Honoring Those Who Served
Robert Walker was born 11-OCT 1886. Robert lived in Wentzville MO. He 2was the son of Elvira Williams. He was a Private in Company 27, 163rd Depot Brigade. He entered the service 1-JUN 1917. The role of depot brigades was to receive and organize recruits, provide them with uniforms, equipment, and initial military training, and then send them to France to fight on the front lines. The depot brigades also received soldiers returning home at the end of the war and completed their out processing and discharges.
In June 1917, the 163rd Depot Brigade was formed at Camp Dodge. The brigade was the base unit for the 88th Division, which processed new draftees and provided basic training. Later it appears the brigade dispatched soldiers to multiple divisions, as two African American soldiers were sent to the 163rd Depot Brigade at Camp Dodge, before being posted to a front-line Pioneer Infantry Battalion in 92nd Division, the “Buffalo Soldiers Division”. The 163 Brigade was still at Dodge in April 1918. Robert Walker died 11-OCT 1918 at Camp Dodge Iowa of disease or Spanish Influenza.
We are looking for more information about Robert. Please contact the St. Charles County Veterans Museum.