World War II Honoree

Melvin O. Walker

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Kulm, North Dakota

Honored By

Robert Walker

Relationship

Son

DRAFTED IN THE APRIL OF 1945 AND JOINED THE NAVY AS A SEABEE AND WENT THOUGHT TRAINING AT CAMP PERRY, VIRGINIA. UPON COMPLETING HIS TRAINING HE WAS INFORMED THEY HAD TO MANY SEABEES AND ENDED UP SERVING AS A GUARD AT THE GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP AT CAMP PERRY UNTIL AUGUST 1945. GIVEN ORDERS TO REPORT TO SAN DIEGO FOR SHIPBOARD ASSIGNMENT, HE WAS ENROUTE TO SAN DIEGO WHEN JAPAN SURRENDERED. HE THEN SERVED ABOARD THE USS SAN DIEGO CL-53 DURING OPERATION MAGIC CARPET BRINGING AMERICAN TROOPS HOME AFTER THE WAR. OPERATION MAGIC CARPET BEGIN IN OCTOBER 1945, THE USS SAN DIEGO WAS ONE OF THE 370 NAVY SHIPS THAT WERE USED FOR REPATRIATION DUTIES IN THE PACIFIC CONTINUED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1946. HE WAS INJURED WHEN PREPARING THE SHIP FOR DECOMMISSIONING AS PART OF THE PACIFIC RESERVE FLEET, BERTHED AT BREMERTON WASHINGTON AND WAS MEDICALLY DISCHARGED FROM THE NAVY IN LATE 1946.