BLUE Star Roll of honor
This Blue Star Roll of Honor Page was created by a Proclamation on 11 February 2021 as a Memorial to Honor those Founding and Sustaining members who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.
John Robert Walker
Background
John Robert Walker is a native of Birmingham and graduated from West End High School in 1948. During High School, he first joined the Civil Air Patrol and then the Navy Reserve. He enlisted in the United States Air Force at 19 years old and was discharged in 1952 at the age of 23. Walker then enrolled at the University of Alabama where he graduated with a Mechanical Engineering Degree in 1956. John then joined U.S. Pipe and Foundry where he rose to the rank of Corporate Technical Director and retired in 1986 after over three decades of service.
Service to the Blue Star Salute Foundation
John Walker was a founding member of the Blue Star Salute Foundation in 2005 and has served in many positions over these 17 years, including several terms as President. Blue Star Salute’s initial focus was to present Blue Star Service Banners to soldiers, sailors, and airmen being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. John has played an integral role in expanding the mission to include the Annual Blue Star Salute Event, honoring those fallen in military service through the Faces of the Price of Freedom Memorial, and fundraising for the Wreaths Across America at the Alabama National Cemetery.
Other Volunteer Service
John’s volunteer efforts have included the Support Committee for the Alabama National Cemetery, American Legion, and Sons of the American Revolution; where he served as President of the Cahaba-Coosa Chapter. John also was a volunteer with the Shelby County Historical Society and has worked with the production team to author several history books. John has been a member of RSVP since 2009 and is a recipient of the Gold and Lifetime Presidential Volunteer Service Award, and the RSVP Spirit Award.
John became the inaugural Emeritus member on 10 February 2022. Following his death on 06 April 2024, he was removed as an Emeritus Member and placed on the Memorial Honor Roll. We are forever grateful for John's service to our country and the many veterans’ organizations he championed. We pledge to ensure that his legacy never be forgotten.
Photo Gallery - John R. Walker
Video of John Receiving his Member Emeritus Certificate
Memorial Photo Gallery - Past President LTC Bob Horton (ret) (1962-2023)
William A. Wyatt
OCTOBER 1, 1936 – JANUARY 21, 2021
U.S. Air Force SSgt William A. "Bill" Wyatt served in Japan during the Korean Conflict in where he dispatched fighter pilots on their missions. Shortly following his return home from the war, he continued his service to veterans in the American Legion for over 50 years. Bill had been a member of General Bare American Legion Post #43 for 51 years and commander for the last 26 continuous years. Wyatt had been the longest serving veteran on the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs, originally appointed during Gov. Don Siegleman’s term and serving through 2016.
Service to the Blue Star Salute Foundation
Bill Wyatt was a Founding Member and Director of the Blue Star Salute Foundation, beginning in 2005 and serving continuously for 16 years until his death on January 21, 2021. In the early days, members were issued Membership Cards with their name and membership number printed on them; Bill was member number 1 and his wife Pat was member number 2. Bill sacrificed hundreds of hours constructing the “Faces of the Price of Freedom” Memorial and driving it to events all over the State of Alabama. Bill was also known as the Chief Fundraiser of the Blue Star Salute Foundation where he worked tirelessly and with intensity to collect funds from donors to ensure we had the resources to conduct our operations.
We are forever grateful for his service to the country and the many veterans organizations he championed. We pledge to ensure that his legacy never be forgotten.