Obituaries: Capt. William Edward Walker, Jr., 1944, Winn Parish, LA.
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: December 8, 1944 Winnfield News-American

Funeral Services for Capt. Wm. Ed. Walker, Jr., Killed in Airplane Accident
November 30, in California To Be Held This Afternoon 3 O'clock

Veteran Marine Fighter Pilot Saw Service in South Pacific

Funeral services for Captain William Edward Walker, veteran U. S. Marine
fighter pilot, who was killed near Thermal, California, on Thursday, November
30, will be held this afternoon at three o'clock at the First Methodist
Church.  The rites will be conducted by the Rev. Alwin Stokes, pastor of First
Presbyterian Church and the Rev. H. B. Hysell, pastor.  Interment will be in
the Winnfield Cemetery.

The details and circumstances of Captain Walker's death are not known to his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Walker, Sr., who were notified last Saturday that
their son died from injuries received in an airplane accident at 2:45 p.m.
o'clock Thursday, November 30.  A telephone call later to one of Captain
Walker's cousins near Thermal disclosed that the injuries were received while
signaling a plane to land on the carrier on which Captain Walker was on duty.

The body arrived here yesterday afternoon and was escorted by Captain Frank
Baldwin, U. S. M. C. R.

Captain Walker returned in January of this year after 15 months combat service
in the South Pacific with the U. S. Marine Air Corps and since that time has
been stationed at Leguna Beach, Calif., Vero Beach, Fla., Jacksonville, Fla.,
and San Diego, Calif.  He joined the USMCR in August 1941 and trained at New
Orleans, La., and Corpus Christi, Tex.  While overseas he was stationed on
Guadalcanal, Cella La Vella, and Russell Islands.

Captain Walker left Winnfield on Thursday, November 23, one week to the day
before his death, after spending a 15 day leave here.  He reported back to
duty on November 25.

Surviving him are his parents and two brothers, Lt. Murphy L. Walker, Army Air
Forces, stationed at Madlen, Mo., and Cpl. Frances Walker, now in North
Africa, to which place he was enroute when the news of his brother's death was
released.  Lt. Murphy L. Walker arrived Sunday to be with his parents.

Pallbearers to serve at the funeral this afternoon are G. S. Ham, H. B.
Bozeman, R. R. Dennis, Alvin Hahn, Jack Tannehill, and E. E. Nash.

[Insert: Captain Walker was injured when he was hit in the back by the landing
gear of a plane which came off as the pilot was landing on a practice field
marked off as a carrier.  This information was given by Captain Frank Baldwin,
military escort, who arrived here with the body Thursday afternoon.]