Veteran of the Week: Donald Walker

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By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer 

MADISON – Donald Walker was drafted into the United States Army less than a year after graduating high school in Chicago in 1966.

Walker was shipped off to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. in 1968 and then sent to Fort Knox, Ky., to train for his role in the armored cavalry.

“When you’re drafted, you don’t have much of a choice,” Walker said.

After his specialty training, Walker was assigned to Germany, where he spent three years helping guard the Germany-Czechoslovakia border.

Walker then was assigned back to the states at Fort Meade, Md., before his second of third assignments in Germany. He also made another appearance at Fort Knox, where he attended military advancement schools, including drill sergeant school. He served as a drill sergeant for two years.

“It was very demanding,” Walker said.

Toward the end of his active duty career, Walker was deployed to Saudi Arabia in the Gulf War and served six months between his time in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. As first sergeant, he was in charge of 360 people in his company during that time.

After coming back home, Walker served out the last of his time in Fort Bliss, Texas, retiring in 1992 after 23 years, nine months, 10 days.

In 1994 Walker made his way to Huntsville, where his wife grew up. His wife is also retired from the military. Three of his children are either in active-duty Air Force or the Air Force Reserves.

“The Army helped me tremendously,” Walker said. “Every day the decisions I make…I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Walker currently owns A-One Cleaning Services in Huntsville, which he has run since 1999. Walker said that even though he was drafted into the Army, and not enlisted by choice, he had no reservations about serving.