Joseph Holland Walker was born on May 17, 1914, in Brunswick County, N. C., the son of Morgan Decatur Walker (1888-1964) and Mary Cassie Walker (1897-1985). He attended Wake Forest College, graduated from ECTC, and then moved to Asheville in 1936 where he married Maxine Janette Walker (1919-1980). Prior to being inducted into the Army, Walker was employed at the Bon Marche Department Store in Asheville and then Mack Trucks, Inc., in Charlotte.
Walker was drafted into the Army in March of 1944, and received training at Camp Fanning, Texas before being sent to the European theatre. There, Walker served in the Third Army under General George S. Patton (1885-1945) as American forces sought to undo German domination of France. On October 7, 1944, Walker, 30, was declared missing in action in Normandy, France. The War Department later concluded that he had been killed in action on that day. Private Walker’s service in the Army infantry had lasted eight months.
Walker’s grave is in Arlington National Cemetery. In February 1945, his widow received on his behalf the Purple Heart and Presidential Citation awarded posthumously.
Sources:
- “26 Servicemen From This Area Are Casualties: Nine Listed As Dead; Two Missing; 15 Are Wounded.” Asheville Citizen-Times. October 29, 1944.
- “3 Boards Send 73 To Army.” Asheville Citizen-Times. March 16, 1944. P. 11.
- Goggin, Jean. “With The Armed Forces.” Teco Echo. November 10, 1944. P. 2. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/37944
- “Mrs. Walker Receives Purple Heart.” Asheville Citizen-Times. February 5, 1945. P. 10.
- “On WNC Casualty Lists.” Asheville Citizen-Times. October 29, 1944. P. 8.
Related Materials
Joseph Holland Walker. Image Source: Asheville Citizen-Times. October 29, 1944. P. 8.
Joseph Holland Walker. Image Source: www.findagrave.com
Joseph Holland Walker’s Draft Registration Card. Image Source: U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947.Ancestry.com
Citation Information
Author: John A. Tucker, PhD
Date of Publication: 5/10/2022