Walter K. Wilson Jr.

Walter King Wilson Jr.
Lieutenant General Walter K. Wilson Jr.
Born	(1906-08-26)August 26, 1906 Fort Barrancas, Florida
Died	Mobile, Alabama
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1929–1965
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	Chief of Engineers (1961–1965)
Battles/wars	World War II Cold War
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Soldier's Medal

Walter King Wilson Jr. (August 26, 1906 – December 6, 1985), was an Officer of the United States Army with the rank of Lieutenant General. He is most noted as a Chief of Engineers during years 1961–1965. He was the son of Major General Walter K. Wilson Sr.

Biography

He was born at Fort Barrancas, Florida, the son of artillery officer and WWII Major General Walter K. Wilson Sr. (1880–1954). He graduated from West Point in 1929 and was commissioned in the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Before 1942 he served with troops, continued his military and engineering education, and was an instructor at West Point. From 1942 to 1943, he commanded the 79th Engineer Combat Regiment

From 1943 to 1945, Wilson served as Deputy Engineer-in-Chief with the South East Asia Command at New Delhi, India, and Kandy, Ceylon. He became Commanding General, Advance Section, U.S. Forces, India-Burma Theater, and Chief of Staff of the Chinese Army in India. Later, he commanded Intermediate and Base Sections and consolidated all three, commanding all ground forces remaining in the theater.

After the war he was District Engineer in St. Paul, Minnesota (1946–49), and Mobile, Alabama (1949–52), and then South Atlantic (1952–53) and Mediterranean Division Engineer (1953–55).

He assumed command of the 18th Engineer Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 1955.

He served as Deputy Chief of Engineers for Construction from 1956 to 1960. Wilson was Commanding General of the Army Engineer Center and Fort Belvoir and Commandant of the Army Engineer School in 1960-61.

Wilson's military honors included a Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, a Soldier's Medal and membership in the French Legion of Honor.

He retired as Chief of Engineers on June 30, 1965 and died on December 6, 1985 in Mobile, Alabama.

Wilson was part of a military family. His younger brother John Newton Wilson (1913-1944) was a Lieutenant Colonel who was killed in the Battle of Normandy. His son Walter King Wilson III (1937-2008) also served in the Engineer Corps and reached the rank of Colonel.

Dates of rank

Image	Rank	Temporary	Permanent
	Second Lieutenant	N/A	June 13, 1929
	First Lieutenant	N/A	October 1, 1934
	Captain	N/A	June 13, 1939
	Major	October 16, 1941	June 19, 1946
	Lieutenant Colonel	May 7, 1942	July 15, 1948
	Colonel	March 4, 1943	N/A
	Brigadier General	February 13, 1945	N/A
	Colonel	May 16, 1946	April 17, 1952
	Brigadier General	March 16, 1953	April 2, 1957
	Major General	March 25, 1957	June 22, 1959
	Lieutenant General	May 19, 1961	N/A

Decorations

1st Row	Army Distinguished Service Medal					Legion of Merit w/ Oak Leaf Cluster
2nd Row	Soldier's Medal			Army Commendation Medal			American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp
3rd Row	American Campaign Medal			Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ two Service Stars			European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
4th Row	World War II Victory Medal			National Defense Service Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster			Officer of the Legion of Honor (France)

References

• Wilson, Walter K. Jr. Engineer Memoirs: Lieutenant General Walter K. Wilson Jr. Publication Number: EP 870-1-8. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/U.S. Government Printing Office, May 1984. PDF (10 MB)

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Military offices
Preceded by Emerson C. Itschner	Chief of Engineers 1961—1965	Succeeded by William F. Cassidy