Sam Sims Walker (July 31, 1925 – August 8, 2015) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

who served as the Commanding General of Allied Land Forces, South East Europe from 1977 to 1978.

Military career

Walker was born at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

,Case of the Fallen Star TIME Magazine, October 9, 1978
/ref> the son of General

Walton Walker Walton Harris Walker (December 3, 1889 – December 23, 1950) was a United States Army four-star general who served with distinction in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, where he commanded the Eighth United States Army before dyin ...

, himself a four-star general. He enrolled in the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

in 1941, but transferred to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

the next year. Upon graduation from West Point with a B.S. degree on June 4, 1946, he was commissioned into the infantry, and his initial assignment was with the 11th Airborne Division on occupation duty in Japan. In the Korean War, he served as a company commander in the 24th Infantry Division, earning a Silver Star. Also during his time in Korea, his father, then commanding the

Eighth United States Army The Eighth Army is a U.S. field army which is the commanding formation of all United States Army forces in South Korea. It commands U.S. and South Korean units and is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys,United States Army Infantry School The United States Army Infantry School is a school located at Fort Benning, Georgia that is dedicated to training infantrymen for service in the United States Army. Organization The school is made up of the following components: * 197th Infantr ...

as an instructor. After graduating in 1957 from the

Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

, Walker served in a variety of assignments, to include aide-de-camp to the Chief of Staff of the Army, tactical officer at West Point, and Secretary of the General Staff of the

United Nations Command United Nations Command (UNC or UN Command) is the multinational military force established to support the Republic of Korea (South Korea) during and after the Korean War. It was the first international unified command in history, and the first a ...

United States Forces Korea United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a sub-unified command of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-ready fighting forces and components under the ROK/US Combined Forces Command (CFC) – a ...

. He was a distinguished graduate from the National War College in 1964, while also earning an M.S. degree in international relations from

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

. Walker then assumed command of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment. He volunteered for duty in South Vietnam, serving as G-3, 1st Infantry Division, and took command of the 2d Brigade as a lieutenant colonel, earning a second Silver Star. He led the brigade during

Operation Attleboro Operation Attleboro was a Vietnam War search and destroy operation initiated by the 196th Light Infantry Brigade with the objective to discover the location(s) of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong (VC) base areas and force them to ...

. Walker was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal and thirteen

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

s. After Vietnam, Walker attended the six-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, followed by an assignment in the Office of the

Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army The vice chief of staff of the Army (VCSA) is the principal deputy to the chief of staff of the Army, and is the second-highest-ranking officer on active duty in the Department of the Army. The vice chief of staff generally handles the day-to-d ...

as Chief of Force Readiness, Force Planning, and Analysis. After that position he was chosen to represent the army on the Council on Foreign Relations. Walker received his first star in 1968, and became the assistant division commander, 82nd Airborne Division, before being selected as the 54th Commandant of Cadets at West Point in 1969. Promoted to major general, he took command of the 3rd Infantry Division, followed by selection as the United States commander in Berlin. As a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

, Walker served as the deputy commanding general,

United States Army Forces Command United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the largest United States Army command. It provides expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM con ...

at Fort McPherson, Georgia from 1975 to 1977. In 1977 he was selected for promotion to

, at the time the youngest four-star general in the army, and appointed to his final position as commanding general, Allied Land Forces Southeast, headquartered in Turkey. His time in Turkey was a tumultuous one, coinciding with the United States arms embargo against Turkey for deploying troops to Cyprus in 1974. A Turkish general was assigned command of Allied Forces in Turkey as a way to maintain positive relations with Turkey; with no four-star positions available, the army offered Walker assignment as chief of staff for the United States European Command, a three-star position. Walker declined this post, and opted to retire. At the end of his assignment in Turkey, he was awarded the

Defense Distinguished Service Medal The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to the ...

and the

Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service ( tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Üstün Hizmet Madalyası) was first created on July 27, 1967 and took its current form on July 29, 1983. Technical specifications General Five large and five sma ...

Post-military career

After retiring from the army, Walker was the superintendent of the

in Lexington, Virginia, from 1981 to 1988. He also served as a board member of the Advisory Council of the United States-Korea Foundation, the Council on United States-Korea Security Studies, the National D-Day Museum, and the American Friends of Turkey. Walker was an initiate of the Beta Commission of

Kappa Alpha Order Kappa Alpha Order (), commonly known as Kappa Alpha or simply KA, is a social fraternity and a fraternal order founded in 1865 at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia. As of December 2015, the Kappa Alph ...

. Walker received the 2005 Distinguished Graduate Award from the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy. Walker died on August 8, 2015 at the age of 90. He was buried at

West Point Cemetery West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the eastern United States, on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers and ear ...

on October 12, 2015, Section XVIII, Row F, Site 65.

Awards and decorations

;Individual awards :

Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

Silver Star with 1 oak leaf cluster : Legion of Merit ribbon

Legion of Merit with 2 oak leaf clusters : Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon

Distinguished Flying Cross : Bronze Star ribbon

Bronze Star Medal : Air Medal ribbon

, with 2 silver and 3 bronze oak leaf clusters : Army Commendation Medal ribbon

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. The Wo ...

Army of Occupation Medal The Army of Occupation Medal is a military award of the United States military which was established by the United States War Department on 5 April 1946. The medal was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to recognize those who had ...

with Japan clasp :

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...

with 1 oak leaf cluster : Korean Service Medal - Ribbon

Korean Service Medal The Korean Service Medal (KSM) is a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was established November 8, 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary US military award for s ...

with 3 campaign stars : Vietnam Service Medal ribbon

Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. Arm ...

with 2 service stars ;Unit awards : United States Army and U

Presidential Unit Citation :

Meritorious Unit Commendation : Korean Presidential Unit Citation

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of South Korea that may be presented to South Korean military units, and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic o ...

Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry ( vi, Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh) is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal ...

Unit Award : Civil Action Unit Citation

Civil Actions Medal The Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal ( vi, Dân-Vụ Bội-Tinh) also known as the Vietnam Civil Actions Medal or Civil Actions Medal, is a military decoration of the former South Vietnamese government (1955–75). The medal was created ...

Unit Citation ;Foreign awards : Vietnamese Gallantry Cross, with palm

Gallantry Cross of Vietnam w/ palm : Ribbon of Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service

United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon

United Nations Korea Medal The United Nations Service Medal for Korea (UNKM) is an international military decoration established by the United Nations on December 12, 1950 as the United Nations Service Medal. The decoration was the first international award ever created by t ...

Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp

Vietnam Campaign Medal The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal ( vi, Chiến Dịch Bội Tinh), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949, and awarded to French military personnel during the First ...

;Badges :

Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of colonel and below, who fought in active ground combat while assigned as members of e ...

(two awards) : ArmyAvitBadge

Army Aviation Badge The Aircrew Badge, commonly known as Wings, is a qualification badge of the United States military that is awarded by all five branches of armed services to personnel who serve as aircrew members on board military aircraft. The badge is inten ...

Master Parachutist Badge The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces. The United States Space Force and United States Coast Guard are the only branches that do not award the Parachutist Badge, bu ...

Army Staff Identification Badge The United States Army Staff Identification Badge is a badge of the United States Army worn by personnel who serve at the Office of the Secretary of the Army and the Army Staff at Headquarters, Department of the Army ( HQDA) and its agencies. N ...

GEN Walker Army Staff

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Sam S. 1925 births 2015 deaths Virginia Military Institute alumni United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from New York (state) United States Army personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Silver Star United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Military Academy faculty National War College alumni Elliott School of International Affairs alumni United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Harvard Business School alumni United States Army generals Commandants of the Corps of Cadets of the United States Military Academy Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service Virginia Military Institute faculty Burials at West Point Cemetery