US Army

John T. Walker, Mark Clark’s personal pilot

J.T. Walker via Flickr

The Clark’s personal pilot during the Italian Campaign, Major, later Lieutenant Colonel John Thornton Walker seated on the left struts of the “Rome Express”, the L-5 used by the same Clark as personal liaison and observation aircraft. Under the windscreen the Walker’s name and rank. Born on 24 August, 1912 near Rochester , Illinois, and afterward moved with his family to Springfield, Walker, at beginning a reporter of Illinois State Journal at Springfield, in the early 1930's took flight lessons and eventually owned a light plane. His wife Geraldine was also a pilot and flew locally with John in the Springfield area. Walker joined the Illinois Army National Guard (Mechanized Cavalry Squadron) and went through all of the Enlisted Ranks (E-1 thru E-7) before he became a 2nd Lt. His unit was called to active duty in 1940 and they served at Camp Livingston , La. through 1940 and 1941 when Walker was transferred to the Air Corps and trained at Fort Sill, Ok. for 8 weeks and then after a short tour at Alexandria AB, La, was shipped to England and then to North Africa. There, in late 1942, he became General Mark Clark's personal pilot. He flew combat operations with General Clark in North Africa, Sicily and Italy flying mostly L-4 and L-5 aircraft. Besides General Clark, Col. Walker flew many dignitaries over the Anzio, Salerno, Monte Cassino, Rome and other battle fronts including the US Secretary of War Stimson, General George C. Marshall, General Hap Arnold, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Secretary of Navy Forrestal and General Jacob Devers. He was awarded of many decorations including the Silver Star, Legion of Merit and Air Medal's. The career and the life of J.T. Walker was tragically ended on 19 February 1945 when the British transport plane in which he was a passenger for a short leave to fly home to visit his wife and daughter crashed on takeoff from a Rome airfield. There were no survivors. Lt. Col. Walker was buried in Italy in a ceremony presided over by General Clark and later his remains were brought home and are buried in Geraldine's hometown of Washington, Indiana . On 29 May, 1951 in a ceremony presided over by General Mark Clark, “Walker Air Strip” at Fort Monroe, Virginia was dedicated to the memory of Lt. Col. John Thornton Walker. Victor Sierra