"A Coast Guardsman’s Ground Combat Odyssey" Topic

After chasing rumrunners and serving on neutrality patrols, Commander Quentin Walsh played a key role in the Normandy invasion—leading a naval reconnaissance unit that helped secure the port of Cherbourg…

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Very cool story about an outstanding officer.

Bill,

Thanks. Nice story.

Jim

+1

Great story – thanks for sharing!

A great story indeed.

Walsh's study convinced his superiors that the best way to assess port conditions was from inside the facilities shortly after their liberation, versus observing them from offshore. Walsh suggested that Seabees, men of the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions, led by a small cadre of naval officers, be embedded with attacking Army units so they could assess harbor facilities as soon as possible after liberation. His role and familiarity with the plans set him up for selection as the commanding officer …

Walsh selected Lieutenant Commander Jack Curley, a Seabee and former Marine, as his executive officer and Naval Reserve Lieutenant George LaVallee, a native Frenchman, as his communications officer. They and 52 Seabee volunteers assembled at Roseneath, Scotland, for training overseen by 13 officers and enlisted men from the U.S. Third Army.

A typical training day lasted a nonstop 17 hours and consisted of heavy physical exercise; weapons, explosives, urban warfare, and reconnaissance instruction; map reading and orientation; booby-trap detection and disarming; use of camouflage; and more.

I'm very impressed. This guy sounds like a heads-up officer. No inter-service BS or NIH or SOP was going to get in the way of his work -- he figured out what needed to be done in order to figure out what needed to be done, and he was creative and committed to his important mission.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

Semper Paratus