Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately 2 linear feet of materials documenting Colonel Walter Edward Newburn's service as a U.S. Army chaplain with 1st Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mech) stationed in Quang Tri Province from March 1969 to March 1970. The materials include artifacts, photographs, and an operational report.

Biographical / Historical

Colonel Walter E. Newburn was born in 1921 in Piggott, AR. He volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps in September 1942. He served as a P-47 pilot with the 493rd Fighter Squadron, assisting in the invasion of Normandy at Omaha Beach in June 1944. After WWII, he served with the Tennessee National Guard and began seminary studies. In 1954, he became an Army Chaplain and served in this capacity for twenty years. He served with various units over this period including 67th Armor (Ferris Barracks, Erlangen, Germany); 41st Infantry (Ft. Smith and Ft. Chaffee, AR; Ft. Huachuca, AZ); 249th General Hospital (Tokyo, Japan); units at the Yuma Proving Ground; 1st Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mech) (Quang Tri Province, Vietnam); and NATO. He retired from active duty in 1974 at the rank of Colonel. After his military service, he worked as a minister in the United Methodist Church.