In October 1940 Walsh joined the Marine Corps and spent two-years of sea-duty on a battleship based in Ireland. He was transferred to the South Pacific, then to Quantico, Va. then back to the South Pacific where he was a platoon sergeant at the time of his death. Sgt. Walsh attended Regis University for two years 1934-35 and was the assistant coach for the college teams in the winter and physical director for Camp Santa Maria and Camp Malo in the summer. He was also an assistant coach in Monsignor Flanagan's Boys Town for one year.