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In 1944, William Erwin Walker graduated from OCS and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

In June 1944, Walker received his first duty assignment to Wake Island. In November, he received orders transferring him to Leyte Island in the Philippines, where he was placed in charge of a Signal Corps radar detachment with 85 men. Walker was apparently well liked by the soldiers who worked with him, and he was reputed to be more than usually considerate of them.


In later testimony, Walker related that upon arrival at Leyte he and another officer, a close friend, selected the emplacement for the radar and took routine security measures but did not post guards because of standing orders.


Walker was ordered to return to his ship. When he returned to the radar site the next day, he learned that elements of an elite Japanese Army paratroop unit had attacked the radar site at sunrise; He learned that John Brake of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, his closest friend and fellow Signal Corps OCS graduate had been bayoneted in the neck and disemboweled in the initial assault. Brake survived, and after years of hospital care, managed to live a productive life, although paralyzed from the neck down, until his death in 1989.

All other members of the unit that had remained at the initial site were killed and horribly mutilated in the barbaric rituals performed on them by their attackers, to include disembowelment while still alive, removal of body parts while still alive, etc. ... The horror of what Walker and his team found upon their return to the site was enough to cause anyone to lose their minds


After returning to the US Walker went on a INTENSE one-man crime spree.


His criminal spree included robberies, safecrackings, burglaries and murder.

Read the full story here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Walker

Later found guilty and sentenced to death. Declared insane death sentence commuted.
Paroled in 1974. Died 1982.


The movie He Walked by Night was loosely based on Walker's crime spree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plH2Jw3 ... 0VmwGw-zk7

The movie stared Jack Webb and included the word dragnet in the dialog. During the filming Webb and the Police Tech Advisor on the film came up with the idea of a police show that would be called Dragnet.

I wonder if Ted Kaczynski was somehwow inspired by this guy...

"Calling himself Paul C. Norris, Walker had contacted Starr, a sound engineer who bought and sold motion picture and sound recording equipment out of his home, to sell him a collection of commercial motion-picture equipment. Starr immediately suspected the motion-picture equipment was stolen and alerted the police, who staked out Starr's home to wait for the suspect's arrival.[2] As Walker approached the house, the detectives emerged to confront him.[3] Walker opened fire and Lt. Forbes was hit in the abdomen at point-blank range after his own pistol jammed. Sergeant Johnson wounded Walker in the stomach and left leg with at least two bullets from his .38-caliber service revolver.[2][3][13] Despite his wounds, Walker escaped on foot using the labyrinth of storm drains under the city.[14] Forbes and Johnson were both rushed to a hospital, where Forbes was found to have a .45-caliber bullet lodged against his spine. He recovered, although doctors were unable to remove the bullet and had to leave it in place.[15]

In May 1946 Walker committed another burglary, stealing rolls of safety-detonating fuse and priming cord.[4] To open safes and break locks, Walker made his own explosive — nitroglycerine — using fuming nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and glycerine.[4] Walker stabilized his nitroglycerine for vehicle transport by adding a desensitizing agent, probably ethyl alcohol, then packing the nitro vials in cotton.[citation needed]

I like how he continued with his crime spree for weeks despite at least two pistol rounds to the leg. Evil, but strong, person.

Wow, this was a great story. He really liked using the Thompson. Thanks for posting

I'd never heard of the guy until I came across the movie and decided to look him up.

Lots of potential for a newer movie, one that included the WW2 experience.

Perhaps it wa the unfortunate posting to Japanese-occupied Wake Island in June of 44?

ORIGINAL: dasboot1960

Perhaps it wa the unfortunate posting to Japanese-occupied Wake Island in June of 44?

Every info I can find on his pre-Leyte assignment has Wake. I think it was Guam.