Walter Francis Layer (March 22, 1907 – April 21, 1965) was an American politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

who served as a Republican member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

for Delaware County from 1947 to 1948. He served as lieutenant colonel in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and as

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. He received the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

award and was a member of the Naval Order of the United States.

Early life

Layer was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and attended public schools in Philadelphia and Chester County. He graduated from the Pennsylvania Military Preparatory School in 1928 and from the Pennsylvania Military College in 1932. Layer worked as a math teacher at Pennsylvania Military College for two years after graduation. He played professional basketball with the Philadelphia Jaspers from 1932 to 1933.

Military service

Layer served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a second lieutenant. He resigned his commission with the U.S. Army Reserve in 1941 in order to accept a commission in the

Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps Reserve is an expedi ...

. He served during World War II as a special naval observer from 1941 to 1942, as an

intelligence officer An intelligence officer is a member of the intelligence field employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a r ...

in the United States Marine Corps Staff and Command School from 1943 to 1944 and as a lieutenant colonel in 1945. He led the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines during the Battle of Tinian. He received the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

for his service. Layer was recalled to service during the Korean War. He commanded the 1st Marine Regiment as colonel and served along the Jamestown Line. He received the

award for his service. He served as a senior advisor to the

Republic of Korea Marine Corps The Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC; ), also known as the ROK Marine Corps, ROK Marines or South Korean marines, is the naval infantry of South Korea. The ROKMC is a branch of the Republic of Korea Navy responsible for amphibious operat ...

and received the Military Order of Ulchi with Gold Star for his service. In 1953, Layer became a member of the regular Marine Corps. He served as provost marshal of the Navy Department and as commanding officer of the Marine Corps Barracks at the

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York, U.S. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a se ...

. Layer was a member of the Naval Order of the United States.

Career

After leaving the military, Layer worked as supervising foreman for the

Sun Oil Company Sunoco LP is an American master limited partnership organized under Delaware state law and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Dating back to 1886, the company has transformed from a vertically integrated energy company to a distributor of fuel ...

. Layer was elected to the

for Delaware County and served from 1947 to 1948. He was a member of the Joint Legislative Commission on Labor Laws. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1949. He also served as councilman for the borough of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Layer is interred at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Layer, Walter Francis 1907 births 1965 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War American men's basketball players Basketball players from Pennsylvania Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Military personnel from Philadelphia Pennsylvania city council members People from Ridley Park, Pennsylvania Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (South Korea) United States Army reservists United States Marine Corps colonels United States Marine Corps reservists Widener University alumni United States Army officers 20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly 20th-century American sportsmen