Walter Sidney Butler, Jr was born on September 23, 1920 in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He graduated Huntingdon High School in 1938 and he then completed two years at Memphis State. In April of 1941, he joined the Air Force and became a pilot. “Lucky” was his nickname.
While in China, he served under General Chenault and was a member of the Flying Tigers in China. Walter S. Butler was continuously flying during WWII and was decorated after two years. During the war, he was sent back to America and was stationed in Texas. He was sent back to Americal for his own safety. He did, however, return to Burma and was serving in Burma when his plane was shot down on April 3, 1945. He had achieved the promotion to major two days before he had been shot down. It was a very dense jungle with thick fog where his plane went down and nothing was ever found. After October, he was officially pronounced dead.
From the site American War Memorials Overseas, Inc at uswarmemorials.org, it states:
Major Walter S Butler, Jr was leading a dive bombing and strafing mission in P-51D #44-11284 3 April 1945 on a course of 130 degrees. The visibility was four miles in haze. He and his wing aircraft had left a base at Laohwangping with a target at Yangtong. His plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on their last pass approximately one-half mile east of Erh Tong [ie Erh-Tong Airfield at Kweilin], headed west.
His wingman, 2nd Lt Harry Hill, Jr, ASN O-705582, stated the following, “Butler was leading the flight. I was flying Butler’s wing. Butler called the flight and said that this was our last pass. I saw Butler heading west as I was making my pass in a SW direction. I pulled up from my pass and started rendezvous, calling Butler and asking his position. The last thing I heard, Butler called ‘I am hit.’ The remainder of the flight tried to call Butler but no radio contact was made. We rendezvous, searched for his plane or parachute and sighted neither, it is believed he possibly went into the cloud layer and headed north.”
Major Butler was declared dead 3 October 1945 but still missing. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China. His family honors his memory with a monument Major Walter Sidney Butler, Jr – Family Plot in Liberty All Cemetery, Huntingdon TN.
He was flying with the 76th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group.
Notable medals include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Purple Heart.
The History of Carroll County, Tennessee 