Walter Howard Loving (December 17, 1872 – February/March 1945) was an African American soldier and musician most noted for his leadership of the Philippine Constabulary Band.

In addition to his long career in military music, Loving also worked with the U.S. Army's intelligence division during World War I, and, in private life, as a real estate investor in the San Francisco Bay area.

Family legend claims Loving was tutored in mathematics by Theodore Roosevelt when the future president stayed at the Flandrau home in 1886.

A later period of study at the New England Conservatory of Music ended when Loving decided to rejoin the Army over the protests of his professors, who believed his talent as a cornetist would be wasted.

"[4][5][6] During a 1915 performance in San Francisco, California, John Philip Sousa was invited to guest conduct the group, afterwards commenting that, "when I closed my eyes, I thought it was the United States Marine Band.

Holding the rank of major throughout the war, Loving was initially charged with investigating subversive activities by African American leaders, attending meetings and rallies in plainclothes and developing a network of informants.

[9] David Levering Lewis has called Loving "one of the Army's most effective wartime undercover Negro agents.

According to Yoder, with Manila's defenses on the verge of collapse to the advancing American and Filipino armies, the hotel prisoners were ordered to run to the beach while Japanese soldiers shot at them.

[1] In a 2010 article, a Philippine newspaper columnist contends, however, the Manila Hotel prisoners attempted escape and Loving used his body to barricade a staircase to prevent Japanese troops from pursuit; he was bayoneted to death in the process.

[13] A third account relayed in a 1945 Associated Negro Press story says that Loving was shot in the back by retreating Japanese troops.

Mortally wounded, he crawled from the Manila Hotel to the battered bandstand at Luneta Park, the site of many of the Philippine Constabulary Band's performances, and died.

Loving also campaigned for Isabella Selmes Greenway, the granddaughter of Charles Flandrau, during her 1932 congressional race in Arizona.