JACKSON, Miss. — Retired Lt. Gen. Emmett H. “Mickey” Walker, a decorated World War II veteran who later served as chief of the National Guard Bureau in Washington during the Reagan administration, died Wednesday after a lengthy illness. He was 83.
Walker’s son, John, confirmed his father’s death.
Walker was born in the Abbott community of Clay County on March 16, 1924. He spent 42 years in uniform during a military career that took him from foreign battlefields to Washington.
Mickey Walker was a platoon leader with the 95th Infantry Division during World War II and earned the Silver Star for braving enemy fire during the Battle of Metz in France. Walker also fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhineland campaign and was awarded the Bronze Star. He served in Japan during the Korean War.
After returning to the United States, Walker climbed the military ranks and was assistant adjutant general for the Mississippi National Guard from 1972 to 1976.
He was chief of the National Guard Bureau under President Reagan from 1982 to 1986. During that time, he worked closely with the late Rep. G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery in crafting the Montgomery GI Bill.
