Walter Walsh

by
posted on May 4, 2011
wiley-clapp.jpg (1)

NRA members have their choice of either American Rifleman, American Hunter or America’s 1st Freedom as a benefit with their membership. All are fine books, but those of you who opt for the legendary first-ever gun magazine—American Rifleman—got a special treat in November.

Bill Vanderpool, retired from the FBI but still very active in matters gun, has written a long overdue biographical piece on Walter Walsh. Walsh is 103 as the piece comes to print and nobody ever enjoyed a life so long and so full of service to the Republic.

Walsh was a competitor from childhood and capped a long competitive career with the so-called “Triple Distinguished” status. A graduate lawyer, Walsh became an FBI agent in the early 1930s and participated in several violent confrontations with Depression-era gangsters, as well chronicled by Vanderpool. As a Marine in World War II, he served on several of the great island battles and was involved in a number of close-range fights.

After the War, Walsh got into the competition business in a big way, not only as a competitor, but also as a coach and manager. By the '60s, he was the Marine Corps' main shooter as the director of marksmanship programs. His mail code at HQMC was “AO3M” and that was the address to which I routinely reported my team's competitive scores.

I had the pleasure of meeting Walsh through my friendship with Rex Applegate. No more courtly gentleman could ever be found and I count it a pleasure to know him. Walter Walsh came from a time of legendary shooter/warriors—Askins, Jordan, Applegate—and has set an example for all of us to follow, both on and off the range. Bill Vanderpool's great article gives us a little more insight into this determined little man who stood toe-to-toe with giants.

Latest

 American Revolution painting
 American Revolution painting

The Shot Heard Round The World: The Arms & Events Of April 19, 1775

April 2025 marks 250 years since the momentous events at Lexington and Concord—the opening salvos of the American Revolution. Today, exhaustive research of primary accounts and surviving firearms and artifacts give us a clearer picture of what really happened.

Gun Of The Week: Browning Citori 825 Field

Learn about Browning's latest version of the famed Citori shotgun, the Citori 825 Field, in this week’s range video.

The Armed Citizen® April 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

"The Shot Heard Round The World:" 250 Years Later

On April 19, 1775, simmering tensions between Great Britain and her colonists erupted into warfare with the engagements at the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord.

Watchtower Firearms Re-Organizing

Watchtower Firearms, a veteran-owned firm based in Texas filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in late February 2025 to restructure and re-organize its financial structure.

The Road To Revolution: 250 Years Later

The militiamen who stood in defiance on Lexington Green are the first who fired upon the British regulars, but the road to revolution was paved long before gunfire erupted on that cold April morning in Massachusetts.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.