The Medal of Honor is the United States of America’s highest and most prestigious personal military decoration. It may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who distinguished themselves by acts of valor. First awarded on March 25th, 1863, in U.S. Military history only 3,517 Medals of Honor have been awarded — 621 times the award was made posthumously, the recipient having given the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
Did you know that one Medal of Honor winner was born in Switzerland County?
If you guessed Samuel Woodfill, you have identified a Medal of Honor winner — but he was born in Jefferson County, living here later in his life.
The Switzerland County soldier who earned this high honor is a soldier that very few here have ever heard of — but his bravery is something that no one should ever forget.
Allen Walker was born in Patriot on January 19th, 1866, the son of William and Eveline Walker.
At the age of 18, Walker traveled to Indianapolis and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1884, serving in the 19th United States Infantry Regiment in South Texas during the Indian Wars.
Discharged from the Army in San Antonio, Texas, in 1889 after five years of service, Walker immediately reenlisted in the Army, this time serving in Company C of the Third U.S. Calvary.
In 1891, Walker was involved in a series of skirmishes during the Garza War in Southwest Texas.
On December 30th, 1891, while serving in Texas, Walker was alone serving as a courier out of Fort Langehorne, when he encountered three armed Mexican men who were on the enemy side of the war. Walker ordered the men to stop, and when they refused, a gun battle ensued. The men escaped, but in the battle Walker shot and killed one of the men’s horses. On that horse, Walker found secret papers that the men had been carrying, including a proclamation inciting revolution against the United States.
His superior officer at the time, Captain John Gregory Bourke, stated, “This man exhibited so much courage, efficiency, coolness, and self-reliance while away from his command that I feel constrained to recommend he be awarded the Medal of Honor.”
Holding the rank of Private at the time of the encounter, Walker continued serving in the Army, and was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the Philippine Scouts during the Philippine Insurrection. The Philippine–American War was an armed conflict between the First Philippine Republic and the United States that lasted from February 4th, 1899, to July 2nd, 1902. The war resulted in an American victory, and the United States began an occupation of the islands of the Philippines, and the First Philippine Republic was abolished. The U.S. established a military government there until 1946 before granting it full independence following the end of World War II.
While serving in the Philippine Insurrection, Walker earned a Silver Star; and was then promoted to Captain of the Scouts on August 14th, 1908.
When the Scouts were disbanded as a unit of the Army in 1911, Walker retired again from military service, settling in Laredo, Texas.
He had married Alvina Fuentes prior to serving in the Philippines, but she died in 1898. He later married Enriqueta Pena in 1926, and the couple had seven children.
While living in Laredo, Walker became deputy U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas in 1914; and then went on to serve as Marshal for the same district.
When Allen Walker passed away on November 9th, 1953 at Brooke Army Hospital at the age of 87, he was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Indian Wars; and he was also the last surviving recipient to have earned the Medal of Honor for his heroism prior to 1900.
He is buried in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Laredo, Texas.
The “discovery” of the life and courage of Allen Walker is an important piece of Patriot and Switzerland County history — but there could be much more to uncover. Readers who have ancestors with the name Walker who may or may not know of Allen Walker are asked to look into their genealogy and see if Allen Walker may still have descendants here or in this area.
Anyone who may have information about Allen Walker is urged to contact Vevay Newspapers so that information can be shared with others.
Information gathered for this article came from the U.S. military Medal of Honor database; through an article written by Duane Allen Vachon, Ph.D.; the assistance of Rita Sullivan; the Handbook of Texas database; and the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Laredo.
— Pat Lanman