THE WALL OF FACES

Tim Leroy Walters
Date of birth: February 24, 1943
Date of death: March 9, 1969
Home of record: South Bend Indiana
Status: KIA

AWARDS AND CITATIONS

Silver Star
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War

SYNOPSIS: Staff Sergeant Tim Leroy Walters (ASN: 304441492), United States Army, a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star (Posthumously) for gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force on 9 March 1969 while serving with Air Operations, Command and Control North, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) in Southeast Asia.
General Orders: Headquarters, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2083 (1969)

Action Date: March 9, 1969

Service: Army

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Company: Air Operations, Command and Control North

Division: Military Assistance Command, Vietnam

CAPT Robert F. Rex and Army SSGT Tim L. Walters were the pilot and observer aboard an O-2A aircraft (serial #67-21425) on a combat support mission when it crashed for unknown reasons about 5 miles into Laos west of the DMZ on March 9, 1969. Walters was from Special Operations Group, MACV. The O2A was a two-place observation plane which flew forward air control, marking targets, locating friendly troops, and directing air strikes. At first, the enemy feared the presence of the small observation planes, knowing that they were able to bring in fighter planes. Later, however, it became more commonplace for any enemy group that believed it had been sighted to open fire and try to bring down the FAC and reduce the accuracy of the impending strike. The crew of these small unarmed crafts had a dim hope of survival if hit because of their close proximity to the enemy and lack of ability to eject at high altitude and drift out of the area. The planes were light, however, and flew low, so survival was not out of the question. Additionally, the enemy developed weaponry that could knock out the engines only, allowing the plane to arrive on the ground with far less damage. After Rex and Walters' aircraft crashed, another aircraft (call sign Knife 55), reported that the aircraft crashed at about 1150 hours. A ground team inspected the wreckage and reported that both the occupants were dead. However, hostile ground fire prevented them from recovering the remains. Two members of the ground team did not personally know SSGT Walters, but stated that both individuals were positively dead. An aircraft engine was on top of the NCO (Walters). The ground team recovered the weapons, map case and camera from the aircraft, but because of hostile ground fire, left the remains behind. The U.S. Department of Defense categorized Bob Rex and Tim Walters "Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered", yet the U.S. State Department, using Defense records, coded the demise of Walters as "died while missing" and Rex as "hostile - killed", indicating that there was a probability that the aircraft was shot down, rather than downed through some malfunction or pilot error. In 1999 the remains of SSGT Walters were recovered and positively identified. [Narrative from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.org]

Dear SSGT Tim Leroy Walters, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

With respect, Sir

Curt Carter

Rest in peace with the warriors.

Tim is buried at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles, MI. SS/OLC DFC/OLC BSM PH AM