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Obituary:
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Ray Walker was born Raymond Lee Walker, Jr. September
17, 1947 to Raymond Lee Walker, Sr. and Laura Catherine
(Diehl) Walker at Major Clinic Hospital in Nocona, Texas.
His family lived in Montague where he attended grade school.
In 1965 he graduated from Nocona High School where he
concentrated on vocational agriculture with very good
success. After graduation, he attended Oklahoma State
Technical College in Okmulgee, Oklahoma to study diesel
mechanics and electronics.
Ray volunteered for the
military draft in January, 1968 and was inducted into the
U.S. Army. After completing basic training at Fort Polk, LA
and Advanced Individual Training and Non-Commissioned
Officers Training at Fort Sill, OK, he returned home on
leave to marry his Prairie Valley School sweetheart, Mary
Pigg on June 1, 1968.
Four months later, in October, 1968
orders came to ship out for Viet Nam with Company B, 3rd
Battalion of the 187th Infantry Regiment known as the
Rakkasans, 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division.
During the spring, 1969, as Communications Sergeant of Bravo
Company, his outfit became heirs to “Apache Snow”- the
largest air mobile assault and one of the largest and most
important battles of the Viet Nam conflict. The assault on
heavily entrenched Hill 937 became known as the infamous
battle for Hamburger Hill- deemed as “War at its worst, men
at their best”. The battles yielded Sergeant Walker two
purple hearts, two Army Commendation Medals– one “V” Device
and one First Oak Leaf Cluster for valor, heroism, and
Meritorious Achievement, the Bronze Star, the Army Air
Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Viet Nam
Campaign Medal, and the Viet Nam Service Medal – all three
for Meritorious Service. In addition, he received the Combat
Infantry Badge as a special exception and honor for him. He
was also nominated for the Silver Star but completed his
tour of duty and was discharged from the Army before
receiving that award.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon
awarded Sgt. Walker’s infantry regiment the Presidential
Unit Citation for Valor and Extraordinary Heroism during the
ten-day bloody battle for Hamburger Hill. Additionally, the
101st Airborne also received the Meritorious Unit Citation
and Vietnamese Gallantry Cross.
In 1987, Hollywood
produced a movie titled “Hamburger Hill”, and in 1988 Samuel
Zaffiri published a book titled Hamburger Hill – historical
accounts of the “Apache Snow” operation.
After returning
to civilian life, Ray and Mary moved to Okmulgee, OK where
he completed his technical study of electronics while
working as a repairman and as a butcher. November 18, 1970
the family grew when their son Robin Lee was born. The trio
returned to Nocona, began a small electronics repair
business, and welcomed daughter Sherry Katherine to the
family February 15, 1975.
In 1977 the family bought Hinds
Clark Company, a TV, appliance, and tire business. In 1981
they sold the business and established “Ray’s Used
Equipment, Inc.” in Nocona…a proud and very successful
company still in strong existence today.
In 1995 Ray was
a founding partner of Kissimmee Auction Company, Inc. in
Kissimmee, Florida…a world-wide supplier for heavy
equipment. Ray served as its CEO-a position that helped
establish him as a very successful, widely-known and
respected figure throughout the nation and around the world.
However, he never lost sight of his humble beginnings,
hometown, family, or numerous friends.
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