Very Large Grouping to CSM (Ret) Donald E Walker - Career Paratrooper

[bryang]

This past September I attended an auction in Clarksville, TN, in which was part of the militaria collection of the owner of Eagles of War surplus shop. There were a large number of items over the two-day auction.

 

I won the bid on this huge lot which comprises an extensive grouping of Command Sergeant Major Donald E Walker (Retired). CSM Walker was born in 1931 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1951. He went on to serve in the Infantry for 29 years – remarkably was a Paratrooper on Jump Status for 23 years of it.

 

Initially assigned to the 45th Infantry Division, he went on to serve as a member of the 187th Regimental Combat Team (Airborne), where he saw combat in Korea between 1952 and 1953. Sergeant Major Walker subsequently served in Airborne positions in the 11th Airborne Division, 504thAirborne as part of the 8th Infantry Division, 502ndAirborne Battle Group, as well as assignments in the 101st and 82ndAirborne Divisions, 1st Cavalry Division, and the 173rdAirborne Brigade.

 

Sergeant Major Walker served two tours to Vietnam, 1965 to 1967 with the 101st Airborne Division, as well as with the 173rdAirborne Brigade between 1970 and 1971.

Donald Walker’s career culminated with his assignment as the Command Sergeant Major of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell, KY, after which he retired in 1981.

This grouping is ephemera-intensive and includes unit newspapers and newsletters from the different units he had been assigned to, spanning the Korean War through the units he had served in in Germany and Vietnam. There are assignment orders from the 1950’s, ‘60’s and ‘70’s, assorted unit event flyers, posters and drawings and maps.

 

I was particularly pleased to have found his note binder from when he was the Command Sergeant Major for the 101st Airborne Division – his unit patches on the front are awesome. I’ve also found a couple nice patches from the 503rd and 187th Airborne, and his beret from his time in the 82nd Airborne Division circa 1971.

 

I’ve already posted this here, however the coolest – and most unusual – item I’ve encountered in a grouping is the folder containing original witness statements which were used towards awarding the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Glenn H English Jr, who, in Vietnam on 7 September 1970, gave rallied his men to fight off a North Vietnamese ambush then rushed to help pull wounded men from a burning Armored Personnel Carrier. Unfortunately, Staff Sergeant English was killed when the carrier exploded. These witness statements were made by the men in his unit who were there when this action took place, and were most likely used by Sergeant Major Walker as part of the investigation for Staff Sergeant English’s award of the Medal of Honor – which was subsequently awarded posthumously to his family in 1974.

 

The lot included two large parachute kit bags – both named to him – full of field gear and uniforms. Though there’s no insignia on the uniforms, I’m pleased to have them all the same. His dress blues, and class-a green – bearing his Command Sergeant Major rank, six 6-month combat hash-marks (denoting three years in combat zones), as well as 101st Airborne Division unit patch and the 187th Airborne right shoulder “combat” patch, for his service in the Korean War.

 

His field gear includes his first aid kit, which appears to be still stocked, as well as his chemical protective mask, field/butt pack, and sleeping bag. He took college courses after his retirement, and this grouping includes several of his hand-written school papers.

 

He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 101stAirborne Division in 1974 during the time that the 101st Airborne lost its status as an Airborne unit – into an Air-mobile (Air Assault) division. There are several items referencing this “dark” day, which depict the crying “Abe” – the 101st’s famed eagle. Included in the lot is a memo addressed to him with a photo of (then) Senator Les Aspin – hand-written comment: “I don’t want to see this sorry rotten SOB leg unless they grind him up to grease the gates to hell!”  ... It was Senator Aspin who played a significant role in cutting the 101st’s parachute slots, thereby re-designating the 101stas an “air-mobile” division.

 

Command Sergeant Major Walker is the recipient of four Bronze Star Medals and the Purple Heart, and he earned the Combat Infantry Badge with star – awards for Korea and Vietnam – as well as the Master Parachutist Badge and South Vietnamese Army Parachutist Badge.

 

He passed away in November 2009.

 

It took me a couple weeks to go through and photograph everything, and then try to label everything in chronological order. I’m posting his items here in order from 1951 to his retirement from the Army in 1981. There are too many items to post them all, so I’ll post what I feel are the most interesting and relevant items. All of his travel orders to Vietnam and Germany and other places, as well as evaluations and other assorted papers have print too fine to be viewed here.

 

 

This post is heavy on photos:

 

 

 

[bryang]

This folder was among CSM Walker's items, and is amazing.  These are eyewitness sworn statements taken just a few days after an ambush in which a fallen 173rd Airborne Brigade hero was submitted for the Medal of Honor. 

[bryang]

And more of CSM Walker's items:

 

 

 

 

 

[sgtdorango]

Wow!!....love the 187th and 11AB items!👍🏻......mike

[bryang]

Last batch:

 

 

 

 

 

[Longbranch]

Great grouping!!! Love all the unique items in groups like this, such as all the vietnam related paper items given out in-country. 

[manayunkman]

That is an amazing group.

 

Since it was an auction did you miss anything?

[bryang]

23 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

That is an amazing group.

 

Since it was an auction did you miss anything?

This is everything which was in the group.  It was actually more than I realized, after I won the bid.  A large wooden crate full of documents, two cardboard boxes full, two large parachute kit bags full of gear and the uniforms, as well as a lot of framed items - I removed from the frames to save the space.

 

I got everything for about $200, and was pleased about it.

 

Mind you, the items posted here are but a handful of what I have.  The majority of this grouping consists of official documents, travel and assignment orders, etc ... which are too plentiful to post - the print would be too difficult to discern if posted.

 

I'm considering going back through everything and maybe seeing if I can better sort through everything, grouping in chronological order and perhaps placing in binders.

[manayunkman]

The reason I ask is because very often an auctioneer will divide groups up and sell them in different lots.

 

Could this man’s medals, ribbons or jungle jackets have been sold in another lot.

 

For example was there a medal lot?

 

Regardless this is a rare grouping.

[bryang]

38 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

The reason I ask is because very often an auctioneer will divide groups up and sell them in different lots.

 

Could this man’s medals, ribbons or jungle jackets have been sold in another lot.

 

For example was there a medal lot?

 

Regardless this is a rare grouping.

This auction was for an enormous surplus store in Clarksville, TN - outside Fort Campbell - which had been in business for over 35 years.  The store is closing and will be going all online.  They've held several auctions, selling off primarily surplus inventory.  However, on this particular auction, the store's owner was selling off parts of his personal militaria collection.

 

The large lot I bought had been actually previously been rescued / recovered from trash, and was all there was for this Soldier.  It's very likely that the family may have retained his actual awards and decorations, certificates, etc.  I'd love to have had these!