World War II Honoree

James M. Walker

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Maramec, Pawnee County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE LONG BEFORE THE WAR, WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED, AND REENTERED U.S ARMY SERVICE SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE THE UNITED STATES ENTERED THE WAR. STATIONED OVERSEAS IN MANILA IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS WITH THE 31ST INFANTRY REGIMENT, PHILIPPINE DIVISION IN THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE WAR. MOVED TO LUZON ON JANUARY 3, 1940 TO BECOME PART OF THE DEFENSES ON THAT ISLAND. STATIONED IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AT THE TIME OF THE JAPANESE SURPRISE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER AND PARTICIPATED IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS CAMPAIGN. SURVIVED THE JAPANESE INVASION OF LUZON BEGINNING DECEMBER 22, 1941, AND THE 3-MONTH BATTLE OF BATAAN UNTIL APRIL 9, 1942 WHEN HE AND SOME 12,000 AMERICAN AND 64,000 FILIPINO TROOPS WERE SURRENDERED TO JAPANESE FORCES. HIS ORDEAL BEGAN ON APRIL 10, 1942 IN WHAT WOULD BECOME KNOWN AS THE ‘BATAAN DEATH MARCH.’ THAT MORNING, THOUSANDS OF PRISONERS OF WAR (POW) WERE ASSEMBLED, SEARCHED AND STRIPPED OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS. ATROCITIES BEGAN THAT DAY AND WERE TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT HIS IMPRISONMENT. PRISONERS WERE MARCHED SOME 60 MILES THROUGH SCORCHING HEAT ON JUNGLE TRAILS WITH LIMITED FOOD AND WATER OR REST TO CAMP O’DONNELL, WEST OF CAPAS. THOSE WHO FELL BEHIND WERE BEATEN OR KILLED AND THE STRONGER WERE NOT PERMITTED TO HELP THEIR FELLOW PRISONERS; THEY DID SO AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK. ON APRIL 12, 1942, DURING THE MARCH, PRISONERS WERE FORCED TO SIT IN THE BLAZING SUN FOR HOURS WITHOUT WATER. MANY BECAME DELIRIOUS AND SOME DIED FROM THE CONDITIONS AND SOME AT THE HANDS OF THEIR CAPTORS. THOSE WHO WERE FORTUNATE TO SURVIVE THE HEAT, DISEASE AND BRUTALITY OF THE ‘DEATH MARCH’ REACHED THE PRISON CAMP. SOME 5,200 FELLOW AMERICANS AND 20,000 OTHER PRISONERS DIED ON THE MARCH. ARRIVAL AT THE CAMP BEGAN A NEW PHASE OF IMPRISONMENT. THE BARBARIC TREATMENT OF PRISONERS CONTINUED AND THEY WERE ROUTINELY FORCED TO LIVE AND WORK IN INHUMANE CONDITIONS, AND DEPRIVED OF FOOD AND WATER AND MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE DEATH RATE AT THE CAMPS WAS AS HIGH AS 550 MEN PER DAY WITH SOME 22,000 DYING IN THE FIRST 2 MONTHS. AT SOME TIME AND PLACE DURING HIS CAPTIVITY AT THE HANDS OF THE JAPANESE, HE DIED. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS DEATH WERE NEVER DETERMINED AND HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE IS UNKNOWN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT HIS DEATH WAS NON-BATTLE RELATED, AND JANUARY 1, 1943 WAS OFFICIALLY RECORDED AS THE DATE OF DEATH. DUE TO STIPULATIONS REGARDING QUALIFICATION FOR THE AWARD AND THE UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS DEATH, THE PURPLE HEART WAS NEVER AWARDED. HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH ‘FOREIGN SERVICE’ CLASP, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 BRONZE SERVICE STAR (1 CAMPAIGN), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE DEFENSE MEDAL WITH BRONZE SERVICE STAR FOR SERVICE IN DEFENSE OF THE PHILIPPINES AND BATAAN.