More detail on this person: Service is 10 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 15, in White's Funeral Chapel, 101
N.E. 4th Ave., Mineral Wells. Pastor Joe Chamness
will officiate. Col. Walls will be interred with
full military honors at Dallas-Fort Worth National
Cemetery.
Col. Walls was born Sept. 1, 1932, in Harrisburg,
Ill., the son of William Oral and Bertha Marie
Walls. Bob married the love of his life, Jannett
R. Rogers, on May 14, 1953, in Hagerstown, Md.
He was a beloved husband, father and
grandfather.
Col. Wall enlisted in the U.S. Army in January
1951 and retired from the Army in 1971 as a
lieutenant colonel. His service included commander
of the Aviation Radio Research Unit in Vietnam;
flight commander at Fort Wolters; staff officer,
Combat Development Command, Washington,
D.C.; and battalion commander helicopter
maintenance officer in Vietnam. His last
assignment was as director of communications and
electronics at Fort Wolters.
He served one tour in Korea and two tours in
Vietnam as a fixed wing and helicopter pilot.
Among his many military awards are the
Meritorious Service Medal, Air Metal with 16 Oak
Leaf Clusters and the Bronze Star, Korean Service
Medal, Senior Army Aviator Badge, Medal of Valor
with one Oak Leaf Cluster and Cross of Gallantry
with Palm.
After his military retirement in 1971 he earned a
master's degree in Business Administration from
Tarleton State University. He worked in the
private sector as a tax auditor with Texas
Employment Commission, a business instructor at
Weatherford College and executive director of Palo
Pinto County Transportation Council.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church,
having served as chairman of the Finance
Committee, chairman of the board of trustees and
member of Council of Ministries & Administrative
Council. He was a member of King Solomon Lodge
No. 5, F.&A.M., in Tombstone, Ariz., for 54
years.
A paid life member of The American Legion, Farris
Anderson Post 75, he served in many positions at
the local, state and national level, including
Commander of Post 75, 17th District Commander,
4th Division Commander and Department of Texas
Commander in 2003. In 1998 he was named Texas
Legionnaire of the year. In 2002 he was the only
Texas Legionnaire inducted into ANAVICUS, the
Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada-U.
S. Unit. Col. Walls served on The American Legion
Department of Texas Board of Trustees and The
American Legion Department of Texas Foundation.
He was a member of the Past Department
Commanders Club, The District Commanders Club
and the De GNUTS Club of Texas.
Col. Walls served three terms as president of The
Retired Officers Association, Fort Wolters
Chapter, was past president of Military Officers
Association of America, Fort Wolters Chapter; was
a representative to the Texas MOAA Council of
Chapters, and was a member of Friends of the
National Vietnam War Museum, Vietnam Helicopter
Pilots Association, U.S. Army Signal Corp. OCS
Association, 145th Combat Aviation Battalion
Vietnam Association and the 120th Aviation
Company Association.
In addition to Col. Walls involvement with the
American Legion and military organizations, he
served the community in various capacities
including serving on the Mineral Wells City
Council from 1988-1993, including as mayor
pro-tem for 1991-93. He served as special advisor
to the City of Mineral Wells on the Rails To
Trails project from 1993 to 1996. He served as
president of the Board of Directors of Public
Transit Services; first president of Cross Timbers
Trail Blazers Inc., first treasurer of Cross
Timbers Senior Citizens Task Force; chartering
director of Keep Mineral Wells Beautiful;
president of Palo Pinto Community Service
Corporation; past first vice president of Region
Eight, Texas Municipal League; past member
NCTCOG, Airport Advisory Board; past member
Professional Industrial Recruitment Round Table,
NCTCOG; past member Economic Development
Round Table, NCTCOG; past member Metropolitan
Transportation Planning Certification Review
NCTCOG; past member of the Mineral Wells
Chamber of Commerce, having served on Tourism,
Economic Development and Transportation
committees; past member of the Mineral Wells
Rotary Club; past president of Public Transit
Service and was a member of Boyce Ditto Friends
of the Library and Mineral Wells ISD
Foundation.
Survivors include his his wife of 58 years,
Jannett R. Walls; daughter, Sabrina Karen Bonner
and significant other, William Welch, of Mineral
Wells, and son, Patrick Dennis Walls, of
McPherson, Kan.; and two grandchildren, Sheena
Dawn Bonner, of Los Angeles, and Rachel Shae
Walls, of Bentonville, Ark.
Bobby Gene "Bob" Walls departed this earthly life
on August 10, 2011. Bob enlisted in the U.S. Army
January 1951 and retired from the U.S. Army in
1971 as Lt. Colonel. His service included
Commander Aviation Radio Research Unit in
Vietnam; Flight Commander at Fort Wolters; Staff
Officer, Combat Development Command, Washing,
DC; Battalion Commander Helicipter Maintenance
Officer in Vietnam. He served 1 tour in Korea and
2 tours in Vietnam as a fixed wing and helicopter
pilot. Among his many military awards are the
Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 16 Oak
Leaf Clusters and the Bronze Star, Korean Service
Medal, Senior Aviator Badge, Medal of Valor with 1
Oak Leaf Cluster, Cross of Gallantry with Palm.
Burial information: Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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