Specialist Zandra T. Worthy-Walker was born in Union, South Carolina on March 4th, 1979, and attended schools in various South Carolina counties. She graduated from Woodmont High School in 1997 before attending South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina and joined the Army in January 2000. She met her husband, Kenneth Walker, when they were both serving, and married him in 2003.
Specialist Worthy-Walker worked as a Petroleum Supply Specialist fueling helicopters in the 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. She was the airborne soldiers’ biggest cheerleader: “She’d be the one clapping her hands and cheering them on when they came in,” said Specialist Worthy-Walker’s oldest sister, Charlita Worthy. She also worked in human resources at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and in Camp Casey, Korea.
According to her husband, when she completed her first enlistment in 2004, “she reenlisted in 2005 because she missed serving her country and being in the environment she grew to love so dearly.”
On August 15th, 2007, Specialist Worthy-Walker was serving in Taji, Iraq, when she was killed in an attack involving indirect fire. Sergeant Princess C. Samuels was also killed. Specialist Worthy-Walker was 28. Her twin sister, Yolanda Worthy-Weathersby, was serving in Kuwait at the time and returned home when she learned the news.
Charlita reflected on the bittersweet realization that the last time she and Specialist Worthy-Walker had seen each other was at their youngest sister’s funeral when she passed from brain cancer. “Out of sadness, came joy,” she said. “If we hadn’t been together then, it would have been more than a year since we saw each other.”
Charlita also shared that before she made the ultimate sacrifice, Specialist Worthy-Walker made her decision to serve knowing the risks: “She knew what she was going into, and she went into [it] proudly, bravely,” Charlita said. “I’m the big sister, and [my sisters are] supposed to look up to me. But at this point, I’m looking up to her.”
Specialist Worthy-Walker was survived by three of her sisters, her parents, her husband, many nieces and nephews, her maternal grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, her in-laws, and many other family and friends.
In a tribute, Kenneth Walker described that Worthy-Walker’s life was defined by love, bravery, and humor. She made sure everyone she met felt loved. She “was fearless and never backed down from a challenge” and “stood out as a soldier, always accepting her responsibility to serve others well.” She brought a joyful air with her and was known as someone who was constantly smiling and joking.
Specialist Zandra T. Worthy-Walker is buried at Mount Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery, Chest County, South Carolina.
Sources:
https://www.travismanion.org/fallen-heroes/spc-zandra-walker-usa
https://thefallen.militarytimes.com/army-spc-zandra-t-walker/2984009
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/greenvilleonline/name/zandra-walker-obituary?id=39114160
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/charlotte/name/spc-worthy-walker-obituary?id=11470152
Back To Blog