Edwin Walker
| Edwin Walker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Edwin Anderson Walker |
| Born |
November 10, 1909 Kerr County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 1993 (aged 83) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1931–1961 |
| Rank |
 Major general
|
| Commands held |
 24th Infantry Division
|
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War Cold War |
| Awards |
Silver Star Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal (2) |
Edwin Anderson Walker (November 10, 1909 – October 31, 1993) — known as Ted Walker — was a United States Army officer who served in World War II and the Korean War. He became known for his staunch conservative political views and was criticized by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower for promoting a personal political stand while in uniform. Walker resigned his commission in 1959, but Eisenhower refused to accept his resignation and gave Walker a new command over the 24th Infantry Division in Augsburg, Germany. Walker again resigned his commission in 1961 after being publicly and formally admonished by the Joint Chiefs of Staff for calling Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman "pink" in print (a charge made by a leftist newspaper called the Overseas Weekly and never substantiated) and for violating the Hatch Act by attempting to direct the votes of his troops. President John F. Kennedy accepted his resignation, making Walker the only US general to resign in the 20th century.
In early 1962, Walker ran for governor of Texas and lost in the Democratic primary election to the eventual winner, John Connally. In October 1962, Walker was arrested for leading riots at the University of Mississippi in protest against admitting a black student, James Meredith, into the all-white university. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered Walker committed to a mental asylum for a 90-day evaluation in response to his role in the Ole Miss riot of 1962, but psychiatrist Thomas Szasz protested and Walker was released in five days. Attorney Robert Morris convinced a Mississippi grand jury not to indict Walker.
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Wikipedia