Walker, Jr. Jamar
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Walker Jamar, Jr., entered the Army on July 1, 1940, and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, class of 1943 and served in World War II in the European Theater. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.
He embarked for England in January 1944 and trained near Salisbury. He was assigned the commander of the Headquarters Company of the 1104th Engineer Combat Group and landed at Omaha Beach, Normandy, six days after D-Day.
He served as a reconnaissance officer in operations and intelligence with the Combat Group staff of theXIX Corps then part of the U.S. First Army.
He participated in every river crossing to the Rhine and in combat engineer and infantry actions in Northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany to the region west of Magdaburgh on the Elbe River.
He returned to the continental United States in August of 1946. He taught mathematics at West Point from 1946 until 1950.
In 1952 he served as Commander of the 434th Engineer Construction Battalion during the Korean War and also at Headquarters, Army Forces Far East in Japan.
Mr. Jamar was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with V for Valor with two oak leaf clusters, European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal with five bronze battle stars, American Defense Service Medal, Army of Occupation Service Medal (Germany), World War II Victory Medal. Korean Service Medal with three bronze battle stars and United Nations Service Medal.
He was honorably discharged as a Major in November of 1954.
Mr. Jamar was born on October 21, 1921, the son of Clare Shaver Jamar and Walker Jamar, Sr., in Duluth, Minnesota.
He died on October 18, 2008, in Duluth.
Source: Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 125. and interview with veteran; Duluth News Tribune, October 22, 2008
