My longtime friend & mentor GySgt. Walt Cohoon passed on to the Big LZ on April 2. He will be laid to rest at Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery on Wednesday April 9. I smile every time I think about Walt. Its hard to believe that Ive known him for almost half a century. He always seemed to take great joy in reminding me that he was my crew chief (YS-5 in HMM-162) during my first engine failure Sept 2, 1966, one of the first of many frightening experiences as a young Lt. We continued to send cards or call each other every year on that day to remind & kid each other as to whose fault it was. We always agreed - it was the others. But whosever fault it was, we made that angry farmer rich & happy, after Walt drained the sump in the middle of his cultivated field, & earned the title of EPA Poster Boy of the year. God saw fit to have our paths continue to cross over the years. I smile every time I tell the story about when he crawled under YL42 at the Mirimar air show in 2000 - in this boxer shorts. He didnt want to get his flight suit dirty, so he took it off & drained the sump in his skivvies in front of hundreds of on lookers. That was just before we had our picture taken w/the Charger Cheerleaders, so it wasnt always all work & no fun. Yes, he did put his flight suit back on for the picture. The attached photos from Wayne Stafford refresh the memory & support the story that has been told over the years. We kidded him about that for many years thereafter. besides that, he will always be remembered for his great smile, & as a warm, wonderful, giving friend - & a great Marine. A few years later in LI we spent two weeks together, along w/a few dozen dedicated Marines from HMM-361 & sister squadrons, camping out in a field tent working on & restoring an old hulk into flying condition (YN19), which is now at the Museum in Quantico (a fitting place for Walt to be remembered as an integral part). I had the privilege to work w/Walt assembling & installing the engine, & he never ceased to amaze me with his knowledge & expertise. I learned something new from him every day, & having him there installing that engine gave great comfort & confidence during the first test flights & every time thereafter. I was blessed to have him with me during my first & last years of flying. Thank you Walt for having my back, giving me the benefit of your experience, & sharing lifes great memories; Ill miss having you at my side. Get the Big LZ ready for our next flight, my friend - - but not too soon..... Semper Fidelis, Ben Cascio Capt. USMC Retired The One-eyed Ugly Angel Saepe nefas, quod numquam pro dubio – “Seldom wrong, but never in doubt” Condolences may be sent to: Margaret Cohoon 9734 Bilteer Dr Santee CA 92071 In lieu of flowers, Walt & his family would like donations to be sent to: Marine Helicopter Squadron 361Veterans Association PO Box 429, Cutchogue NY 11935, which will go towards erecting a Memorial at the Marine Corps Museum Walk of Honor at Quantico VA, & Walts name will be inscribed on it
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 03:27:48 +0000
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