Walker Hancock Flint was born in St. Louis, MO on August 19, 1938. He was named after his Uncle Walker Hancock, a noted sculptor (he sculpted the MacArthur Statue on the Plain and the Flight Memorial at Lusk Reservoir). This may explain Walker’s lifelong interest in making things with his hands.
In grade school and in middle school, Walker enjoyed after-school time in his home craft workshop. There, his creations included ship models, miniature cannons and percussion rifles and pistols. In high school, Walker enjoyed academics, but it was the high school rifle team that gave him the most joy and the opportunity to excel in .22 caliber competition.
While a leader in the Tucson Sons of American Legion, Walker was noticed by the adult consultant who recommended him to the Arizona 2nd District representative for an appointment to West Point. The representative had already nominated a principal, first alternate, and third alternate. That left only second alternate for Walker. The candidates were ordered to a San Diego Naval Base for medical, academic, and physical examinations. The principal was too short, the first alternate did not meet academic standards, so Walker won the appointment and entered with the Class of 1960.
His first-year roommates included Budge Parker and Joe Cote. As a graduate of the USMA Prep School, Budge had a lot of helpful experience. It was during plebe year that Walker earned the nickname “Sparky” for remaining calm and collective while many others lost their cool. Walker’s shooting skills immediately earned him a slot on the corps squad Rifle Team. Training and competitions excused him from attending many parades and inspections. Later, Walker was awarded a trophy .30-06 Springfield rifle as the Rifle Team’s highest scoring member. He made life more pleasant for roommate Terry Gill, who signed on as team manager.
Walker chose the Field Artillery branch. His first duty station was with the 33rd FA Bn (“Honest John”), which required all to stay close in case of call to battle positions. When the call came for volunteers for Vietnam advisors, Walker volunteered and attended the Military Advisors Training Course at Fort Bragg, NC and a Vietnamese language course at Monterey CA.
His advisory assignment was with the 23rd FA Bn at Ban Me Thout. After several months of training at base camp, he was assigned to a 105mm artillery platoon that had been air lifted into An Lac. There, an airfield was to be built with CAT D3 dozers that had been air lifted while disassembled and then reassembled. This began Walker’s long-term love affair with CAT.
After a month of eating chicken and rice with the Vietnamese, he suffered a bleeding ulcer and was medevacked to Nha Trang where he had frozen water pumped into his stomach along with five pints of O negative blood. That took care of his ulcer. While recovering he was involved in a jeep roll-over accident that caused third cranial nerve damage and permanent diplopia, so he was medevacked to the United States.
After several months of treatment, he started working at Fort Sill’s Administration until his Field Artillery Career Course started. Soon after completion, he returned to Fitzsimmons Army Hospital for eye evaluations, which showed a 30 percent permanent disability and resulted in a retirement from active duty in 1965.
Walker spent a year at University of Missouri-Rolla shooting .22 cal competition, as well as refreshing advanced math and basic mechanical engineering. By February he was hungry enough to talk with construction equipment firms. He visited several and settled on the Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Peoria, IL.
Walker worked at the CAT Proving Ground developing scrapers. In 1968 he traveled to Vietnam to represent Caterpillar for the GOER Trans Co. His visits amounted to three separate 90-day tours in country. One included landing at Saigon during the Tet Offensive. On the return trip home, he discovered the lovely Helen Watt during his brief stop in Honolulu. His successful courtship concluded with their marriage in 1970. In 1974, they were blessed with daughter Laurie.
After several years of testing various CAT equipment in the field, Walker was re-assigned to the CAT Proving Ground to focus on reducing the CAT equipment’s traditional ultra-high sound levels. For many years his work results were discouraging. CAT management was unwilling to make the necessary changes for the desired sound reductions. Finally, a D10 bulldozer was designed with a self-contained cab mounted to the tractor with isolated controls. This final design exceeded the desired sound level goals.
While continuing to work for Caterpillar, in 1976, Walker became a USMA Admissions participant in Central Illinois. After four years, he was promoted to be the coordinator of al mid-Illinois admissions support. By 1983, his area was averaging 14 admitted candidates each year. This was the highest admission rate ever achieved for this area.
In July 1997, Walker agreed to move to the Clayton, NC for Caterpillar. In 1999, the CAT engineering office was moved to Cary. NC. Commuting would mean 30 miles of high traffic each way. At that point, Helen and Walker assessed their desires to continue working or retire. He retired from CAT in February of 2000.
In 2004 he restarted admissions work with candidates. By 2008, he was the coordinator for eastern North Carolina. The admissions work with candidates, parents, counselors, etc. was totally satisfying. However, in 2015, Parkinson’s symptoms appeared, and Walker retired from admissions work. In June 2018, the Flints moved to Portland, ME to be near Laurie and their grandchildren. Life was very sweet. Walker bravely fought but lost a battle with appendiceal cancer with complications of Parkinson’s symptoms.
Walker added much and many to the Long Gray Line. Well Done, Sparky; Be Thou at Peace.
— A Companymate