Walter King Wilson – Major General, United States Army

Major General Walter King Wilson, U.S. Army (1880-1954)

• Cadet U.S. Military Academy 1898-02
• Graduated as No. 4094, Class of 1902
• Second Lieutenant 1902
• First Lieutenant 1907
• Captain 1911
• Major 1917
• Lieutenant Colonel 1918
• Colonel (Temporary) 1918
• Major 1920
• Lieutenant Colonel 1925
• Colonel 1934
• Brigadier General 1937
• Major General 1940
• Served with 8th Battery, Field Artillery 1902-05
• Served with 2nd Regiment of Field Artillery 1905
• Served with 23rd Company, Coast Artillery 1906
• Adjutant, Artillery District of Pensacola 1906-09
• Student, Coast Artillery School 1909-11
• Instructor, Coast Artillery School 1911-12
• Assistant to Chief of Coast Artillery 1912
• Company Commander, Fort Hunt 1912-15
• Assistant to Chief of Coast Artillery 1915-17
• Assistant to the Army Chief of Staff 1917-18
• Served with AEF 1918-20

In Charge of Statistics Branch, Army General Staff 1920-21 Student, Army War College 1921-22 Commander, Coast Defense of San Diego 1922 Commander, Fort Ruger, Hawaii 1922-25 In Charge of War Plans, Military Intelligence Division, Army General Staff 1925-29 Executive Officer and Commander, Provisional Battalion, US. Military Academy 1929-35 Chief of Staff, VII Corps Area 1935-37 Commanding General, 2d Coast Artillery District 1937-38 Commander, Harbor Defenses of Manila 1938-40 Commanding General, III Corps Area 1940-41 Commanding General, 9th Coast Artillery District 1941-42 Commanding General, Northern California Sector, Western Defense Command 1942-44 Retired 1944

Walter King Wilson was born October 7, 1880, he graduated from West Point in 1902, from the Coast Artillery School in 1910 (and the advanced course in 1911), from the Army War College in 1922. He married Evangline Taylor and their children were: Walter K. Wilson, Jr. and John N. Wilson (killed in action).

He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1902 and advanced through the grades to Major General in 1940.

General Wilson commanded the III Army Corps, Monterey, California, 1940-41; assigned to command of the 9th Coast Artillery District, San Francisco, 1941; XXI Army Corps, 1941-42; Northern California Sector under the Western Defense Command, 1942-44; Executive Director, Army Emergency Relief, Washington, 1944-46.

General Wilson retired from active duty in 1944, and was recalled to active duty on November 30, 1946 an then continued as Civilian Director of Army Emergency Relief.

His medals included the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster and the Legion of Merit.

He made his home in Washington, D.C. and died there on January 20, 1954.

He is buried in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery. His wife, Evangline Taylor Wilson (1886 – 1967), is buried with him.

Also buried in his site is his son, Walter King Wilson, Jr. (Lieutenant General, United States Army), 1903-1985, who graduated from West Point in 1929 and who served in World War II. The son’s wife, Jeanne Herman Wilson (1903-1989), is also buried in this site.

Wilson’s other son, John Newton Wilson (Lieutennant Colonel, United States Army), who graduated from West Point in 1935 is buried in the American Cemetary in Normandy France. He died during the battle of Saint Lo in July 1944.  The General’s grandson, Walter King Wilson III, Colonel, United States Army, died in April 2008, and is also buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Walter King Wilson of Tennessee
Appointed from Tennessee, Cadet, United States Military Academy, 20 June 1898 (27); Second Lieutenant, Artillery Corps, 12 June 1902

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard