US Army Air Forces BG Kenneth Walker the "Enlisted Man's General" WWII Medal of Honor Recipient

Welcome back everyone!

Before I dive into this week’s main story, I want to continue what I started a few episodes ago and highlight the heroic actions of another remarkable hero. In this week’s Medal of Honor short, you'll hear the courageous story of USMC Corporal David Champagne and the extraordinary bravery that saw him being posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

As a fire team leader, Cpl. David Champagne led his team in an assault on a heavily defended enemy hill during the Korean War on May 28, 1952. Under intense machine-gun, small-arms, and grenade fire, he skillfully guided his team through trenches and bunker positions, eventually reaching the hill's crest and setting up defensive positions. Despite suffering a painful leg wound during the enemy's fierce counterattack, he refused evacuation and continued to lead his team with unwavering determination. When the enemy's assault intensified and a grenade landed among his team, Cpl. Champagne acted without hesitation. He grabbed the grenade and hurled it toward the enemy, but it exploded as he released it, severing his hand and throwing him from the trench. Mortally wounded by enemy mortar fire while exposed, Cpl. Champagne's courageous actions undoubtedly saved the lives of several of his fellow marines.

And that was the story of Corporal David Champagne, a Marine who makes others proud to forever call themselves a United States Marine. 

Now on this week’s episode of Duty & Valor, you'll hear the story of a true leader who forever changed the course of air warfare during World War II. U.S. Army Air Forces Brigadier General Kenneth Walker didn’t just help shape the role of aircraft in combat—he lived it. His groundbreaking strategic vision was forged in battle, flying alongside the very men he led and not from a distant command post, and this is his story. 

Kenneth was born on July 17, 1898 in Los Cerillos while New Mexico was still a territory.  From what I could find, Kenneth was the only child born to parents Wallace and Emma Walker.  After the US entered WWI, Kenneth joined the Army in December, 1917 and entered flight training at the University of California’s School of Military Aeronautics.  He completed flight training and was commissioned in November 1918.  He didn’t see any combat during WWI and was assigned as a flight instructor at multiple locations over the next three years.

In 1922, 1LT Walker was in the Philippines as the commander of the Air Intelligence Section at Camp Nichols.  He returned stateside in 1925 and was assigned to Langley Field in Virginia, before attending and graduating from the Air Corps Tactical School in 1929.  In 1933 he was at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas for Command and General Staff School.  He graduated in June and was promoted to Captain in August and then to Major two months later.

Prior to the US entrance into WWII, Walker served in various positions, including commander of the 9th Bomb Squadron, Operations Officer of the 5th Bomb Group, commander of the 18th Pursuit Group, and then as the Assistant Chief of the Plans Division for the Chief of the Air Corps.

In July 1941, Walker was promoted to Lt. Col., just after the US Army Air Forces was established.  In March 1941, the Army wanted to streamline all air functions of the Army and eliminated the Air Corps, which still leads to confusion among people.  Though the Air Corps remained as a training and logistics element, the Army Air Forces encompassed all Army Aviation during WWII. 

By this point of his career, Lt Col. Walker was known as a great strategic planner, which led him, along with three other officers, to being tasked with developing a plan to utilize the Army’s air power against Germany, in the event of war.  The plan that was developed was the Air War Plans Division plan number 1 and it was completed after just nine days.  The plan, which became the blueprint for US bombing during the war, identified vulnerable parts of the German economy that could be targeted by Allied bombers.  The plan also included targeting Berlin’s civilian population as the last resort to force the surrender of Germany.   

He was promoted to Colonel in March 1942 and then to Brigadier General three months later.  After his latest promotion, he was sent to the Southwest Pacific.  He wasn’t there long before he started exhibiting behaviors that were uncommon among other Generals.  In an effort to learn what his aircrews were experiencing and to develop better battle tactics, Gen. Walker would join combat missions aboard various bombers.  In July of 1942, Gen. Walker went along on four bombing missions over New Guinea.  Though his role was only as an observer, these were real bombing missions, where his planes were subjected to heavy enemy fire from anti-aircraft ground batteries and from enemy fighters, and his planes came back with heavy damage multiple times .  His disregard for his own safety raised the morale of the men he commanded.  In addition, the information he gained was valuable in further developing mission plans.  For this he was awarded a Silver Star. 

It isn’t written anywhere that General Walker made a conscious effort to win over enlisted personnel, but that is exactly what was happening.  Along with accompanying bombing missions, he made a point to raise the quality of food in the enlisted mess hall.

One day, after officers and the enlisted ranks began sharing one mess hall, a line over a block long had formed.  When General Walker arrived to eat, he went to the back of the line and waited along with everyone else.  A Corporal just ahead of him, offered his spot in line, but Gen. Walker declined the offer and remained at the back of the line.  

Moments later, a young 2nd lieutenant felt his rank gave him the privilege of not having to stand in line and he cut to the front.  Seeing this, General Walker went over to him, grabbed him by his arm, and walked him to the back of the line.  For acts like this, he was seen as an enlisted man’s general.

On September 3, 1942, Gen. Walker was given command of the V Bomber Command, part of the Fifth Air Force.  He reported directly to Lt. Gen. George Kenney, the commander of the Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area. 

Gen. Kenney felt that bombers should be conducting low level bombing runs armed with instantaneous fuses, but Gen. Walker objected as he felt it was just too risky to fly at such a low level.   Gen. Kenney then ordered Gen. Walker to employ this tactic for a few months to gauge its effectiveness.  Just weeks later, Gen. Kenny found out  that Gen. Walker was not following his order.  

To prove his point against low level attacks, Gen. Walker demonstrated on a decommissioned ship that, though attacks were more accurate, the damage was minimized.  When the two Generals took a boat over to assess the damage, Gen. Walker was proven wrong.  All four bombs missed their targets, but bomb fragments caused significant damage on the ship.  Gen. Walker conceded he was wrong and employed the tactic.    

General Kenney was fully aware of Gen. Walker's habit of flying in combat and ordered him to cease doing this.  This was after Gen. Kenney himself was reprimanded by Gen. Douglas McArther for flying over enemy territory in Papua New Guinea.  One of his main concerns was that Gen. Walker knew so much highly classified information that he would be a prized prisoner if he went down over enemy territory.  

Again, Gen. Walker would disobey orders.  Gen. Kenney was incensed when he learned that while on a mission, Gen. Walker was aboard a B-17 that lost part of a wing when it hit a tree.  Gen. Kenney then reiterated his order and told Gen. Walker that he was to command from his headquarters.  

The month after receiving the order not to fly anymore, Gen. Walker did so anyway.  On January 5, 1943, a flight of six B-17 Flying Fortresses and six B-24 Liberators took off from Port Moseby in Papua New Guinea with Gen. Walker aboard the B-17 named San Antonio Rose as it took off for a bombing run against Japanese ships at Rabaul, New Britain.  Though Gen. Kenney asked for an attack at dawn, Gen. Walker changed it to a noon time attack.  He made this decision so that the relatively small bombing group would be able to rendezvous during daylight, as Gen. Walker wanted his bombers approaching their targets together, rather than risking them being out of formation.  

Hours earlier, the main target of ten Japanese ships had departed the harbor at Rabaul, but there were many other ships to attack.  The San Antonio Rose was the lead aircraft as they faced heavy flak and non-stop fighter attacks as they approached their targets.   The plan was for the planes to split up and attack individual targets before regrouping and returning to Port Moseby.   

They faced approximately 15-20 fighters as they made their approach.  The bombers dropped 64 bombs from an altitude of 5,000 to 8,500 ft. hitting nine ships and damaging a destroyer.   

Over Rabaul, the San Antonio Rose was hit and crippled.  It was last seen heading into a cloud bank, smoking and on fire, with five Japanese Zeros in pursuit. 

When word reached Gen. Kenney that Gen. Walker not only changed the mission start time, but he also accompanied the bombers, he was furious.  With Gen. Walker's fate still unknown, Gen. Kenny told Gen. McArthur that he would be reprimanding Gen. Walker when he returned.  In response, Gen.  McArthur said “Alright George, but if he doesn’t come back, I’m going to send his name in to Washington recommending him for the Congressional Medal of Honor.”   

Along with Gen. Walker's plane, another B-17, was also shot down.  All available aircraft were sent out to find any traces of the bombers and luckily, the crew of the second B-17 were found and rescued, but no trace was ever found of the San Antonio Rose. 

Gen. McArthur’s recommendation was approved and Brig. Gen. Kenneth Walker was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership during his brief time as the Commanding General of the V Bomber Command from Sept. 1942 through January 1943. 

In addition to Gen. Walker the others who went down with the San Antonio Rose were as follows:  

Major Allen Lindberg, Pilot

Capt Benton Daniel*, Co-pilot

2LT Robert Hand, Bombardier

1LT John Hanson, Navigator

Tsgt Dennis Craig, Engineer

SSgt Quentin Blakely, Radioman

Sgt. Leslie Stewart, Gunner

Pvt Leland Stone, Gunner

Pfc William Fraser, Gunner

Maj Jack Bleasdale*, Observer

Just as a note, different sources place these men in different roles aboard the bomber, but this list may be the most accurate as it is listed in multiple sources.

Of those men, there were reports that Major Bleasdale and Capt Daniel may have been POWs for a time, but no sources definitively confirm this.

Brigadier General Kenneth Walker embodied the finest qualities of leadership, bravery, and strategic insight throughout his military service. Respected by officers and enlisted personnel alike, Gen. Walker was a visionary who understood the pivotal role of airpower in modern warfare and was dedicated to ensuring the success of every mission. His belief in leading from the front, often placing himself in the same peril as his men, earned him the deep admiration of those he commanded. 

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To read more about this week’s hero, check out the sources used in today's episode in our show notes and at dutyandvalor.com.

Remember, we release new episodes on the Duty & Valor YouTube channel on Fridays at 5 pm. On our channel, we also release daily YouTube shorts that highlight our Nation’s heroes, many of whom haven’t been featured on the show yet.

Please join us for our next episode, where we'll be sharing the inspiring story of another American hero who served with pride and lived with humility.