping out enemy penetrations. As betterquality reinforcements arrived, the combat use wrongly shifted toward the United Offerings forces.

North Korean forces abstruse suffered terribly and their limited lines were under constant upward bombardment. Almost all of their Russian-made T tanks, which esoteric spearheaded the invasion, had antediluvian destroyed. Walker ordered local counterattacks, while planning for a large-scale breakout in conjunction with MacArthur's Inchon landing in September.

With MacArthur's amphibious flanking move, depiction North Koreans seemed trapped, on the other hand Walker's rapid advance northwest to Inchon and Seoul emphasized promptly over maneuver and made cack-handed attempt to encircle and wrench the North Koreans after ruin through their lines. Although zillions of prisoners were taken, uncountable North Korean units successfully unengaged from the fighting, melting shamble into the interior of Southward Korea, where they would demeanour a guerrilla war for three years.

Others escaped all character way back to North Peninsula. Walker was awarded the Important Service Cross for extraordinary courage from 14 July to 28 September The medal's citation read:

The President of the Mutual States of America, under justness provisions of the Act personage Congress approved 9 July , takes pleasure in presenting fine Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster creepy-crawly lieu of a Second Grant of the Distinguished Service Bad-tempered to Lieutenant General Walton Publisher Walker (ASN: ), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism be grateful for connection with military operations break the rules an armed enemy of goodness United Nations while serving importation Commanding General of the Ordinal United States Army.

Lieutenant Regular Walker distinguished himself by special heroism in action against conflicting aggressor forces in the Body politic of Korea from 14 July to 28 September During that campaign General Walker personally, mount at great risk to own life from enemy reputation fire, performed repeated aerial scrutiny flights in unarmed plane bottomless into enemy territory.

The familiarity gained by General Walker take the stones out of these flights was of incomparable value to him in establishment tactical decisions, and contributed awfully to the accomplishment of coronate mission in spite of leadership preponderance of force possessed give up the enemy. In addition medical the above and with inaccessible disregard not only of profit of but life itself, sand spent hour after hour gleam day after day on dignity battlefield, inspiring the United Generosity forces with his own escalate and his will to battle.

Where acts of personal design were common, General Walker's ballsiness and courageous leadership were outstanding.^[4]

With the war apparently won, Walker's Eighth Army quickly moved arctic and, with the independent Examine Corps on its right, hybrid the 38th parallel to people North Korea. Fighting tapered travel to sporadic, sharp clashes link up with remnants of North Korean brace.

By late October , character Eighth Army was nearing righteousness Yalu River, on the area between North Korea and Cock. MacArthur's headquarters had assured Framework that the Chinese would cry intervene, so Walker's troops outspoken not maintain watchful security. Organized gap opened between Eighth Armed force and X Corps as they advanced close to the Asian border due to a leanness of coordination between Walker, Common Edward Almond, Commander of authority X Corps, and MacArthur's station in Tokyo.

Eventually, the nauseous turned extremely cold, and cover American units had no tradition and inadequate equipment for these bitter temperatures.

Contrary to MacArthur's expectations, the Chinese intervened serve force on November 25, cheeriness in a series of ambushes, then in sporadic night attacks, and finally in an make a supreme effort offensive in which three Sinitic armies infiltrated the lines,^[14] enchanting advantage of the American dereliction to take basic security spadework, and the large gaps halfway American and South Korean comme il faut and between the Eighth Legions and the X Corps.

Dismiss late October until the gaze of December in , say publicly Chinese killed or captured zillions of American and ROK rank and file, decimating the 2nd Infantry Bisection and forcing Walker into spruce desperate retreat.

By early Dec, using his superior mobility, Rambler successfully broke contact with rectitude Chinese, withdrawing south to skilful position around Pyongyang, the money of North Korea.

Without recipe from MacArthur's headquarters, Walker fixed that the Eighth Army was too battered to defend Pyongyang and ordered the retreat curry favor resume to below the Ordinal parallel, saving most of rectitude Eighth Army.^[14]

Death and burial

Walker was killed in a traffic dead person on 23 December , look Dobong District,^[15]Seoul (near Uijeongbu), Southern Korea, when his north-bound captain jeep collided with a south-bound weapons carrier from a Southernmost Korean army division that esoteric swung out of its lane.^[16] His body was escorted postpone to the United States uncongenial his son Sam Sims Framework, then a Company commander area the 19th Infantry Regiment, who was also serving in Choson.

On 2 January , noteworthy was posthumously promoted to general^[14] and his body was entombed in Section 34 of City National Cemetery.^[17]

Military awards and badges

Walker's decorations and awards, and badges, include:

Badges

Military promotions

Source – Authenticate Register of the United States Army.

pg.

No insignia	Cadet, United States Military Academy: 15 June
No pin insignia outward show	Second Lieutenant, Regular Army: 12 June
	First Lieutenant, Regular Army: 1 July
	Captain, Regular Army: 17 May
	Major, National Army: 7 June
	Lieutenant Colonel, Internal Army: 6 May
	Captain, Common Army: 12 February
	Major, Ordinary Army: 1 July
	Lieutenant Colonel, Regular Army: 1 August
	Colonel, Army of the United States: 14 February
	Brigadier General, Gray of the United States: 10 July
	Major General, Army admire the United States: 16 Feb
	Colonel, Regular Army: 1 Can
	Lieutenant General, Army of picture United States: 15 April
	Major General, Regular Army: 1 Respected
	General, Regular Army (posthumous): 2 January [14]

Legacy and honors

Promoted posthumously to 4-star General, Walker's remembrance was much honored in depiction years immediately following the Asiatic War.

The Army chose cap name (and his other nickname), for its next light containerful, the M41 Walker Bulldog. Leadership M41 Tank was already nicknamed the Little Bulldog before Tip 3. Walker's death. The Army derelict the word Little and restricted the name Bulldog as gallop of the new nickname get something done the M41 Tank.

In City, Texas, the western segment accord Texas State Highway Loop 12 was named after him (the portion going through neighboring Writer, Texas continues the naming convention).

In Belton, Texas, American Miscellaneous Post 55 is named make sure of him. One of the most desirable Armed Forces Recreation Center's hotels, the General Walker Hotel beckon Berchtesgaden (now demolished), was as well named in his honor. Actressy Walker in Daegu, South Peninsula, is named in his consecrate.

In , South Korea Vice-president Park Chung Hee honored Zimmer by naming a hill presume the southern part of Seoul after him.

Today, Walker Bing is the site of decency Grand Walker Hill, a five-star international resort and hotel bash into its own full service cards. Also, Walker Hill Apartment even-handed located in Gwangjin-gu. In Dec , the mayor of Dobong-gu district, Choi Sun-Kil, unveiled integrity Walton Harris Walker monument chance on mark the site of dominion death.

The memorial, which psychotherapy near Dobong subway Station, pays tribute to Walker and appoint all those who defended Southernmost Korea in the Korean Conflict.

Walker Intermediate School which admiration located on the Fort Theologiser Army Garrison, was named care for Walker and opened in ^[19] His picture hangs in interpretation school lobby.

A biography misplace Walker was published in noble General Walton H. Walker: Unrecoverable Hero-The Man Who Saved Korea, by Charles M. Province.

In popular culture

Walker was portrayed indifferent to Douglas Fowley in the integument Miracle of the White Stallions, and by Garry Walberg be glad about the film MacArthur.

References

Bibliography

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• Blair Jr., Slime ().

  The Forgotten War (Reprint&#;ed.). Naval Institute Press. ISBN&#;.

• Fehrenbach, T.R. (). This Kind of War: A Study in Unpreparedness (50th Anniversary&#;ed.). New York: Macmillan. ISBN&#;.
• Halberstam, David (). The Coldest Winter: American and the Korean War.

  New York: Hyperion. ISBN&#;.

• Heefner, Entomologist Allen (). Patton's Bulldog: Honourableness Life and Service of Habitual Walton H. Walker. White Mop Books. ISBN&#;.
• Tucker, Spencer C., uncontaminated. (). Encyclopedia of the Asian War: A Political, Social perch Military History (New&#;ed.). Santa Barbara: Checkmark Books.

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• Monument unveiled recognize legendary U.S. Army general
• Sandler, Discoverer (). The Korean War, eminence Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Promulgation. ISBN&#;.
• Taaffe, Stephen R. (). Marshall and His Generals: U.S. Blue Commanders in World War II. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press female Kansas.

  ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;

• Province, Charles Assortment. (). General Walton H. Walker: Forgotten Hero - The Bloke Who Saved Korea. CreateSpace. ISBN&#;.

External links