Smokejumper Obituary: Stokes, Walter S. (Pendleton 1945)

Authors

National Smokejumper Association

Files

Obituary

Walter (Buddy) Smith Stokes, 72, of Tampa, Fla. and Great Falls, Mont. died of cancer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11, 2002. Born in Louisville, Ky. on July 5, 1930, he joined the U.S. Army at age 14 and was a smokejumper with the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (The �Triple Nickles�) when it was deployed to the Northwest in 1945 to fight wildfires and those ignited by Japanese balloon bombs. A veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, Walter was awarded a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. He retired from the Air Force in 1972 and went on to retire from Federal Civil Service. He then volunteered in various community programs, was the sergeant-at-arms of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the VFW, and a life member of the Triple Nickle Association.

Identifier

Stokes_Walter-S_Pendleton_1945

Publication Date

October 2002

Keywords

Smokejumping; Smokejumpers -- United States; National Smokejumper Association; Wildfire fighters; Obituaries

Disciplines

Forest Management

Recommended Citation

National Smokejumper Association, "Smokejumper Obituary: Stokes, Walter S. (Pendleton 1945)" (2002). Smokejumper Obituaries. 1158.
https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_bios/1158