The late Joseph Walters is one of two Post members nominated for prestigious distinction.
The late Joseph Walters is one of two Post members nominated for prestigious distinction.
By Michael P. Mauer
Over the skies of Europe a young American airman sat cramped between two deafening. 50 caliber machine guns. Sending streams of lead toward a swarming array of highspeed Messerschmitts, Focke-Wulfs and Heinkels, he knew his bomber— Chug-A-Lug Lulu— would need to be flown straight and level to have any chance of dropping its heavy bomb load on target. He also understood that a good bombing run would give the enemy an easy target— him. And he bravely went through more than a dozen of these missions and proved himself a hero.
The late Joseph J. Walters, former West Mifflin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 914 Life Member, has been inducted into the Joseph A. Dugan Jr. Hall of Valor at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Oakland. A winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 bomber during World War II, Walters, along with 12 other local heroes, was enshrined during a ceremony March 26.
According to VFW Post 914 commander Jake Bradich, the honor should have arrived sooner. The veterans’ service unit only learned the extent of Walters’ heroism during his funeral in September.
“ The Walters family had Joe’ s medals displayed,” said Bradich.“ Several of the post’ s officers saw that he had won the Distinguished Flying Cross.”
Awarded for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight, the DFC is one of the top valor medals conferred by the United States. Walters received his decoration for actions during 15 bombing missions where he shot down enemy fighter aircraft and warded off attacks by several others.
In all, he was personally credited with destroying three hostile fighter planes.
“ Sergeant Walters displayed courage and presence of mind when he encountered experiences involving great personal danger and vital decisions under hazardous conditions,” reads Walters’ DFC citation.“ The courage, coolness and skill displayed by Sergeant Walters on all these occasions reflect highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.”
Walters’ other awards and decorations include four awards of the Air Medal, a Purple Heart Medal, the European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Word War II Victory Medal, the American Campaign Medal and the Army Good Conduct Medal. All of his valor and combat medals were awarded during a six-month span in 1943.
As a post commander in the nation’ s largest organization of combat veterans, Bradich said his group is quick to honor a real hero when they find one. Knowing where to look, he said, is the key.
“ The bravest of us aren’ t found in comic books, video games or in the movies,” he notes.“ Like Joe, they are usually your friends, neighbors and members of your community who at some point in their lives did far more than what was expected of them— often at great risk and sacrifice.”
Walters is not the first from the West Mifflin veterans organization to be sponsored for induction into the Hall of Valor. In 2011, VFW Post 914 nominated Vincent Hoover, who was awarded a Silver Star for his actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
A West Mifflin native, Hoover won the Silver Star while assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Bn, 22nd Infantry Regiment. Ten months into his Iraq deployment while conducting a patrol in Baghdad, a grenade was thrown
Vincent Hoover into his vehicle. He immediately grabbed the device and threw it outside while yelling to the driver to leave the vicinity. The grenade exploded after being thrown out and the lives of all in the vehicle were saved.
Bradich, also a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, hopes with the rest of his unit that Hoover becomes the second VFW Post 914 Intrepid member enshrined in the Hall of Valor.
“ This Veterans Day, as we’ re involved in parades and ceremonies, each of us will remember the sacrifices made by service members like Hoover and Walters,” he said.“ Each of us should be standing a little taller and a little straighter knowing that there are brave people who are willing to do so much to defend our freedoms.”
For more information about the VFW Post 914, visit traa. weebly. com / vfw-post-914. html, the Facebook page, or contact Jake Bradich at 412.464.9838. n
“ The bravest of us aren’ t found in comic books, video games or in the movies. Like Joe, they are usually your friends, neighbors and members of your community who at some point in their lives did far more than what was expected of them— often at great risk and sacrifice.”
West Mifflin | Spring 2017 | icmags. com 11