James J. Walton

West Point, 1989

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by MAJ David L. Jones on July 15, 2008:

I'm typing this entry while my wife and I are in tears. I just returned off of block leave prior to my pending deployment to Iraq to read the front page article in the Fort Riley Post about my friend. LTC Jim Walton was a former co-worker and someone I'm proud to have called a friend. We served together as Battalion S3s/Operation Officers for the Dallas Recruiting Battalion. That was a decade ago but we had maintained contact since that time. My wife and I hosted him for a home-cooked dinner at our home during his training while here at Ft. Riley. He even bought us a book that he loved which we now love called Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. When he had a last minute drop off his team I volunteered to jump over to his team but branch denied my request because of my own pending deployment. It would have been an honor to serve under Jim's leadership and mentorship once again. To think I could have been nearby is something I shall think about and cry about for a long time. My wife, Becky, and I send our regrets to his wife and family. Even though we never met Jim's wife I know she has to be an incredible woman. Jim was a good man, a dear friend and a Great American. He will be sorely missed. He and his entire family are in my family's prayers. Right now I imagine Jim is doing what he loved, either parachuting or watching Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

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