Walter 'Walt' A. Hartman enlisted in the Navy at Kansas City, KS in March 1945. He received his orders to report to Great Lakes Training Base in May 1945 for his 'Boot Camp.' He was then sent by 'troop train' to California to Camp Elliot and assigned to his outgoing unit. In September 1945, he boarded a troop ship to Guam where he was then assigned to his ship, Patrol Craft 1137 (PC 1137) and given responsibility in the Engine Room for Maintenance and Operations of that area of the ship. His ship escorted convoys to and from Guam and Okinawa where they worked on the anti-submarine nets at Apra Harbor, Guam. Later, the ship was sent to the Bikini ATOL in support of Mine-Sweepers. They exploded the mines after the Mine-Sweepers cut them free from their securing cables. They supported the Mine-Sweeper operations of 23 islands and served in the occupation of Japan's Tokyo Harbor. After discharge from the military in 1947, he went to Quincy College, Illinois where he obtained a business background. He then worked in his family's business in Clay Center, KS --- 'The Hartman Broom Factory.' He then went to Central Kansas Technical Institute in Kansas City after which he was hired by RCA Missile Support Division, Cape Canaveral and Patrick Air Force Base, FL. He worked on the downrange missile tracking system for 11 years. His next assignment was in Huntsville, AL with Sperry Rand. He worked for four years at the Huntsville Space Support & Test Facility. His specialty was a multiple docking adapter for space vehicles and power sources for missile systems. He moved back to Kansas in 1971 and worked for Black & Veach Engineering Consultants in the Power Division. He later became supervisor of Document Control and after 19 years with the company, he retired to Abilene. Walt married Dorothy Bernice Sawin in 1948 and they have one son, Gene, of Abilene.