World War II Honoree

William E. Walters

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Central Islip, New York

Honored By

Michael McTiernan

On March 9, 1943, he was called to service and enlisted in the Seabees, continuing his mechanic's trade. He was placed in Company B, Platoon 1 of the 74th Construction Battalion. He went to Camp Perry, Virginia, for boot training and while there attended Diesel School. In May 1943 he was transferred to Camp Endicott, Rhode Island for further diesel training. In July 1943 he went to Camp Parks, California, and then to Port Hueneme, California, where he embarked for overseas duty. He participated in the Invasion of Tarawa with the 2nd Marine Division and left there in February of 1944 for Kwajalien, Marshall Islands. Returning to Hawaii in August 1944 he worked on a new runway for the Kanoehe Naval Air Station. In April 1945 he left for Okinawa, was stationed at Yonaham and worked on the Yonaham Air strip. He left Kuba receiving Station October 6, 1945 on the Cruiser Duluth for transportation to the United States, arriving in Seattle on the 19th. Eligible for a discharge under the U.S. Navy's demobilization program, he was sent to Lido Beach, New York where he was released on October 29, 1945.