Walter Samuel Savage, Jr., was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 26 April 1919. He received a Naval Reserve commission as an Ensign in June 1941. After attending the Navy Supply Corps School at Harvard University, he was assigned to the battleship Arizona as Assistant Paymaster. Ensign Savage was killed in action when his ship exploded and sank during the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The escort ship USS Savage (DE-386, later DER-386), 1943-1975, was named in honor of Ensign Savage.