John Thomas Walton, (October 8, 1946 – June 27, 2005), was a son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. He was the chairman of True North Partners, a venture capital firm. October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Samuel Moore Walton (March 29, 1918–April 5, 1992) was the founder of the giant American retailer Wal-Mart. ... A chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... Venture capital is a general term to describe financing for startup and early stage businesses as well as businesses in turn around situations. ...

Walton is a notable graduate of Bentonville High School, a public high school, where he was a star football player. Walton went on to continue his studies and later drop out from the College of Wooster located in Wooster, Ohio in order to enroll in the U.S. Army and fight in the Vietnam War. He joined in 1968, after the Tet Offensive. During the war he served in the Green Berets as part of the Special Operations Group. He was involved in a battle in the A Shau Valley in Laos, where he was the medic and second-in-command in a unit named "Strike Team Louisiana". An account of the battle can be found in the book Across the Fence: The Secret War in Vietnam (ISBN 0974361801) by John Stryker Meyer. Eventually he received a Silver Star for bravery in combat. Bentonville High School is an educational institute in Bentonville, Arkansas. ... The College of Wooster is a liberal arts college with fewer than 2000 students located in Wooster, Ohio, in Wayne County, Ohio. ... Wayne County courthouse in downtown Wooster Wooster is a city located in Wayne County, Ohio. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The Vietnam War was fought from 1957 to 1975 between Soviet and Chinese-supported Vietnamese nationalist and Communist forces and an array of Western and pro-Western forces, most notably the United States. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The Tet Offensive was a series of operational offensives launched in 1968 by the PLAF and PAVN against ARVN and ARVN-allied forces during the American involvement in the Vietnam War. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army Special Forces, the Green Berets. ... The Silver Star is a United States military award which is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Armed Forces, is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing...

As part of the Philanthropy Roundtable, in 1998 Walton and friend Ted Forstmann established the Children's Scholarship Fund to provide tuition assistance for low-income families wanting to give their children the best possible education through attendance at a private school. He was a passionate advocate of school vouchers. The Philanthropy Roundtable was established by the Bradley Foundation to help facilitate conservative grantmaking. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Categories: Stub | Forbes 400 ... The Childrens Scholarship Fund is an American privately-funded program that, at any given time, provides private school tuition assistance to about 23,000 students. ...

On June 27, 2005 Walton died when the CGS Hawk Arrow [1] homebuilt aircraft (Experimental Aircraft under FAA regulation) that he was piloting crashed in Jackson, Wyoming. Walton's plane crashed at 12:20 pm local time (1820 GMT) shortly after taking off from Jackson Hole Airport. June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Also known as amateur-built aircraft, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by one or more persons for whom this is not a professional activity. ... For prototypes and flight-test designs, see experimental aircraft or x-planes. ... The Federal Aviation Administration is the entity of the United States government which regulates and oversees all aspects of aviation in the U.S. History The Air Commerce Act of May 20, 1926, is the cornerstone of the Federal Governments regulation of civil aviation. ... Aviators are people who fly aircraft either for pleasure or for a job. ... Jackson is a town located in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming. ... State nickname: Equality State Other U.S. States Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Governor Dave Freudenthal Official languages English Area 253,554 km² (10th)  - Land 251,706 km²  - Water 1,851 km² (0. ... ...

Just before his death, Walton was estimated to be worth US$18.2 billion by Forbes magazine and he was tied with his brother Jim as the 4th richest person in the United States [2] and 11th-richest person in the world. The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The word billion, and its equivalents in other languages, refer to one of two different numbers. ... Forbes magazine is an American business and financial magazine founded in 1917 by B.C. Forbes. ... Jim C. Walton (born 1948?) is the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. ...

Walton is survived by his wife, Christy, and son, Luke; his mother, Helen; two brothers, Rob and Jim; and a sister, Alice. Helen Robson Walton is the widow of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. ... Rob Walton Samuel Robson (Rob) Walton, born 1944, is eldest son of Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, the worlds most powerful retailer. ... Jim C. Walton (born 1948?) is the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. ... Alice L. Walton (born October 7, 1949) is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and Helen Walton. ...

See also

• List of billionaires

List of billionaires (in US dollars) worldwide, based upon Forbes magazines annual listing of The Worlds Richest People (2005). ...

External links

Wikinews has news related to this article:

Wal-Mart heir John Walton killed in plane crash

• Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2004