World War II
Following his commission as an ensign in June 1939, he joined the cruiser Minneapolis. In August 1941, he was detached for flight training at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Designated Naval Aviator in March 1942, he joined the battleship New York as Senior Aviator. In this position, Walker spotted shore bombardment during the North African invasion at Safi, French Morocco and Casablanca and later participated in anti-submarine flights over convoys. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal "for his performance of duty on November 8, 1942, during the bombardment of Safi, French Morocco. Despite heavy enemy anti-aircraft fire he kept his ship supplied with accurate and timely reports without which the effect of the bombardment may not have been so effectively executed...."
Returning to the United States in 1943, he attended the Post Graduate School at Annapolis, where he completed the course in Aviation Ordnance in December 1944. He next reported to the Fire Control Desk in the Bureau of Aeronautics and remained there until July 1945. He was then assigned as Prospective Bomb Commander for the fourth atomic bomb at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. That bomb was never dropped due to the cessation of hostilities in August 1945.
Read more about this topic: Thomas Walker (naval Officer)
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