CAMP PENDLETON — A Camp Pendleton Marine who joined the Corps in 1942, retired earlier this month from his civilian job at Camp Pendleton.
Sgt. Maj. Walter Valentine, 89, served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam over three decades with the Marines and then spent another three decades helping comrades make a smooth transition into civilian life when they retire.
After Valentine finished boot camp at Camp Lejeune, NC in 1942, he joined the 3rd Marine Division and headed for combat in the Pacific as a scout sniper.
He was in the assault landing of Bougainville, now Papua New Guinea, in November 1943, then headed to Guadalcanal for more combat training. Later he participated in the assault landing that recaptured the island of Guam and fought in the battle of Iwo Jima, where he earned a Purple Heart.
“I will never forget the flag rising at Iwo Jima,” Valentine said.
His combat duties continued during the Korean War in 1950 when he fought in the battle of Chosin Reservoir after communist forces attacked Korea’s southern peninsula.
Valentine was in the battlefield in Vietnam conflict during the 1960s, earning his combat crew wings as a door gunner.
Roughly 31 years after boot camp, Valentine retired from active duty at Camp Pendleton in 1973.
“I served with many fine and heroic men and women during some of our country’s major combat missions,” Valentine said. “The friendships and respect we have for one another has lasted through the years.”
He enrolled at MiraCosta College and completed an associate degree in business administration and supervision on the GI Bill.
Valentine was back on base in 1980 as a civilian employee running retirement seminars for Marines and sailors and helping them find jobs.
“When I retired from active duty I wanted to continue to serve the men and women in the Marine Corps. It’s been an honor to help the younger generation,” Valentine said.
He estimates that he’s helped 20,000 transitioning service members over 30 years. Valentine retired from his post as special programs coordinator with the Personal and Professional Development Program on Feb. 14.
