Frank R. Walker
| Frank Robinson Walker | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 11, 1899 Florence, Alabama |
| Died | December 25, 1976 |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1922–1952 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held |
Patterson (DD-392) Destroyer Division 8 Destroyer Squadron 4 La Grange (APA-124) Astoria (CL-90) |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross |
Frank Robinson Walker (July 11, 1899 – December 25, 1976) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War II, most notably during the Solomon Islands campaign between 1942 and 1943.
Born in Florence, Alabama, Walker entered the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1922. Serving in various positions throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Walker distinguished himself during the attack on Pearl Harbor when, commanding the destroyer Patterson (DD-392), he was one of the few captains to escape the harbor during the raid. In early 1942, Walker was assigned command of Destroyer Division 8 in the Southwest Pacific area, later leading screening and reconnaissance operation shortly before the landings at Guadalcanal and Tulagi on August 7, 1942. Walker would take part in the Battle of Savo Island during the night of August 8–9, where Japanese naval forces sank one Australian and three American cruisers suffering minimal casualties.
While commanding Destroyer Squadron 4 during the Solomon Islands campaign, Walker failed to prevent a Japanese naval force consisting of nine destroyers and twelve various other ships from evacuating the 600-man garrison during the Battle of Vella Lavella on October 6–7, 1943. Appointed commander of Roosevelt Base and Small Craft Training Center at San Pedro (now part of Los Angeles, California) the following year.
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