Walter Gabriel Schindler (December 10, 1897 – April 3, 1991) was a highly decorated career officer in the United States Navy, who ultimately achieved the rank of vice admiral.

While a commander during World War II, Schindler received a Navy Cross and a Silver Star for his service aboard the USS Yorktown, including during the Battle of the Coral Sea.

He served in that capacity until June 1924, when he was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) and transferred to the destroyer Robert Smith, cruising along the west coast of the United States and Mexico and later visiting ports in Samoa, New Zealand and Australia with the Battle Force, Pacific Fleet.

[6][7][8][9][2] In May 1927, Schindler was promoted to lieutenant and ordered to the Naval Postgraduate School, then located at Annapolis, Maryland, where he completed a course in ordnance engineering there.

[13][14][2] Upon promotion to lieutenant commander in June 1937, Schindler was appointed gunnery officer aboard the cruiser Augusta, the flagship of Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet, Admiral Harry E. Yarnell.

[2] Upon his return stateside, Schindler rejoined the Bureau of Ordnance, now under Rear Admiral William R. Furlong and served with the Fire Control section for more than a year.

[15][16][2] Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entry into World War II, Schindler was still on the staff of Commander, Cruisers, Scouting Force, now under Rear admiral Frank J. Fletcher.

[2] On May 8, Schindler flew as a gunner with Lieutenant Turner F. Caldwell Jr. (Scouting Squadron Five's executive officer) in the attack on the carrier Shokaku.

Following the departure of Fletcher in November 1942, Schindler was appointed Chief of Staff and Aide of Task Force 11 (TF11), under recently promoted Rear Admiral DeWitt C.

[19][2] Schindler returned to the United States in November 1943 and was assigned to the headquarters of Twelfth Naval district in San Francisco, California.

Schindler served as Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Ordnance Laboratory until October 1945 and was responsible for the design of the mines used extensively in the prosecution of the Pacific War.

He also successfully promoted the construction of the White Oak research and development plant of the Bureau of Ordnance, energetically supporting the reforms necessary to make these and similar laboratories into well functioning establishments.

[19][2] In early November 1945, Schindler was ordered to San Pedro, Los Angeles, where he assumed command of the light cruiser USS Topeka which had just arrived from Pacific area.

Schindler commanded his ships during the bombardment of the heavily defended east coast of Korea against enemy fortifications and facilities, resuilting in the destruction of industrial and supply centers, rail and highway bridges, vehicles, transportation junctions, and staging areas, including Kojo.