James Alonzo Walker

{{Short description|American Tuskegee Airmen aviator (1918–2004)}}

{{Infobox military person

| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant colonel

| name = James A. Walker

| honorific_suffix =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = File:JAMES A. WALKER.png

| image_size = 150px

| alt =

| caption = James A. Walker

| birth_date = {{birth date|1918|09|20}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2004|08|23|1918|09|20}}

| birth_place = Manning, South Carolina U.S.

| death_place = Hayward, California U.S.

| placeofburial =

| placeofburial_label =

| placeofburial_coordinates =

| nickname = Jimmy

| alma_mater = Hampton Institute

| birth_name = James Alonzo Walker

| allegiance = United States

| branch = {{Plainlist |

| serviceyears = 1943-1964

| rank = Lieutenant colonel

| servicenumber =

| unit = 332d Fighter Group

| commands =

| battles =

| battles_label =

| awards = {{Plainlist |

Air Medal
Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Tuskegee Airmen
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

}}

| spouse = Cynthia

| children = 4

}}

James Alonzo Walker (September 20, 1918 – August 23, 2004) was an American aviator from Manning, South Carolina who served as a Tuskegee Airman during World War II. He flew more than 102 missions in the European Theatre of WWII, and was shot down in action over Serbia at the time occupied Kingdom of Yugoslavia by Third Reich ( Germany). He was saved in Halyard Mission known in Serbian as (Operation Air Bridge) in July 1944t, by Chetniks and general Dragoljub Draža Mihailović. He served in the military until 1964. He became the first African American commander of an integrated unit in 1950.

Early life

He was born in Manning, South Carolina and his parents were James and Daisy. Walker went to High School in Baltimore, Maryland. He went to Hampton Institute in Virginia.{{cite news |title=James A. Walker |url=https://www.theitem.com/stories/james-a-walker,217318 |access-date=November 15, 2021 |publisher=The Sumter Item |date=August 30, 2004}} Before joining the Tuskegee Airman Walker had 90 hours of flight time.

Career

File:Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 2 USAF.jpg

Walker enlisted as a cadet and began military service in July 1941. He was assigned to the 99th Pursuit Squadron 332nd Fighter Group on June 1, 1942. Walker was in class Class 43-E-SE.{{cite news |title=Tuskegee Army Air Field class 43-E, 1943 |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/tuskegee-army-air-field-class-43-e-1943/image_4d2a0dc4-5e45-11df-b7e6-00127992bc8b.html |access-date=November 16, 2021 |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=September 26, 2009}} Walker was shot down over the in Serbia. He was missing for 30 days before returning to his unit.{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Art |title=Down, Eager for Combat |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-may-05-1945-2819200/ |access-date=November 15, 2021 |publisher=Baltimore Afro American |date=May 5, 1945}} He piloted a P-40 Warhawk in Europe during WWII.{{cite web |title=From Tuskegee Airmen to Wells Fargo team members |url=https://stories.wf.com/tuskegee-airmen-wells-fargo-team-members/ |publisher=Wells Fargo |access-date=November 16, 2021}} When he was shot down he came across an armed teen: Aleksandar Zivkovic. The teen helped Walker elude the enemy and helped him get back to his unit 39 days later. Walker met with Zivkovic a half a century later and thanked him.{{cite web |title=James Alonzo Walker |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Lightburst/sandbox&action=edit |website=CAF Rise above }} After that he was saved in Mission Haylard by Chetniks and general Dragoljub Draža Mihailović and was transported to Italy.

In 1950 at Langley Air Force BaseWalker was the first African American officer to have command of an unsegregated unit.

Walker had served for 26 years eventually retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.{{cite web |title=James Alonzo Walker |url=http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/245418 |website=American Air Museum in Britain |publisher=Imperial War Museums |access-date=November 16, 2021}}

Awards and honors

Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters and four battle stars
2006 Congressional Gold Medal, awarded to Tuskegee Airmen{{cite web |last1=Kruzel |first1=John J. |title=President, Congress Honor Tuskegee Airmen |url=https://www.army.mil/article/2476/president_congress_honor_tuskegee_airmen |date=March 30, 2007 |publisher=United States Army |access-date=July 25, 2019}}
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

References

=Notes=

External links

Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20131204121846/http://www.tuskegee.edu/about_us/legacy_of_fame/tuskegee_airmen.aspx Tuskegee Airmen] at Tuskegee University
[http://tuskegeeairmen.org/ Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.]
[https://www.nps.gov/tuai/index.htm Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site] (U.S. National Park Service)
[http://www.tuskegeeairmennationalmuseum.org/ Tuskegee Airmen National Museum]

Category:Tuskegee Airmen

Category:Military personnel from South Carolina

Category:1918 births

Category:2004 deaths

Category:United States Army Air Forces officers

Category:Aviators from South Carolina

Category:African-American aviators

Category:21st-century African-American people

Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)