Roy H. Walker

Roy H. Walker was born in May 1925 in Brooklyn, New York. He lived in Brooklyn until 1934, when he moved to Scotland with his family where he lived there until 1938, when they returned to Teaneck, New Jersey. While living in Scotland, Walker and his family were concerned about what was going on in Germany. He had lost an uncle in World War I, which heightened concern about another war. Walker lived in Teaneck until he graduated from high school in 1942.

Walker’s father was a naval architect who was supposed to go to Pearl Harbor for work; but, thankfully, he was never sent there. Walker’s interest in the Navy was, however, inspired by his father’s work. His father took him to many ship launches in his youth, which inclined the younger Walker towards joining the Navy; and, he enlisted at the age of seventeen in December 1942.

Walker’s Navy basic training was a quick five-week winter stint in Great Lakes, Illinois. He recalled it as being rushed, as well as trainees not being issued proper uniforms for the weather there. Once Walker was aboard the USS Pybus, his first duty station, he was trained as a gunner. When the Pybus, an escort carrier, reached New Guinea on assignment to the Pacific Fleet after a shakedown cruise, the crew was told they had to turn around, due to issues with the ship. In fact, the ship was being decommissioned for turnover to the British Navy, which occurred on August 6, 1943, in New York. The Pybus was renamed the HMS Emperor and ordered to Europe.

Walker and the crew then had to travel across the country to Washington to board the escort carrier USS Wake Island, which was launched there in September 1943. He remembered the Wake Island as having bunks, compared to the Pybus sleeping quarters having been equipped with hammocks. While aboard the Wake Island, Walker was initially a “flight deck talker,” communicating with the flight officer and the bridge to safely launch planes from the carrier. He recalled when his ship first contacted the Germans off the coast of North Africa while on anti-submarine patrol. A torpedo bomber from the Wake Island sank an enemy submarine in July 1944. 

The Wake Island was reassigned to the Pacific, reaching the Philippines in January 1945. The ship had to go through narrow straits in areas where the Japanese had many land bases, and was attacked by enemy aircraft. Walker’s ship shot down about a dozen planes while in the Philippines, and was hit by two Kamikaze suicide aircraft, which caused a 20×40 foot hole in the bow. He remembered everything forward of the engine room being washed out to sea! After this encounter, his ship began repairs in the Philippines, and was then sent to Guam for about a month.

The Wake Island was sent back to the United States after Okinawa was secured, as it was marked as not suitable for action anymore due to the Kamikaze attacks. On the way home, the ship was hit by two typhoons, and lost some planes off the deck! Walker was discharged from the Navy in May of 1946.

After the war, Walker used the GI Bill to go to teachers’ college in Paterson, New Jersey, as well as to buy a house. He was a member of the VFW, and then the American Legion. Walker was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three battle stars, the Philippine Liberation Medal, the Europe-Africa Victory Medal with one battle star, Philippine Liberation Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation Medal (5 stars), the Combat Action Ribbon, and the NJ Distinguished Service Medal. 

Roy H. Walker died on January 19, 2006 surrounded by his loving family.