Private Walker Private Walker Private Joe Walker is a fictional black market spiv (or Wholesales Supplier, as he politely puts it) and Home Guard platoon member, portrayed by actor James Beck in the BBC television sitcom "Dad's Army". Beck died suddenly in 1973. The character of Walker was possibly one of the most prominent and popular in the show. Following his character's departure (Walker was last mentioned in the episode "The Recruit", although he does not appear in this episode) the series attempted to replace him with a war reporter called Private Cheeseman (played by Talfryn Thomas), who had made a previous
Sam S. Walker offered Walker assignment as chief of staff for the United States European Command, a three-star position. Walker declined this post, and opted to retire. At the end of his assignment in Turkey, he was awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Service. After retiring from the Army, Walker was the superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, from 1981 to 1988. He has also served as a board member of the Advisory Council of the U.S.-Korea Foundation, the Council on U.S.-Korea Security Studies, the National D-Day Museum, and the American Friends