Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

S/Sgt. Donald L. Walker, Company I, 338th Infantry, 85th Division

Discussion in 'What Granddad did in the War' started by Jdombr25, Jun 13, 2013.

  1. Jdombr25

    Jdombr25 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Erie, Pa
    Figured I'd open a thread dedicated to my Grandfather who fought in the Italian Campaign from 1944-1945 under the 85th Division, Fifth Army.

    My Grandfather, Donald L. Walker was born in Emporium, Pennsylvania (located in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains). Growing up he had a brother, Robert, and sister, Orma. Around the time Pearl Harbor occured and up until his enlistment on December 10, 1942, he worked through the public works projects, working throughout the state of Pennsylvania helping build some of the National Parks that are still open to this day.

    Originally I had thought my Grandfather automatically enlisted with the 85th Division. However he actually was sent to basic training, and started out with the 99th Infantry. Here are some photographs that we have from him and some of his buddies when he was at Basic Training:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



    At some point (still unclear as we have no information on it and my Grandpa passed away in 1998) he ended up with the 85th Division, 338th Infantry, Company I before they shipped out from Newport News, Virginia aboard the USS General William A. Mann. He made it through training in North Africa before shipping out with his Company abaord the HMS Almanzoura, bound for Naples. Arriving in late March the 3rd Battalion saw heavy combat around the area of Minturno. Company I took hill 131 on the infamous 'S-Ridge' which left 16 men still standing from the original unit after the fighting was over, including my Grandfather. He was wounded and performed what is only known as 'heroic achievements' on May 12th, while on Hill 131.

    From there of course the 85th travelled upwards to Rome. Here is an image of my Grandpa, with two unknown soldiers, taken in the Piazza Cavour, Rome and a phamphlet he kept from when he saw Irving Berlin's "This is the Army"

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]

    As time permits me later on today I'll share more photographs and information.
     
    4jonboy likes this.
  2. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    An excellent post, or should I say, beginning post. Those are fantastic photos and I also like the pamphlet from the musical. It is interesting to compare the first photo with the photo of your grandfather in Rome. He looks very much like a kid in the boot camp photo. By the time he got to Rome, he looks more like a young man.

    I look forward to the rest of the story and, of course, more photos. :)
     
  3. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,288
    Likes Received:
    2,605
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
  4. Jdombr25

    Jdombr25 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Erie, Pa
    Thanks, TD

    It's very evident in the pictures we have that the war 'turned him into a man' for certain. There's so many photographs. I'm actually putting them together for a book on the 338th.
     
  5. Jdombr25

    Jdombr25 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Erie, Pa
    Italy to me is the 'unforgotten' aspect of the war. Everyone knows more about what happened in France, etc. I do have his discharge papers. I don't know why it scanned it so small, but I'm confused as to why on 15 Dec 44 it gives a reason for his separation, yet he doesn't leave for the states until 10 Apr 45. I'm also confused as to when he was discharged, he was with an IRTC unit.

    [​IMG]


     
  6. Jdombr25

    Jdombr25 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Erie, Pa
    Here is some more:

    [​IMG]

    Pfc. Donald Walker, taken in Rome.

    We also had this as well. This is my Grandpa and another soldier, S/Sgt Rudolph Shelton in Lucca Italy. They had their pictures taken on a carousel horse. Nobody knew when it was taken so I did some research and discovered it appeared in the 'Roto-Section' of the Milwaukee Journal on June 3, 1945. Still, I know it'd be an uphill battle to try to find out who the photographer was:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The soldier in the above picture, Shelton, has always been a mystery to me. I know he lived in Detroit, Michigan when he joined the Army in WWII. My Grandma told me he stepped on a landmine and was either blinded or partially blinded. He was one of my Grandpa's friends in Company I. Well I decided to look on NARA to possibly come up with an enlistment record. I found out he was born in Tennessee. After some more research I dug around and came across a Sgt Rudolph Shelton buried in Erin, Tennessee. Here's another interesting tidbit. We also have this photograph of an unknown S/Sgt in my Grandpa's papers. Curiously he looked like the 'S/Sgt Rudolph Shelton' in the photograph that appeared in the Milwaukee Journal. On Ancestry I found an entry for the Sgt. Shelton buried in Erin. So I contacted the woman who put together the family tree and made contact and sent the pictures to her. Turns out it was Rudolph "Rudy" Shelton alright (the grave was incorrectly titled as he was a S/Sgt, not a Sgt) and he passed away in 1997, a year before my Grandfather. Since talking she told me that her mother is going to go to Erin to visit some of his family and share the photographs with him and give them my contact information so we can talk. Here's the photo of Shelton:

    [​IMG]
     
    4jonboy and TD-Tommy776 like this.
  7. Jdombr25

    Jdombr25 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Erie, Pa
    Here's the original notice of my Grandfather being promoted from Sgt. to S/Sgt. on 9 Dec 44:

    [​IMG]
     
  8. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    I believe that 15 Dec 1944 is the date of the army regulation being cited, not his discharge date. At the end of the war, it was common for soldiers to be assigned to a completely different units at the time they actually left the service.

    Very nice additions to your thread. I especially liked the research you did to track down your grandfather's buddy, S/Sgt Shelton. It was a nice gesture to provide a copy of the photo for his family.
     
    Walt's Daughter likes this.
  9. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,288
    Likes Received:
    2,605
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    I think Tommy is on the right track. If you look at the top of his discharge paper, it lists a different unit. That seems to be the reason that his discharge from the 338th occurred, then he was discharged from the IRTC later on.

    In addition, if your signature is that of your grandfather, I believe he was entitled to 3 stars on his EAME ribbon, representing the three campaigns he was in.
     
  10. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    Lou is absolutely correct about the 3 bronze star devices for the campaigns in North Appennines, Rome-Arno, and the Po Valley. His EAME ribbon should look like the one Lou has for his dad, except one less star.

    Nice catch there, Lou.
     
    Jdombr25 likes this.
  11. Jdombr25

    Jdombr25 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Erie, Pa
    Yeah he has the three bronze stars on the ribbon I own. Unfortunately while making the image in my signature it was a detail that was forgotten at the last minute putting it together by my father.

    So if he was discharged while in an IRTC Battalion, what was the purpose of an IRTC anyways?
     
  12. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    After the war, there was not much use for them other than to help with handling the thousands of soldiers that were returning to the USA to be discharged. Since your grandfather returned before the 338th, he would have to have been assigned to some unit. I did some searches and I noticed that most of the results that mentioned both "IRTC" and "Camp Gordon" involved men who entered the service from Pennsylvania. It's possible that there was some established procedure where Gordon handled PA or a region that included PA. That's a lot of supposition on my part, but it seems to me to make sense.
     
  13. Leviim12

    Leviim12 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2013
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    CT
    Hi. My father was in same company. Jacob s. hanker. From phila. Dec '44 til end I think. Pvt., carried b.a.r. Had interesting stories. His squad sgt. Was Melvin fowler, called joe, from Bynum nc. They reconnected in 1969 when we moved to nc and were close friends til mr. Fowler passed in mid 80's. dad passed in '04. Are you in touch with other company I or 338th vets or descendants?
     
    Jdombr25 likes this.
  14. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,288
    Likes Received:
    2,605
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    I can't help you, but there is this

    < Previous Record | Next Record >
    Field Title Value Meaning
    ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 33947301 33947301
    NAME HANKER#JACOB#S########## HANKER#JACOB#S##########
    RESIDENCE: STATE #2 Undefined Code
    RESIDENCE: COUNTY 101 Undefined Code
    PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 3288 NEW CUMBERLAND PENNSYLVANIA
    DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 06 06 DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 06 06 DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 44 44
    GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT# Private
    GRADE: CODE 8 Private
    BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION NO# No branch assignment
    BRANCH: CODE 02 No branch assignment
    FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #
    TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5 Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
    LONGEVITY ### ###
    SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life
    NATIVITY 32 PENNSYLVANIA
    YEAR OF BIRTH 25 25
    RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen
    EDUCATION 5 1 year of college
    CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 992 Undefined Code
    MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents
    COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 7 Selectees (Enlisted Men)
    CARD NUMBER # # BOX NUMBER 0730 0730 FILM REEL NUMBER 1.247 1.247

    You might also want to formally introduce yourself in our New Member area. Welcome to our little area of the internet.
     
  15. 980th

    980th Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2010
    Messages:
    144
    Likes Received:
    15
    Welcome and thank you for sharing your grandfathers pictures and info. You will enjoy this site!
     
  16. Earthican

    Earthican Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2011
    Messages:
    743
    Likes Received:
    158
    I actually suspect S/Sgt Walker was one of the lucky few to be rotated stateside before the end of the war. After a list of candidates was made from among the long-serving combat men, the final selection was made by drawing lots.

    If otherwise healthy and considered capable, NCO's were often used at the IRTC as instructors or drill sergeants. It could be that he filled this role from May until August 1945.

    Here's a link to another lucky NCO from the Pacific:
    http://www.al4lions.com/Home/the-joe-barisa-story
     
  17. dg1983

    dg1983 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2013
    Messages:
    64
    Likes Received:
    18
    Location:
    Rotterdam
    A great story to read
     
  18. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2011
    Messages:
    7,217
    Likes Received:
    1,270
    Location:
    The Land of 10,000 Loons
    That's a good take, E. I hadn't considered that possibility. It makes a lot of sense.
     
  19. Jdombr25

    Jdombr25 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Erie, Pa
    After I got the Company Morning Reports back from Geoff Gentilini of Golden Arrow Research, on April 2, 1945 it was shown that my Grandfather was sent back to the states on 'Rotation'. He shipped out of Naples and returned to the states within 2-3 weeks later. Of course I do not know what ship he arrived back on. But in September and October he was at a location called Camp Butner, North Carolina and I believe he was in the hospital on several occasions.

    Probably the most stunning detail I also found was that my Grandfather was wounded, not two times, but three. In January while on a recon patrol he stepped on a landmine that partially lacerated his face. I had heard over the years of my Grandfathers 'battles' with the VA to try to get 'a third purple heart', but apparently nobody ever had the evidence to prove it. Now, along with documents from the Surgeon General's Department, which shows him as being treated at a clearing station as a 'battle casualty' we hope that we can fulfill that journey of his, in getting him the recognition he deserved...
     
  20. Jdombr25

    Jdombr25 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2013
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    Erie, Pa
    Eddie,

    I messaged you in a PM. Contact me and we can talk further and I can answer your questions.

    Justin
     

Share This Page