Obituary of Col. Henry Dan Walding

Col. Henry Dan Walding, Sr. (Retired Army), age 92, of Ozark, died Thursday evening, February 16, 2012, in Flowers Hospital. Funeral services will be 2:00 P. M. Monday, February 20, 2012, from Ozark Baptist Church with Reverend Dr. Steve King and Reverend Bill Hix officiating. Interment will follow with full Military Honors in Woodlawn Memory Gardens, Holman Funeral Home of Ozark directing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Sunday from 3:00 P. M. until 5:00 P. M. Col. Walding was born January 2, 1920 in Ozark, Alabama to the late Reverend Marion Jackson Walding, Sr. and Fannie Evelyn Johnson Walding. Col. Walding began his military career in Ozark with the Alabama National Guard 131st Tank Battalion. His unit was mobilized in January 1941. After completing Armor OCS and receiving his officers commission he was assigned to the 746th Tank Battalion and trained at Camp Rucker and then Furford, England to be part of the Allied Invasion. He was in the first wave that landed on Utah Beach D-Day June 6, 1944. He fought in five major campaigns throughout France, Belgium and Germany. He was called back to active duty in 1950 and saw combat with the 89th Tank Battalion in the Korean War. He was then a Major serving as a battalion staff officer. He remained on Active Duty until his retirement in 1970 when he returned home to Ozark. His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, European Theater of Operations. Col. Walding served as Vice President with Fort Rucker National Bank, Ozark Branch Manager from 1971 until his retirement in 1985. He was active as a Deacon and member of the Ozark Baptist Church. He was a 60 year member of the Ozark Masonic Lodge and was active in the Ozark Kiwanis Club. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Marion Frances Walding; and two brothers, Thomas F. Walding and William G. Walding. Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Nan Coleman Walding of Ozark;three daughters and sons-in-law, Etta Lisa and Jerry Sturdivant of Pinckard, Mary Ann and Jim Madison of Ft. Benning, Georgia, Julie Faith and Bob Atterbury of Madison, Alabama; one son, Henry Dan Walding, Jr. of Ozark;three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Jane W. and Louis Martin of Ozark, Catherine and Charles Joens of Algona, Iowa, Carolyn Walding Threatt of Charlotte, North Carolina; two brothers and three sisters-in-law, M. J., Jr. and Lael Walding of Ozark, Jim and Diane Walding of Ozark, and Eloise Walding of Bryan, Texas; four grandchildren, James G. Madison, IV, Dan Coleman Madison, Carol Atterbury Martin, Mary Elizabeth Atterbury Strange; three great grandchildren, Gabriel Martin, Arianna Martin, and Audrey Martin. Several nieces and nephews also survive. Service Information