Remembering Casper
Major John M. Walsh


FamilyFlyingMarinesMichiganTravelsSouthern_CalWilliams_FamilyPlexus
Flying | Family | Marines | Michigan | Travels | Southern Cal | Williams Family | Plexus


Larry Walsh, John's father:  John was So Very Proud of being a Marine.
Major J. Mumma, USMC:  If something had happened to me, John was the only guy I knew who I would want to marry my wife and raise my kids.


You were his Band of Brothers...

[From the eulogy given by his father Larry]
"John and I loved to watch Shakespeare's Henry V together.  It was our favorite movie.  In it, Henry V addressed his troops when they were surrounded and outnumbered 5 - 1 and in the most dire circumstances. He said, "We few, we happy few, we Band of Brothers."  You Marines, you were his 'Band of Brothers.'"

[From John's application for grad school]
"Screaming as loud as I could in excitement and still not being able to hear my own voice was probably the most defining moment of my life. That was twenty years ago.  I was 8 years old. I was at the end of an Air Force runway watching two jet fighters blast overhead.  The pilot who took me there, standing with his fingers in his ears to  muffle the noise, mouthed this question: "SO, YOU WANT TO BE A PILOT?" I  decided right there. Yes. I was going to be a military pilot."

 

[From a conversation John had with his father shortly before he died]

Cobra at sunset, deep inside Iraq
(sent by John "Barefoot" Garrigan)

I once asked John – since he had a childhood dream - if he would take jets over Cobras now that he had flown Cobras for so long. He said it would be a tough choice. The jets have that wonderful power and speed and he always wanted to fly them. But, the Cobra is ‘down and dirty.' A jet fights from miles away; a Cobra is right there seeing what is happening. He recounted a recent practice run where they were ‘TERFing' – flying low to the terrain and in and out of the canyons on Camp Pendleton. They came roaring into a canyon and came upon a group of ‘grunts' (infantry) who were out doing a field exercise. The grunts were taking a break. As the Cobra came, they all jumped to their feet and started waving their arms and shouting. They love the Cobras. They know when there's trouble the Cobras will be coming to help. John turned his Cobra and came back through. They were still cheering. John knew he was there for them and they for him. A true ‘Band of Brothers.'

Sign our guestbook
Email us: lwcreeper@hotmail.com

| Flying | Family | Marines | Michigan | Travels | Southern Cal | Williams Family | Plexus |