Walter J Hanzo Jr was born in Verona, New Jersey. His family moved to Miami Fl when Walter was seven years old. He attended Gesu School, Carlisle Military Academy in Bamberg SC, and The Citadel in Charleston SC.

According to records, Walter Hanzo started his service in the US Navy on 3 Jun 1948. He was a Lt (jg) when he died.

Lt Hanzo was one of eight Navy crew men who died at the end of the Korean Conflict. The men who were in Patrol Squadron (VP-7) had completed their duty in the western Pacific and were headed home. Their plane a P2V-5 Neptune crashed after missing an approach to the airport at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii on the island of Oahu on 22 Jan 1954. The entire crew perished in the crash.

Lt Hanzo and Paul M Koehler are buried together in the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

He was survived by his sister, Mary Agnes and his mother, Anna Lee.

Crew members and passenger on the Neptune:

Joseph Daniel Beczek AD2 - 2nd Mechanic

Richard Newton Brown AT3 - 1st Technician

Wilbur Duvall Cooper Ensign - Navigator

Walter J Hanzo LT.(jg) - Pilot

Gerald Martin Hazlett Ensign - Co-pilot

Paul Martin Koehler AM2 - passenger

Michael Joseph Maksymon AT2 - 1st Radioman

Robert John Staples ADC - Plane Captain