OT: Larger than life

[Targan]

I very much enjoy reading the weekly entries at the site Badass of the Week. Last week's entry was no exception - Walter Walsh.

What an impressive individual. This from the end of the linked article:

So let's recap for a second. Law graduate Walter Walsh of Hoboken, New Jersey, was a championship Olympic marksman, the FBI agent who single-handedly brought Public Enemy Number One to gunfire-infused justice in an epic shootout, a U.S. Marine who saved his entire squad from murderous snipers at Okinawa, a Vietnam Sniper School marksmanship instructor, and the 92-year-old coach of the United States Olympic Shooting Team.

Somehow, despite being under constant danger and almost always surrounded by loaded firearms – many of which were being used by antagonists in life-fire combat situations – Walter Walsh somehow led a long, full, productive life that had more adventure in a 24 hour span that most regular humans will ever experience in their entire lives.

He died last week at the age of 106.

Hell yeah. Respect to you, Colonel Walsh. A life well-lived. RIP.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Holy Hell! That man is a bona fide legend!
I think this passage stands out the most for me as it really shows the confidence in his weapons and his own abilities and the calm courage of the man... an 80 yard shot with a pistol and a one-shot hit at that, in a combat zone!: -

Originally Posted by Badass of the Week
The Marines sent him to Okinawa in 1945.

Walsh landed on the beach with the Marines, fought his way through the outer defenses, and then was part of a team that found itself pinned down by a hardcore Japanese sniper hiding in a tunnel fortification a little more than 80 yards from the Marines position.

Walsh popped his head up once, got a visual on the sniper, calmly pulled out his Colt 1911, stood up, and dropped the fucking sniper with one shot from his pistol.

Noscope, bitches.

[mikeo80]

It just goes to show a couple of things:

1) Another of "The Greatest Generation" has passed to his eternal reward.

2) NEVER F*** with a US Marine.

3) God needed someone to keep an eye (and a Colt 1911) on Satan.

Semper Fi. Rest well. You have earned it.

My $0.02

Mike

[Targan]

In a T2K scenario, bad guys running into Walter Walsh would get a hell of a shock. In 2000 he would've been 93, so assuming that a lack of modern drugs and medicine didn't bring about his demise, he still would've been a fearsome shot. A man like this would be very useful to have in any community. He may have even been assisting the military during the Twilight War in a training and advisory role.

[mikeo80]

In a T2K scenario, bad guys running into Walter Walsh would get a hell of a shock. In 2000 he would've been 93, so assuming that a lack of modern drugs and medicine didn't bring about his demise, he still would've been a fearsome shot. A man like this would be very useful to have in any community. He may have even been assisting the military during the Twilight War in a training and advisory role.

I think you would have seen many of the old WWII vets stepping up to assist. No matter how old, or how poor the eyesight, these people were part of the "Greatest Generation"..

My $0.02

Mike