ROBERT WALTERS

For Bob Walters, service to country and community has been a singular way of life. Bob Walters has spent most of his life in a uniform. From his high school ROTC program in Indiana to his military service in Korea, from his Sergeant uniform as a member of the Warrenville Police Force to his participation in the VFW Memorial Post 8081 Color Guard, Walters has proudly served his county and his adopted community. Walters moved to Chicago after the Korean War, and has been an active member of the community in Illinois since then.

Bob Walters is an action and achievement-oriented person who has volunteered to address community needs for almost 50 years. His individual initiative has inspired scores of others to follow in his path of service. He has been a volunteer police officer, City Alderman, School Board member, Commander of VFW Post 8081, 30-year member of the Red Brigade Color Guard and 25-year chair of the “Voice of Democracy” program to encourage high school students in patriotic writing and speaking.

Walters was also the force in getting 140 veterans graves marked. He conducted a study of the Warrenville Cemetery and went through the cemetery books one page at a time. He found there were approximately 140 veterans from all the war periods buried there. As a result of his work, the Warrenville Cemetery Association identified most of the unmarked graves and successfully petitioned Washington to provide gravestones for the Veterans buried in the Cemetery. He is continuing his effort and inputting the information in his computer to assist the Warrenville Historical Society in the work to establish a new city museum.

Walters’ most recent activity as Director of the Emergency Services Disaster Agency (ESDA) has recruited 25 more volunteers. They attend regularly scheduled training sessions and are routinely called out to assist in emergency situations. He receives a $200 per month stipend for this work, but that barely covers the out of pocket costs for telephone calls, computer expenses and auto expenses related to the work he performs.

Walters is so self-effacing in the work he does that most people are not aware of the multitude of activities in which he is involved. His efforts are not for recognition but from the heart. Though he was not born in Warrenville, he is a true son of the town and has made great strides in making the community the place it is today. He was honored as the Parade Marshall for the year 2000 Warrenville July 4th Parade.