serviceyears branch death_date allegiance birth_date alt commands death_place placeofburial_label battles placeofburial rank image name caption servicenumber birth_place awards nickname article_title birth_name
1917 -- 1943 aviation service united states army air corps united states army air section forces , signal corps united states army air 05 january 1943 united states of america 1912 17 july 1898 head with decorations . & nbsp ; & nbsp ; 70px and head and shoulders view of man in military uniform with shoulders decorations . & nbsp ; & nbsp ; 70px view of man in military uniform v 11th bombardment squadron bomber command 18th pursuit group 9th bombardment squadron rabaul , new britain places of burial -lrb- markers only -rrb- world war ii arlington national cemetery manila american cemetery , philippines 15px brigadier general 200px kenneth walker brigadier general kenneth n. walker 0-12510 los cerillos , new mexico medal of merit purple heart of honor distinguished service cross silver star legion ken kenneth walker
 kenneth newton walker
kenneth walker

brigadier general kenneth newton walker -lrb- 17 july 1898 -- 5 january 1943 -rrb- was a united states army aviator and a united states army air forces general who exerted a significant influence on the development of airpower doctrine .
he posthumously received the medal of honor in world war ii .
walker joined the united states army in 1917 , after the american entry into world war i .
he trained as an aviator and became a flying instructor .
in 1920 , after the end of the war , he received a commission in the regular army .
after service in various capacities , walker graduated from the air corps tactical school in 1929 , and then served as an instructor there .
he supported the creation of a separate air organization that is not subordinate to other military branches .
he was a forceful advocate of the efficacy of strategic bombardment , publishing articles on the subject and becoming part of a clique known as the `` bomber mafia '' that argued for the primacy of bombardment over other forms of military aviation .
he advanced the notion that fighters could not prevent a bombing attack .
he participated in the air corps tactical school 's development of the doctrine of industrial web theory , which called for precision attacks against carefully selected critical industrial targets .
shortly before the united states entered world war ii , walker became one of four officers assigned to the air war plans division , which was tasked with developing a production requirements plan for the war in the air .
together , these officers devised the awpd-1 plan , a blueprint for the imminent air war against germany that called for the creation of an enormous air force to win the war through strategic bombardment .
in 1942 , walker was promoted to brigadier general and transferred to the southwest pacific , where he became commanding general , v bomber command , fifth air force .
the southwest pacific contained few strategic targets , relegating the bombers to the role of interdicting supply lines and supporting the ground forces .
this resulted in a doctrinal clash between walker and lieutenant general george c. kenney , an attack aviator , over the proper method of employing bombers .
walker frequently flew combat missions over new guinea , for which he received the silver star .
on 5 january 1943 , he was shot down and killed leading a daylight bombing raid over rabaul , for which he was awarded the medal of honor .
