Walter A. Hynes was born in 1921 in New York. He resided in Kings County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on October 21, 1940, prior to the war, in New York City, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents. Walter served as a Staff Sergeant and Radio Operator on C-47 #41-18518, 6th Squadron, 1st Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-47 #41-18518 took off, with a crew of 3 and 1 passenger, from Mohanbari, India on a mission to Kunming, China. During the mission they radioed from the vicinity of Sookerating, India for a weather report at Yunnanyi, China. That was the last that was seen or heard from this C-47, it was July 13, 1943. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until December 19, 1945.

In 2008 this C-47 was found by MIA Recoveries (a non-profit group) northeast of a small village named Maruli in the Arunachal Pradesh providence in India. At that time no remain's were found.

Walter's name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov