United States Army Veteran Jack Walker hails from Syracuse, New York. In 1967, Jack was drafted into the Army and attended basic training and Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He later attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry.
In 1968, Jack received orders to report to the Republic of Vietnam, where he became a platoon leader in Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment in the 1st Infantry Division – The Big Red One. Jack’s platoon conducted operations just north of Saigon, and for his combat service, Jack received the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and an Army Commendation Medal with “V” device for VALOR.
Jack’s proudest military moment was completing a successful tour in the Republic of Vietnam as a Combat Infantry Platoon Leader without losing one single soldier.
Jack returned from Vietnam in 1969 and began working at Syracuse University in 1977 where today he works at the University’s Physical Plant as a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technician for over 40 years.