James Williams Walter Sr.

Bucky ,as most knew him, really had three nicknames. While growing up in North Birmingham and attending Phillips High School and until after his military service, he was known as Bill. When he went to work for the Post Office, he was dubbed Bucky after a famous baseball player of that era.

Later on, with the birth of his grandchildren and great grand children, he became “ Pop”. This was his favorite.

Bucky served in combat in both the United States Merchant Marine and the U.S. Army during World War II in the South Pacific and was a member of the occupation forces in Japan for over a year.

After his military service, Bucky worked as a Railway Mail Clerk with the Post Office and spent 35 years with the Postal Service. The last 16 years of this service was as a full time National Vice President of the American Postal Workers Union ,handling grievances and arbitration cases for the Union.

After retirement from the Post Office, Bucky spent ten years as a Realtor and co-owner of Independent American Realty.

Bucky was very involved in veterans affairs, serving five terms as Commander of Kelly Ingram Post 668. He was President of the American Merchant Marine Veterans, a member and past officer of Post 134 American Legion, member of the Blue Star salute, member of Support Committee for the National Cemetery in Montevallo, member of the Marine Corps League, and a volunteer at the V.A. Hospital.

Bucky was predeceased by his wife of 41years and the love of his life, Carolyn. He was also predeceased by his grandson Jeremy Walter, his grand

Daughter in-law Kathy Palmer, son-in-law Michael McCown, his parents, two sisters and two brothers.

He is survived by daughters Linda ( Gene ) Whitley, Becky ( Jeff ) Palmer and Cindy McCown, one son James W. (Bo) Walter, Jr. ( Debbie ), Nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. One brother Gene Walter.

Bucky was responsible for getting the VFW Post 668 involved with Blue Star Salute Foundation, Inc. (BSSFI) in 2005 by becoming a financial sponsor of BSSFI along with other Veteran Service Organizations.

Bucky understood the missions of the BSSFI; honoring, celebrating, and thanking our veterans; those who have served, those serving, and those who have fallen in the service of their country and their families.

He attended numerous celebratory events throughout the State of Alabama over the years at various municipalities honoring veterans through their individual programs.

Over the last ten years, Bucky attended many deployment ceremonies which honored over 20,000 men and women in uniform who deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Bucky attended numerous memorial services to honor those who had fallen in the service of their country and to pay his respects to their families.

Bucky supported the two annual key programs of the BSSFI which were the Blue Star Salute Celebration and Wreaths Across America. It is in this regard that Bucky and his family have asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Wreaths Across America program for which the Blue Star Salute Foundation, Inc. is the program leader, held the 2nd Saturday in December at the Alabama National Cemetary in Montevallo, Alabama. This is a program in which Bucky believed and participated in from its inception. Donations can be made to: Blue Star Salute Foundation, Inc. ( www.bluestarsalute.org ), PO Box 203, Harpersville, Alabama 35078