| Walter Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Smokey |
| Born | April 15, 1920 Jackson, Mississippi |
| Died | April 19, 1997 (aged 77) Biloxi, Mississippi |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942-1945 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
| Relations | -Elizabeth B. Ladeau (wife) |
| Other work | Oil and gas lease broker |
Corporal Walter Scott Gordon, Jr. (April 15, 1920 - April 19, 1997)[2] was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Gordon was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Ben Caplan.
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Walter Scott "Smokey" Gordon was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He enrolled at Millsaps College around 1940 and stayed there for 2 years.[3] Due to colorblindness, the Marines and the Navy had rejected him, so he joined the Army.[4] Gordon enlisted on August 10, 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[4]
Beginning in August 1942 at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, he was trained under Herbert Sobel. Gordon had served with Easy Company as a machine gunner.[5] He jumped in Normandy on June 6, 1944. One week later, on June 13 he was wounded in the arm and shoulder at Carentan, France.[5] In September 1944, he jumped in the failed operation mission of Operation Market Garden at Holland. Smokey fought in Bastogne, Belgium from December 1944 - January 1945. On Christmas Eve, Gordon was shot in his back which paralyzed him. He was evacuated from the front lines on December 27. In the process of recovery, he was hospitalized for six months.[5][6]
In spring 1945, Gordon was sent back to the States headed to Lawson General Hospital.[6] He later moved to Lafayette, Louisiana.[5] He became employed as an independent oil and gas lease broker.[5] In 1946, with Mike Ranney and Bob Rader, he began organizing Easy Company reunions.[7] In 1951, he married Elizabeth Ball Ludeau.[5] The couple had five children.[5] He died in Pass Christian, Mississippi after suffering a stroke in his sleep.[5]