Walker, Frederick Frye.

Frederick "Fred" Frye Walker was born November 10, 1919 in Brookline, Massachusetts. Being interested in flying from an early age, he attended various aeronautical schools and graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Aero Industries Technical Institute in Los Angeles, CA, in 1941. During his studies, he worked as a B-24 Liberator senior wing inspector for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation. At the end of 1942, Fred Walker signed up as an Aviation Cadet with the U.S. Army Air Forces and graduated in class 44C at Douglas Air Force Base, Arizona, in March of 1944. Upon completion of his training, he was sent overseas to the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) with the First Cargo Squadron, 14th Air Force, where he served the remainder of the war. His main mission was to resupply various fighter and bomber groups based in China which included about 60 crossings over the "Hump," a dangerous aerial route through the Himalaya Mountains. Walker was honorably discharged from the services with the rank of 1st Lieutenant on February 26, 1946. During his services, he received numerous decorations including the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After working briefly as a Chief Pilot for the New England Central Airway System, Inc., Walker worked as a pilot for General Claire L. Chennault's Civil Air Transport (CAT) for about a year from 1949-1950. In short succession, Walker worked for Northeast Airlines and for Slick Airways until spring of 1954 when he was furloughed due to a reduction in staff. Again, Fred Walker applied for a position with CAT, later turning into Air America, Inc. with which he spent the next twenty-one years of his professional life. From 1954 until about 1962, Walker flew out of Taiwan scheduled and charter flights throughout Southeast Asia not only in Curtiss, but also Douglas aircraft. In the battle of Dien Bien Phu supporting the French, he flew Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars out of Haiphong and Hanoi, Vietnam.

In 1960, Fred Walker was transferred to the Kingdom of Laos and for the next nine years worked as a C-47 Captain for Air America and was later promoted to an Assistant Chief Pilot and a Regional Chief Pilot by the year of 1964. In this position, Walker was responsible for supervising and directing activities of pilots in Vientiane, Laos, Udorn and Bangkok, Thailand, and Saigon, South Vietnam. He played a crucial role in building Air America's Laotian operation, and in evaluating both De Havilland C-7A Caribou and Fairchild C-123 Providers for their suitability on short take-off and landing (STOL) landing strips in mountainous terrain, and acted as an investigator for aircraft accidents. From 1961 to 1971, Walker was appointed as Designated Check Pilot for the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration (CCAA) conducting proficiency tests for aircraft and issuance of pilot licenses and certificates.

From 1964 to 1969 based from Vientiane, Laos, Walker held the position of an Assistant Base Manager and Manager Flying Department (MFD) with Air America, Inc. and for the next two years, he continued to serve as MFD in Bangkok. Overseeing up to 1600 employees, he was responsible for the operation of all of the company's departments, such as Flight Operations, Maintenance, Traffic, Transportation, Personnel, and overseeing the construction and inspection of airfields throughout the Kingdom of Laos. During his time working in Air America's administration, Fred Walker continued to fly countless missions both involving humanitarian aid (delivering food and medical supplies) and military support (airlifting troops, cargo, and ammunition). In addition, Walker served General Vang Pao as personal pilot at Lima Site LS-20A, in Long Tieng, Laos. In 1971, he returned to flying scheduled and charter services for Air America throughout Southeast Asia.

On April 29, 1975, the fall of Saigon which forced Air America to leave Southeast Asia, Capt. Fred Walker flew the last and final flight for Air America out of Saigon in a Douglas C-47. After being released from Air America, Inc. on June 30, 1975, Walker worked for Pyramid Airlines, in Cairo, Egypt, from September 1977 until August 1978. He retired at the age of sixty-five having logged almost 25,000 hours of total flight time in eighteen different types of single and multi engine aircraft. Frederick Frye Walker passed away on Sunday, February 14, 1999 at the age of 79 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

From the description of Frederick Frye Walker Papers, 1938-1999 1961-1975. (University of Texas at Dallas). WorldCat record id: 426565288