Pioneering paratrooper Roger Stanley Walden was born on May 21, 1922
in Des Moines, Iowa. Attending St. Anselm's School in Chicago and Barber
Intermediate School, Munger School, and Chadsey Schools in Detroit,
Walden graduated from Eastern High School in 1941.
A tool apprentice at Ford at the onset of World War II, Walden enlisted on
December 7, 1942. Assigned to the 365th Infantry Regiment, Walden
volunteered for the first black test platoon of 20 paratroopers. At Parachute
School in Fort Benning, Georgia, Walden and fifteen others earned their
parachute wings as the Sweet Sixteen in February of 1944, becoming the
first African American paratroopers in United States military history.
Promoted to sergeant in the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, Walden
and his group were transferred to Camp Mackall, North Carolina. Walden
received his commission as a second lieutenant of infantry in March of
1945 when he finished Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning. After
receiving special training to combat Japanese balloon bombs at Camp
Pendleton, Oregon, the 555th was soon deployed as Army fire jumpers.
Shipped to Gifu, Honshu, Japan in 1949, Walden served as commander of
Company A of the 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division of the Far
East Command. In 1950, Walden as a captain commanded Company F in
Pusan, Korea and he was made a Battalion S4 before being rotated back to
the United States. Promoted to Major, Walden served in Europe from 1957
to 1960 with the 3rd Armored Rifle Battalion, 51st Infantry, 4th Armored
Group.
Earning his B.A. degree in social studies from San Francisco State
University under the Army's Bootstrap Program, Walden was promoted to
lieutenant colonel. He taught military science at Central State University
until his retirement in 1966. Walden worked as manager of the City of
Detroit's Vacant Housing Rehabilitation Program until 1984. Walden is
married to Wendy Brierly and has two sons and three daughters.
