2024 Class

Walter Durnell

Walter Durnell was born in Cabool, Missouri 7 January 1875. His father was a Union Veteran of the Civil War and Walter followed his military example by enlisting at the age of 23 in Company F, 6th Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment in Cabool. Corporal Durnell then served under LTC Harvey Clark, who later became Adjust general of the Missouri National Guard and for whom Camp Clark was later named.

The Regiment moved to Florida in 1898 and entered Havana, Cuba 1 January 1899. It was the only Missouri Regiment to serve on Cuban soil during the war. After his discharge in 1899 he began his entrepreneurial aspirations becoming a newspaper editor maintaining an interest in military service again volunteering to service in 1917 Commanding Company F, 140th Infantry Regiment as Captain Durnell. He passed away at age 70 after a life of selfless service volunteering to serve in two separate wars believing that “public service must be more than doing a job efficiently……..it must be complete dedication to the people and to the nation”.

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