Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
Namesake
	53k	John Grimes Walker was born in Hillsborough, NH, 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
USS Walker (DD-517)
	71k	Undated, location unknown.		Wally Brockway
	117k	Undated, location unknown.		David Buell
	119k	Undated, location unknown.		Ed Zajkowski
	231k	Undated, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	103k	Undated, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	102k	Undated, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	104k	Undated, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	153k	Undated, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	92k	Launching at Bath Iron Works, 31 January 1943.		Ron Reeves
	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	Bow on view of USS Walker (DD-517) departing Mare Island on 10 February 1945. YTL-99 is to the left and was constructed at Mare Island in 1919.		Darryl Baker
	98k	Broadside view of USS Walker (DD-517) off Mare Island on 10 February 1945. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 24 Dec 1944 until 11 Feb 1945.		Darryl Baker
	98k	Stern view of USS Walker (DD-517) off Mare Island on 10 February 1945.		Darryl Baker
	193k	USS Walker (DD-517) off Mare Island on 10 February 1945. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.		Darryl Baker
	134k	This is a breeches-buoy activity between USS Walker (DD-517) and USS Gillespie (DD-609) on 28 August 1945. On this date Walker received ComDesDiv28 from Gillespie, and in the afternoon Walker transferred Captain Wev to Gillespie. Found in the Bill Willeford snapshots.		John Chiquoine
0557724	1000k	Sproston (DD-577) in rip-out phase of DDE conversion at Mare Island, 13 May 1949. Walker is moored outboard of Sproston. Note the removed pilothouses on the pier. Photo from files of Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.		Darryl Baker
0557725	944k	Stern view of Sproston (DD-577) and Walker in rip-out phase of DDE conversion at Mare Island, 13 May 1949. Photo from files of Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.		Darryl Baker
	250k	Circa 1950s, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	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
0551747	127k	Walker (DD-517) off Able Docks, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, 21 April 1953.		Linda Perucca
	110k	Walker entering Pearl Harbor in 1956.		Captain Vincent Cooke, USN (Ret)
	314k 273k	Yokosuka, October 7 1961, with the Walker and 10 other destroyers being serviced by the USS Piedmont (AD-17)		Ed Zajkowski
	148k	USS Walker (DD-517) on manuevers off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii on 29 May 1963. Photographer: PH2 Don C. Smith. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo #: NH 107240.		Robert Hurst
	60k	1965, note upgrades in radar and removal of Nos. 2,3, and 4 5"-38 Main guns. Weapon Alpha is installed in the #2 gun mount space.		Robert Hurst
	61k	At Hong Kong with Taylor (DD 468) alongside, 20 April 1966.		© Richard Leonhardt
0551746	196k	Walker (DD-517) underway off Oahu, 1966. Official Navy PAO photo.		Mike Smolinski
	60k	At Hong Kong with Taylor (DD 468) alongside, 20 April 1966.		© Richard Leonhardt
	158k	In the Sea of Japan, 10 May 1967.		Ron Reeves
	192k	Walker assisting in recovering a sailor from USS Hornet (CVS-12) who went overboard in the South China Sea in June 1967. The carrier's helo got to him first, Walker's whale boat is to the left. Darryl took the photo from the USS Evans (DE 1023).		Darryl Baker
	158k	USS Walker (DD-517) colliding with the Soviet Kotlin (Projekt 56) class destroyer Bessledny in the Sea of Japan, 10 May 1967. NPC #1166379.		DCC(SS/SW) David Johnston, USN
	3645k	A pdf of the 5/19/1967 edition of the Stars & Stripes covering the collision of USS Walker (DD 517) with two Russian destroyers on 10 & 11 May 1967.		Darryl Baker
	183k	San Diego, September 1969, USS Richard B. Anderson (DD-786), USS Bausell (DD-845), USS Boyd (DD-544), USS Taylor (DD-468), USS Walker (DD517) and USS Uhlmann (DD-687) alonside USS Dixie (AD-14). Photo by PH2 Borchers.		Ed Zajkowski
	41k	Ship's patch.		Mike Smolinski
	40k	Ship's patch.		Mike Smolinski
	92k	Ship's patch manufactured by McGrogan's Patch Designs in Hayden, Idaho.		Don McGrogan BMCS, USN (Ret.)
	84k	Ship's patch manufactured by McGrogan's Patch Designs in Hayden, Idaho.		Don McGrogan BMCS, USN (Ret.)
	173k	Ship's patch.		Tom Gamstetter
Fante (D 561)
	132k	Fante (D 561) underway in 1970, location unknown. Italian Navy, Official.		Robert Hurst
	143k	Arriving at Genoa, Italy on April 2 1971.		Carlo Martinelli
	117k	Genoa, Italy on April 2 1971.		Giorgio Parodi
	149k	Genoa, Italy on April 2 1971.		Giorgio Parodi

CDR Orville Francis Gregor    Apr 3 1943 - Jul 27 1943

LCDR Harry Edson Townsend    Jul 27 1943 - Dec 5 1944

CDR Philip Decatur Quirk    Dec 5 1944 - May 31 1946

(Decommissioned May 31 1946 - Sep 15 1950)

CDR William Marshall Shifflette    Sep 15 1950 - Mar 4 1952

CDR Marion Chambliss Walley    Mar 14 1952 - Jul 22 1953

CDR Robert Lawrence Kalen    Jul 22 1953 - Sep 9 1955

CDR Coleman Hurdleston Smith    Sep 9 1955 - Jul 19 1957

CDR Frank Ellis McKenzie    Jul 19 1957 - Nov 29 1958

CDR John Philip Gutting    Nov 29 1958 - Aug 11 1960

CDR Brand Whitlock Drew    Aug 11 1960 - May 12 1961

CDR Gerald Warren Prada    May 12 1961 - Jun 29 1963

CDR Lawrence Welsford Kelley    Jun 29 1963 - Feb 19 1965

CDR Bruce Robert Thompson    Feb 19 1965 - Jan 8 1966

CDR James Joseph McGrath    Jan 8 1966 - Dec 6 1966

CDR Stephen Walter McClaran    Dec 6 1966 - Apr 3 1968

CDR Robert Allen Mesler    Apr 3 1968 - Jul 2 1969

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Last Updated 28 October 2022