Melvin Fred Walker

Second Lieutenant Walker enlisted in the Army Air Corps on March 20, 1942 in Milwaukee, WI. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Pharmacist . Melvin was a passenger on B-24D "Weezie" #42-41081 which was part of the Combat Replacement Training Center (CRTC), 5th Air Force. The "Weezie" was originally part of the 320th Bomber Squadron, 90th Bomber Group but was transferred to the CRTC at Nadzab No. 4 Airfield known as Newton Field in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. 2d Lt. Walker's plane took off from 7-mile Drome (Jackson) near Port Moresby on a courier flight bound for Nadzab Airfield. Aboard were three crew members and 19 passengers. Over the Owen Stanley Mountains, this B-24 crashed into Mount Thumb, killing everyone aboard on impact. It has not been determined why they crashed. He was declared "Missing In Action" as a result of this crash, but his status was later changed to "Killed In The Line Of Duty" when his remains were recovered. He is now memorialized on the Tables of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines.