SMSGT JOSEPH T. WALKER (“SARGE”)
10 SEPTEMBER 1925 - 8 SEPTEMBER 2001
Burial Location: SECTION RR SITE 2104
SMSgt Joseph T. Walker was the original “Sarge” of the Missouri 81st AFJROTC, having founded the unit in 1972. He remained a full-time ASI until 1988 when he retired, but he remained active with the JROTC Drill Team and coached them on a voluntary basis for many years afterwards.
Sarge was always looking out for cadets he could help achieve their dreams and goals. As someone who grew up in a foster home from the time he was three years old until he was fourteen, Sarge knew the importance of having a good mentor and he was that to the cadets of the MO81st. Because of his leadership, cadets were able to participate in almost eight different drill meets every year, including the drill meet in Daytona Beach. Sarge established the tradition of traveling to Florida every November in order to compete in the drill competition. As passionate marathon runner, Sarge was also responsible for creating the one mile run on Daytona Beach which cadets participated in right before boarding the school bus and traveling 14+ hours back to St. Louis where they were expected to report to class the next day.
Sarge passed away peacefully at his home on 8 September 2001 leaving behind his beloved wife, Olive, and their five adult children. He was laid to rest on 11 September, the morning of the 9/11 attacks.
PV2 Paul Varner
5 July 1984 - 29 April 2005
Burial Location: SECTION N SITE 52
Paul entered Lafayette High School where he joined the MO81st and remained a cadet in the unit throughout his high school years. During his junior year, Paul joined the JROTC Competition Color Guard team. He also became involved in other activities at Lafayette including the Latin Club and wrestling. He was an active member of the Latin Club for four years and wrestled until the end of his junior year. Paul was also involved in football, the Thespians (a popular theatre group), B.A.S.I.C. Club, and Computer Club. The latter two echoed to his future Army career
Upon graduating in the spring of 2003, Paul enlisted to serve his country in the United States Army as a Communications Officer. Private Second Class Varner was stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana when the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division was activated on 19 January 2005. Nicknamed "The Patriot Brigade" it originally included just a few hundred Soldiers. However, the Brigade's leadership immediately set to work to rapidly build combat power and capabilities in anticipation of deploying to support the Global War on Terror. In the midst of preparing for deployment, PV2 Varner was participating in a live-fire training exercise at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas when he was accidentally shot and killed.
Daniel Navarro
28 August 1986 - 5 July 2005
Burial Location: SECTION N SITE 45
Like his brother, Daniel Navarro was a cadet in the MO81st and loved his country. Though he participated in Drill Team, including taking first place with his brother in Dual Armed Exhibition, Daniel did not join the military immediately after leaving high school. While his brother was serving in Iraq, Daniel was involved in a motor vehicle accident in Washington State and died. Daniel was 18 years old.
During his short time at Lafayette, Daniel was well-known to be soft spoken, determined and respectful. Any response from Daniel was sure to be in true military-style of "Yes, Sir" or "No, Sir". Daniel was famous for addressing his military instructors by their full rank instead of a nickname. He felt the manner in which he addressed the SASI and ASI showed his great respect for them and their sacrifice and service to the United States of America.
Daniel was laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Six months later, his brother, Peter, was buried beside him.
Specialist Peter Joseph Navarro
5 February 1985 - 13 December 2005
Burial Location: SECTION N SITE 44
Specialist Navarro was born into a military family and decided to join the military shortly after graduating from Lafayette High School. Two years later, Pete came home from Iraq on a two week leave to bury his younger brother, Daniel, after he died suddenly in a motor vehicle accident. After the funeral, his mother asked him not to return to Iraq, but Pete responded, "Mom, they would be a man short. They need me there.”
On 13 December, 2005, Pete and a group of soldiers were on patrol in Taji, Iraq as they prepared Baghdad for the upcoming elections. Pete usually drove a tank, but on this day he was in a Humvee when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was killed along with three other soldiers just one month before the scheduled end of his deployment in Iraq. Ten days later Pete was laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. People lined the streets to say goodbye, waving flags to show support to the Navarro family including Pete's 14 year old brother, Kevin. The Army presented his parents with three metals for Pete: the Good Conduct Medal, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
On 19 April 2013, the Ballwin Post Office was named in recognition of his service and sacrifice. It was the first time a post office building in the Gateway District of the U.S. Postal Service was named in honor of a soldier. Today a part of Peter's legacy continues through the Peter Navarro Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded each spring at the Dining Out of the MO81st AFJROTC.
10 SEPTEMBER 1925 - 8 SEPTEMBER 2001
Burial Location: SECTION RR SITE 2104
SMSgt Joseph T. Walker was the original “Sarge” of the Missouri 81st AFJROTC, having founded the unit in 1972. He remained a full-time ASI until 1988 when he retired, but he remained active with the JROTC Drill Team and coached them on a voluntary basis for many years afterwards.
Sarge was always looking out for cadets he could help achieve their dreams and goals. As someone who grew up in a foster home from the time he was three years old until he was fourteen, Sarge knew the importance of having a good mentor and he was that to the cadets of the MO81st. Because of his leadership, cadets were able to participate in almost eight different drill meets every year, including the drill meet in Daytona Beach. Sarge established the tradition of traveling to Florida every November in order to compete in the drill competition. As passionate marathon runner, Sarge was also responsible for creating the one mile run on Daytona Beach which cadets participated in right before boarding the school bus and traveling 14+ hours back to St. Louis where they were expected to report to class the next day.
Sarge passed away peacefully at his home on 8 September 2001 leaving behind his beloved wife, Olive, and their five adult children. He was laid to rest on 11 September, the morning of the 9/11 attacks.
PV2 Paul Varner
5 July 1984 - 29 April 2005
Burial Location: SECTION N SITE 52
Paul entered Lafayette High School where he joined the MO81st and remained a cadet in the unit throughout his high school years. During his junior year, Paul joined the JROTC Competition Color Guard team. He also became involved in other activities at Lafayette including the Latin Club and wrestling. He was an active member of the Latin Club for four years and wrestled until the end of his junior year. Paul was also involved in football, the Thespians (a popular theatre group), B.A.S.I.C. Club, and Computer Club. The latter two echoed to his future Army career
Upon graduating in the spring of 2003, Paul enlisted to serve his country in the United States Army as a Communications Officer. Private Second Class Varner was stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana when the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division was activated on 19 January 2005. Nicknamed "The Patriot Brigade" it originally included just a few hundred Soldiers. However, the Brigade's leadership immediately set to work to rapidly build combat power and capabilities in anticipation of deploying to support the Global War on Terror. In the midst of preparing for deployment, PV2 Varner was participating in a live-fire training exercise at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas when he was accidentally shot and killed.
Daniel Navarro
28 August 1986 - 5 July 2005
Burial Location: SECTION N SITE 45
Like his brother, Daniel Navarro was a cadet in the MO81st and loved his country. Though he participated in Drill Team, including taking first place with his brother in Dual Armed Exhibition, Daniel did not join the military immediately after leaving high school. While his brother was serving in Iraq, Daniel was involved in a motor vehicle accident in Washington State and died. Daniel was 18 years old.
During his short time at Lafayette, Daniel was well-known to be soft spoken, determined and respectful. Any response from Daniel was sure to be in true military-style of "Yes, Sir" or "No, Sir". Daniel was famous for addressing his military instructors by their full rank instead of a nickname. He felt the manner in which he addressed the SASI and ASI showed his great respect for them and their sacrifice and service to the United States of America.
Daniel was laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Six months later, his brother, Peter, was buried beside him.
Specialist Peter Joseph Navarro
5 February 1985 - 13 December 2005
Burial Location: SECTION N SITE 44
Specialist Navarro was born into a military family and decided to join the military shortly after graduating from Lafayette High School. Two years later, Pete came home from Iraq on a two week leave to bury his younger brother, Daniel, after he died suddenly in a motor vehicle accident. After the funeral, his mother asked him not to return to Iraq, but Pete responded, "Mom, they would be a man short. They need me there.”
On 13 December, 2005, Pete and a group of soldiers were on patrol in Taji, Iraq as they prepared Baghdad for the upcoming elections. Pete usually drove a tank, but on this day he was in a Humvee when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was killed along with three other soldiers just one month before the scheduled end of his deployment in Iraq. Ten days later Pete was laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. People lined the streets to say goodbye, waving flags to show support to the Navarro family including Pete's 14 year old brother, Kevin. The Army presented his parents with three metals for Pete: the Good Conduct Medal, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
On 19 April 2013, the Ballwin Post Office was named in recognition of his service and sacrifice. It was the first time a post office building in the Gateway District of the U.S. Postal Service was named in honor of a soldier. Today a part of Peter's legacy continues through the Peter Navarro Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded each spring at the Dining Out of the MO81st AFJROTC.