Walter K. Wilson Jr.

Template:Short description Template:Template other Walter King Wilson Jr. (August 26, 1906 – December 6, 1985), was an officer of the United States Army with the rank of lieutenant general. He is most noted as a Chief of Engineers during 1961–65. He was the son of Major General Walter K. Wilson Sr.

Biography

He was born at Fort Barrancas, Florida, the son of artillery officer and World War II Major General Walter K. Wilson Sr. (1880–1954). He graduated from West Point in 1929 and was commissioned in the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

While on maneuvers with Company A, 7th Engineers in a remote part of Fort Benning, Georgia on the night of May 9-10, 1932, Second Lieutenants Wilson and Stephen R. Hanmer (USMA Class of 1931) came to the aid of a private in their company who had been bitten in the leg by a rattlesnake. The two officers took turns drawing contaminated blood from the wound while arrangements were made to transport the injured soldier ten miles to the base hospital. Wilson and Hanmer were later awarded the Soldier's Medal in 1934 for their part in saving the private's life. Like Wilson, Hanmer also went on to become a general officer in the Corps of Engineers.

Wilson attended the University of California, Berkeley from 1932 to 1933, earning a B.S. degree in civil engineering in May 1933. He then attended the Army Engineer School at Fort Humphreys, Virginia from 1933 to 1934, completing the company officer's course in June 1934. From August 1934 to June 1938, Wilson was an instructor in the Department of Civil and Military Engineering at West Point. He then attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas from 1938 to 1939, graduating in June 1939.

Promoted to captain in June 1939, Wilson commanded a company of the 3rd Engineers at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from July 1939 to February 1941. He returned to the Command and General Staff School from 1941 to 1942, graduating in August 1942. With the onset of World War II, Wilson received temporary promotions to major, lieutenant colonel and then colonel. From December 1942 to May 1943, he commanded the 79th Engineer Combat Regiment at Camp Phillips, Kansas. In 1943, Wilson attended the Army-Navy Staff College, graduating in September 1943.

From 1943 to 1945, Wilson served as Deputy Engineer-in-Chief with the South East Asia Command at New Delhi, India, and Kandy, Ceylon. Receiving a temporary promotion to brigadier general in February 1945, he became Commanding General, Advance Section, U.S. Forces, China Burma India Theater, and Chief of Staff of the Chinese Army in India. Later, he commanded Intermediate and Base Sections and consolidated all three, commanding all ground forces remaining in the theater.

After the war, Wilson was District Engineer in St. Paul, Minnesota (1946–49), and Mobile, Alabama (1949–52), and then South Atlantic (1952–53) and Mediterranean Division Engineer (1953–55).

He assumed command of the 18th Engineer Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 1955.

He served as Deputy Chief of Engineers for Construction from 1956 to 1960. Wilson was commanding general of the Army Engineer Center and Fort Belvoir and commandant of the Army Engineer School in 1960–61.

Wilson's military honors included a Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, a Soldier's Medal and membership in the French Legion of Honor.

Wilson retired as Chief of Engineers on June 30, 1965, and died on December 6, 1985, in Mobile, Alabama. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery beside his wife and parents.

Wilson was part of a military family. His younger brother John Newton Wilson (1913–1944) was a lieutenant colonel who was killed in the Battle of Normandy. His son Walter King Wilson III (1937–2008) also served in the Engineer Corps and reached the rank of colonel.

The General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge on I-65 near Mobile, Alabama was named in his honor.

Dates of rank

Image	Rank	Temporary	Permanent
File:US-OF1B.svg	Second Lieutenant	N/A	June 13, 1929
File:US-O2 insignia.svg	First Lieutenant	N/A	October 1, 1934
File:US-O3 insignia.svg	Captain	N/A	June 13, 1939
File:US-O4 insignia.svg	Major	October 16, 1941	June 19, 1946
File:US-O5 insignia.svg	Lieutenant Colonel	May 7, 1942	July 15, 1948
File:US-O6 insignia.svg	Colonel	March 4, 1943	N/A
File:US-O7 insignia.svg	Brigadier General	February 13, 1945	N/A
File:US-O6 insignia.svg	Colonel	May 16, 1946	April 17, 1952
File:US-O7 insignia.svg	Brigadier General	March 16, 1953	April 2, 1957
File:US-O8 insignia.svg	Major General	March 25, 1957	June 22, 1959
File:US-O9 insignia.svg	Lieutenant General	May 19, 1961	N/A

Decorations

File:Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg Bronze oak leaf cluster File:Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
File:Soldier's Medal ribbon.svg	File:Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg	Bronze star Template:Ribbon devices/alt
Template:Ribbon devices/alt	Bronze star Bronze star Template:Ribbon devices/alt	Template:Ribbon devices/alt
File:World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg	Bronze oak leaf cluster Template:Ribbon devices/alt	Template:Ribbon devices/alt

1st Row	Army Distinguished Service Medal					Legion of Merit w/ Oak Leaf Cluster
2nd Row	Soldier's Medal			Army Commendation Medal			American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp
3rd Row	American Campaign Medal			Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ two Service Stars			European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
4th Row	World War II Victory Medal			National Defense Service Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster			Officer of the Legion of Honor (France)

References

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External links

• Generals of World War II