About
World War II (1939-1945)
Walter Bernard Stay was born in Schenectady, New York, on September 11, 1924. He grew up in the town of Rotterdam in Schenectady County. As a small boy in Schenectady, he participated in Soap Box Derby racing and appeared in the newspaper several times. Before entering the military, he was a student at Draper High School and worked for Rudnick's Clothing Store.
In October 1942, Walter enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He became a Paramarine after attending the Parachute School at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He was a private first class serving with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Walter was killed on September 29, 1944, during the US Marine Corps invasion on Peleliu Island. He is buried in the Evergreen Memorial Park in Colonie, New York.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry