Gilbert George Walker

December 17, 1942

MEN LEAVE HERE FOR INDUCTION AT CAMP BLANDING

These Flagler county men left here this week for induction into the army at Camp Blanding:

GILBERT GEORGE WALKER

February 4, 1943

GILBERT WALKER who was inducted into the army in December has been transferred to Plattsburg, N. Y. It is expected, however, that he will be back "in the south in a few weeks."

July 1, 1943

Pvt. GILBERT WALKER, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Walker spent three days here last week at the home of his parents. He is stationed at Plattsburg, N. Y.

October 14, 1943

Pvt. GILBERT WALKER has a new address - care Postmaster, New York City.

November 25, 1943

Pvt. GILBERT WALKER, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Walker, has arrived safely overseas (probably England).

March 16, 1944

A V-Mail from Pvt. GILBERT WALKER in England says: "Just a line to say hello to all my friends in Flagler, and to tell you I enjoy The Tribune very much, so keep it coming. I just received my first one over here and really enjoyed it. I am in England. I was in N. Africa and had the opportunity of visiting Oran. I am well and getting along fine. Tell I. I. Moody and his wife hello for me. I look for news about the hometown boys the first thing, and I hope to get another paper soon."

June 22, 1944

V-Mail from Pvt. GILBERT WALKER in England: "Just a few lines to say hello to all of you Flagler county people and to tell you that I am well. I certainly hope you keep sending the paper as I am getting it regularly. I ran into one of Bunnell's former boys, Tillman. We are in the same camp together. By the way, Mercer is stationed not very far from me, although I haven't been able to see him yet. We are having beautiful weather over here in England, I would like to send everyone of you a souvenir but just can't make it."

(Thanks, Gilbert for the letter and write again)

June 29, 1944

We don’t know, of course, how many fellows from Flagler County that are in Normandy, but we learned today from Mrs. A. W. Walker that her son, GILBERT, is. He wrote her from "somewhere in France" on June 8, saying "We are pretty busy dodging bullets but we are OK."

(Here's hoping Gilbert that you luck continues. In the meantime, take it easy!)

October 19, 1944

Pfc. GILBERT WALKER writes his mother here that he is now in Belgium and that he received four Tribunes the other day and three of them were dated 1943 - - just now catching up. He was in England for months.

November 9, 1944

GILBERT WALKER is now with the army somewhere in Germany, according to information received by his parents here.

November 30, 1944

Pfc. GILBERT WALKER, recently in a hospital in Belgium with an injured (not wounded) knee, has been returned to a hospital in England, he told his mother in a letter to her this week. Mrs. Walker said he didn't give any details concerning the injury.

July 5, 1945

Here is an item sent to us from the public relations office of an assembly area in France:

"GILBERT WALKER is a member of a platoon of combat engineers, veterans of D-day and who are now maintaining Camp Detroit, one of the 17 tent cities erected by the Assembly Area Command to house troops during redeployment to the Pacific or to the United States.

The Second Platoon, B Company, 238th Combat Engineers Battalion landed on D-day with an assault team of the 4th Infantry Division and built the first Allies' military bridge on the continent. Later they participated in the battles of Cherbourg and St. Lo and fought as infantry at Aachen. After the Battle of the Bulge, they moved north and built the first tread way bridge over the Roer River. From then until VE day they were with the First Army and at war's end were at the Elbe River.

At Camp Detroit, the Engineers supervised German prisoners of war in supplying water and maintaining roads, mess halls, recreation and other buildings erected for the use of troops during redeployment.

Located near Reims, France, scene of the German surrender, Camp Detroit houses 15,000 troops. An airfield on the camp grounds is utilized for an air transport of redeployed soldiers urgently needed in the Pacific or the United States."

November 22, 1945

Pfc. GILBERT WALKER, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Walker, who has been in the ETO for 25 months, left Havre, France this week for the States, so a cable to his mother stated.

December 13, 1945

Discharged from the armed forces this week .......

GILBERT WALKER