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| 53k | John Grimes Walker was born in Hillsborough, N.H., on 20 March 1835 and was appointed a midshipman on 5 October 1850 and graduated at the head of his class at the Naval Academy in 1856. He served in Falmouth and St. Lawrence in 1858 and 1859; in Susquehanna in 1860 and 1861; in Connecticut in 1861; and in Winona in 1861 and 1862. He distinguished himself under Farragut during the Mississippi River campaigns while serving in Winona, Baron de Kalb (which he commanded), and Saco. He participated in the engagements with Forts St. Philip and Jackson, as well as the Chalmette batteries during the operations which resulted in the fall of New Orleans. He later took part in the Navy's operations against Vicksburg. During the winter of 1862 and 1863, Walker participated in the thrusts against Haines Bluff and Arkansas Post. He also took part in the Yazoo Pass expedition, the attack on Fort Pemberton, and the capture of Yazoo City. At the siege of Vicksburg, Walker commanded the naval gun battery attached to the 15th Army Corps. His subsequent war service included operations which resulted in the capture of Fort Fisher, and he participated in the ensuing bombardments of Forts Anderson and Caswell on the Cape Fear (N.C.) River and in the capture of Wilmington, N.C. Promoted to commander in 1866, Walker served as Assistant Superintendent of the Naval Academy from 1866 to 1869. After commanding Sabine in 1869 and 1870—during which time he took the ship to Europe on a midshipman training cruise—he served as secretary to the Lighthouse Board from 1873 to 1878. From 1881 to 1889, Walker held the post of Chief of the Bureau of Navigation before he went to sea commanding the White Squadron in 1889, with his flag in Chicago. Appointed rear admiral in 1894, he took the White Squadron to Hawaii in 1895 when a coup d'etat posed a threat to American interests. He received a commendation for his attitude of watchful waiting and his squadron's posture of readiness to respond to a possible emergency. Upon his return to shore duty in 1896, he headed the Lighthouse Board and concurrently chaired the committee investigating locations for deep water harbors in southern California. Soon after retiring as a full admiral in 1897, Walker was chosen to serve as President of the Nicaraguan Canal Commission. Two years later, in 1899, he was appointed President of the Isthmian Canal Commission to look into possible routes for a canal across the Central American isthmus. Admiral Walker died on 16 September 1907, at the age of 72, at Ogunquit, Maine. Digital ID: cph 3b22602, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. | Bill Gonyo |
| 60k | Undated, Note upgrades in radar and removal of # 2,3, and 4 5"-38 Main guns. Weapon Alpha is installed in the #2 gun mount space. | - |
| 71k | Undated, location unknown. | Wally Brockway |
| 117k | Undated, location unknown. | David Buell |
| 130k | Map of the War Patrols of the Walker from the collection of former crewmember Art Jonsson. | Jon Jonsson |
| 44k | Circa 1945 from the collection of former crewmember Art Jonsson. | Jon Jonsson |
| 68k | Circa 1945 from the collection of former crewmember Art Jonsson. | Jon Jonsson |
| 92k | Navy Photo 1016-45, bow on view of USS Walker (DD 517) departing Mare Island on 10 Feb 1945. YTL-99 is to the left and was constructed at Mare Island in 1919. | Darryl Baker |
| 98k | Navy Photo 1019-45, broadside view of USS Walker (DD 517) off Mare Island on 10 Feb 1945. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 24 Dec 1944 until 11 Feb 1945. | Darryl Baker |
| 98k | Navy Photo 1021-45, stern view of USS Walker (DD 517) off Mare Island on 10 Feb 1945. | Darryl Baker |
| 116k | A June 1950 photo at San Diego NY shows the USS Nicholas (DDE-449), USS O'Bannon (DDE-450), USS Walker (DDE-517) and USS Sproston (DDE-577), returned to Mothballs after being converted to the DDE ASW configuration. All four of these DDE's were armed with of 2-5"/38cal, 5 Torpedo Tubes, Mk-15 ASW Projector, and provisions for 4x2-20mm guns. Also, seen is the USS Killen (DD-593) and several DE's, including USS Raymond (DE-341) and USS Dennis (DE-405) and an APD. Cropped from an USN Photo from the NARA photo files, 80-G-428265. | Rick E. Davis |
| 110k | WALKER entering Pearl Harbor in 1956. | Captain Vincent Cooke, USN (Ret) |
| 61k | Hong Kong, April 20 1966. DD-468 Taylor Alongside | © Richard Leonhardt |
| 60k | Hong Kong, April 20 1966, DD-468 Taylor Alongside. | © Richard Leonhardt |
| 60k | Hong Kong, December 1966 | © Richard Leonhardt |
| 41k | Ship's patch. | Mike Smolinski |
| 40k | Ship's patch. | Mike Smolinski |
To Italy July 2 1969, renamed Fante.
