Foil: 6 Panel: Distinguished Flying Cross Society Column: 1 Line: 17

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, veteran, friend, and helicopter pilot. These are all ways to describe Walt Todhunter. Born in Portland, Oregon in 1946, Walt joined the US Army November 11, 1965 and became a 19-year-old helicopter pilot. He flew the skies of Vietnam from May 1967 to May 1968 for which he received many medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross; 18 Air Medals, three with V device for valor; Bronze Star; Purple Heart; Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm; Good Conduct Medal; and the National Defense Medal.

From 1968 through 1969 he served as a US Army Cobra helicopter instructor pilot. He has continued to fly professionally ever since, logging 12,500 total helicopter flight hours by 2004. He has helped to extinguish wildfires in Oregon and in Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks, strung power lines in the southwestern US, and flown medical evacuation for MedStar, Washington (DC) Hospital Center. He also served in the Illinois National Guard from 1974 to 1978 and has served in the District of Columbia Army National Guard from 1986 to present. Since 1999 Walt has been active duty with the DC ARNG, with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer (CW4).

Walt is the father of a daughter and two sons and grandfather to three granddaughters. He currently (2004) lives with his wife Debbi and their six dogs in Northern Virginia. What a view of the world and life he has had!