Oral History Interview with William Walker, February 27, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with William Walker. Walker was born in Waco, Texas and attended Texas A & M after high school. In 1943 he was called to active duty and reported to Camp Roberts, California. While there, he applied for airborne training and was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon completing jump training, he was sent back to California and was assigned to the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment as a replacement. The replacements were sent to Oro Bay, New Guinea where they joined their unit to begin advanced training. He recalls in detail the unit’s participation in combat on Hollandia, Noemfoor and a parachute drop on Corregidor. Following a successful operation on Corregidor, the unit made an amphibious landing on Negros Island. Walker describes the combat in which he was involved and of being wounded. He was taken to a field hospital and then moved to a general hospital on Leyte. Following his recovery, he rejoined his unit at Bacolod, Negros Island where he once again was involved in combat. Soon after Japan surrendered, he and an officer met with a Japanese general to accept the surrender of his troops on Negros Island. Following his participation in the surrender ceremony, Walker returned to the United States and received his discharge on 25 December 1945