By Dan McGrath
Major General William J. Walker (USA-ret.), who graduated from Leo in 1975, served as Grand Marshall of the city’s downtown Memorial Day Observance on Saturday, May 24.
Joined by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, the 484th Army band and representatives from each branch of the U.S. military, General Walker spoke before a wreath-laying ceremony in Daley Plaza.
“It’s an honor to be with you on this solemn day,” he said. “Throughout our country’s history, Chicago has always answered the call.”
Describing himself as “a proud son of the South Side,” General Walker cited the education he received at St. Sabina and at Leo as the foundation for the success he has achieved in his career.
“At Leo Catholic I learned the meaning of ‘Facta non Verba,’ and it has been one of the guiding principles of my life,” he said.
Memorial Day, he acknowledged, is a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.
“Grief never leaves us, but it must not paralyze us,” General Walker said.
Our sense of loss, he added, should be tempered by appreciation for the sacrifice of those who died and a determination to maintain the freedom they fought to preserve.
“Freedom is not free – it’s not just a slogan, it’s reality,” General Walker said. “Freedom must be preserved, not by words, but by action. We must defend the ideals that so many died to preserve.”
General Walker is one of Leo’s most accomplished alumni. Before retiring from the Army in 2021 he was Commandant for all National Guard operations in Washington, D.C. As such he was responsible for putting down the insurrection that occurred at the U.S. Capitol when President Trump’s followers tried to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden as the nation’s duly elected President.
After he left the Army, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi hired General Walker to be Sergeant-at-Arms for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first African American to serve in that role, and he held it until Republicans reclaimed the House in the 2024 election.
General Walker is a proud member of the Leo Hall of Fame. He was named Alumni Association Man of the Year in 2019 and received the Andy McKenna Leo Lions Legacy Award at Leo’s sixth annual Scholarship Benefit in 2021.
A poster highlighting General Walker’s career and his ties to Leo is on prominent display on the back wall of the Leo cafeteria.
“Leo illuminated me,” he said.
“He is currently the director of Security for Allied Security Systems Worldwide.