Walter Krueger was born on January 26, 1881, in Flatow, West Prussia in the German Empire. He and his family emigrated to the United States in 1889, and he enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War on June 17, 1898, serving until February 18, 1899. Sgt Krueger re-enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 1, 1899, and then served with the 12th Infantry Regiment in the Philippines from July 1899 until he was commissioned a 2d Lt in the U.S. Army on July 1, 1901, remaining in the Philippines with the 30th Infantry Regiment until returning to the U.S. in December 1903. Lt Krueger attended the Infantry-Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then completed Army General Staff College, also at Fort Leavenworth, before returning to the Philippines where he served with the 23rd Infantry Regiment and the Military Information Division from 1907 to 1909. His next assignment was as a language instructor at the Army Service Schools at Fort Leavenworth, followed by service with the 3rd Infantry Regiment in New York. Capt Krueger next served as an instructor with the Pennsylvania National Guard and participated in the Mexican Punitive Expedition with the 10th Infantry Regiment in 1916. After serving in Washington, D.C., he was assigned to the 84th Infantry Division in August 1917, and served in France with the Division from August 1918 until the war ended in November 1918. He remained in Germany on occupation duty until returning to the U.S. in August 1919, and then served as commanding officer of the 55th Infantry Regiment, followed by Army General Staff College and Army War College. After completing Army War College, Col Krueger remained on as an instructor until October 1922, and then served on the Army General Staff in Washington, D.C., from October 1922 to August 1925. He next completed Naval War College in August 1926, and served with the 22nd Infantry Regiment at Fort McPherson, Georgia, until attending flight training with the Army Air Corps at Brooks Field, Texas, until October 1927. After serving with the 7th Corps Area at Fort Omaha, Nebraska, Col Krueger served as an instructor at the Naval War College until June 1932, and then served as commanding officer of the 6th Infantry Regiment at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, from June 1932 to July 1934. His next assignment was with the Army General Staff in Washington, D.C., from July 1934 to July 1938, followed by service as Commanding General of the 16th Infantry Brigade at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, and then as Commanding General of the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Gen Krueger next served as Commanding General of VIII Corps at Fort Sam Houston until May 1941, followed by service as Commanding General of U.S. 3rd Army from May 1941 to February 1943. His next assignment was as Commanding General of U.S. 6th Army in the Pacific from February 1943 until January 1946, having served on occupation duty in Japan from September 1945 to January 1946. Gen Krueger retired from the Army on July 1, 1946. Walter Krueger died on August 20, 1967, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

His 1st (of 3) Army Distinguished Service Medal Citation reads:

for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. Colonel Krueger served as Assistant in the Bureau of Militia Affairs; Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, and Acting Chief of Staff, 84th Division, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 26th Division, Chief of Staff, Tank Corps, Instructor, Line School, Langres, France, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 4th Corps, and Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 6th Corps. By his high professional attainments, superior zeal, loyal devotion to duty, soldierly character, and his dominant leadership, he has exercised a determining influence upon the commands with which he has served, and has contributed in a marked degree to the success of the military operations of our forces.