Peach Tree Times

Gov. Brian Kemp is fondly remembering World War II veteran Sidney Walton, who recently passed away in Santa Monica, California, at 102 years old.

’’It was an honor to meet Sidney Walton, and we are forever grateful for his lifetime of service to our nation,” Kemp said in a post to Twitter. “Marty, the girls, and I were heartbroken to hear of his passing. May God’s peace and comfort be with all who knew and loved him.’’

A native New Yorker and one of the oldest remaining World War II veterans, Walton was raised on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and attended City College of New York before enlisting in the Army in 1941 to “fight Hitler,” according to the New York Post.

Sidney Walton | U.S. Army

At the time of his death, Walton had been on a national tour to meet each of the 50 governors as part of a crusade to raise awareness about contributions and sacrifices veterans like him have made, according to the Los Angeles Times. On Sept. 28, he visited Oklahoma and met with Gov. Kevin Sitt as his 40th state, the New York Post reported.

In 2020, City Hall feted him, with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio saluting him to highlight his 101st birthday, according to the New York Post.

“My father was a living piece of history, reminding us not to forget the price of our freedoms today,” Paul Walton told the Los Angeles Times. “He inspired tremendous appreciation for all veterans. He was undaunted. Nothing could keep my father down.”

Walton’s latter-life travels brought him face-to-face with not only governors, but current and former presidents, global leaders, celebrities and everyday people. In every instance, he shared experiences from his time in the China-Burma-India theater during the war as his one-man tour continued to generate headlines, the Los Angeles Times said.

“My dad was a patriot,” Paul Walton said. “He joined the Army specifically to fight Hitler. He didn’t have to. No one drafted him."

Born Feb. 11, 1919, Walton lived a full life but there were times he openly talked of regrets. One of them was passing on a chance in 1939 to meet a group of aging Civil War veterans that had convened at the World’s Fair in his hometown of New York City, the Los Angeles Times reported.

At least partly from that, the seeds of Walton’s “No Regrets” tour were planted, according to the Los Angeles Times. Paul Walton suggested the idea to his father.

“I said, ‘How would you like to go on tour across the country, meet every governor in every state and meet people along the way and give each and every one of them an opportunity to meet a World War II veteran before it’s too late?’” Paul Walton recalled. “He said, ‘Son, I’m up for that.’”

As his journey unfolded, Walton crossed paths with the likes of Joe Biden before he became president, Bob Dole, Jeff Bezos, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, John Legend and Prince Harry, the Los Angeles Times reported.. Walton also played a role in the coin flip at the Kansas City Chiefs-San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl in February 2020.

One of Walton’s most memorable interactions occurred in New Orleans, when he spent 20 minutes with the Dalai Lama, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“This was not just to reward my father for his brave service that a lot of World War II veterans never received,” Paul Walton said. “But this is to remind all Americans of the service and the sacrifices they made so we can all be here to enjoy our freedoms.”

In 2019, Walton visited the White House for an Oval Office visit with then-President Donald Trump, who called on him to be a part of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, the Los Angeles Times reported. Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron chatted with Sidney during the proceedings.

Paul Walton branded the tour “a symbol of unity” for the country.

“This is not a Republican campaign, it’s not a Democrat campaign, it’s not an independent campaign,” he said. “It’s an American campaign.”