Walter L. Stewart Jr.

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Walter L. Stewart Jr. is a retired United States Army major general. Born July 17, 1944, in Camden, New Jersey, he grew up in Glassboro and finished high school at Delsea Regional High School in 1962. He earned an associate degree from Temple University in 1966 and later a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Albright College in 1990. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1981.

Stewart enlisted in 1966 and completed Officer Candidate School in 1967, becoming a commissioned officer. He served in both the Aviation and Infantry branches and fought in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1970 with aviation units. In 1973, he joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and held various command and staff roles in the 28th Infantry Division’s aviation units, eventually leading the 28th Aviation Battalion and the 28th Aviation Brigade.

He was promoted to brigadier general in 1991. From 1994 to 1996, he served as the Director for Mobilization and Reserve Component Affairs at United States European Command, making him the first National Guard major general mobilized for federal service since the Berlin Crisis of 1961. He was promoted to major general in 1995 and commanded the 28th Infantry Division from 1996 to 1998. He then served as deputy commander of Pennsylvania’s State Area Command from 1998 until his retirement in 2000. His awards include the Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, and Legion of Merit. His mobilization supported Operation Joint Endeavor/IFOR in Bosnia.

Away from the military, Stewart owned a tour and travel business in Bernville, Pennsylvania. After retiring, he wrote about military issues and published a Vietnam War memoir. In 2023, he released Jefferson’s Angels: How Ending the Draft Doomed the American Republic. He also entered public service again and was elected to the North Heidelberg Township Board of Supervisors in 2005. He is married to Sheila Ann Hughes since 1968, and they have three children.