Hometown son Patrick M. Walsh retired from his job on March 1, 2012. You probably wouldn’t have guessed his career pick having been raised in very land-locked Dallas. But after graduating with honors from Jesuit College Preparatory, he headed to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he picked up a Bachelor of Science degree. That wasn’t enough for him, though. Nope. He headed to Tufts University, where he graduated first in his class, earning a Master of Arts degree in law and diplomacy. To top that off he enrolled in the doctorate program, receiving a PhD.
With all that education under his belt, he rose through the ranks of the “U.S. Navy, achieving the rank of four-star admiral and commander of the US Pacific Fleet” from 2009 to 2011. When the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant struck in 2011, he headed up the U.S. military’s humanitarian response. But don’t go thinking he was just a boardroom strategist. During Operation Desert Storm he was a fighter pilot and a “member of the Blue Angels aerial acrobatics team.”
His reputation impressed various U.S. presidents including President Barack Obama, who appointed him “to inspect and investigate the prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay.”
Let’s just say that his accomplishments were countless and impressive.
After retiring, he returned to Dallas. But he hasn’t been making a dent in the family couch watching TV with his wife Andy Kaye. In fact, he’s probably rarely home thanks to his various speaking engagements. One of those will be at the Inaugural Equest Men’s Auxiliary Golf Classic on Monday, September 9, at Las Colinas Country Club benefiting Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship. No, Pat won’t be talking on the fairway. He’ll be the keynote speaker at the Sunday, September 8th “Pairings Dinner” in the Las Colinas Country Club ballroom.
So, why have a former military man speak at an equine-type event? Because one of Equest’s programs is the Hooves for Heroes program, which helps vets “to improve overall wellness and better position them for a successful civilian transition.”
In addition to having Congressman Sam Johnson and Congressman Pete Sessions as honorary co-chairs of the tournament festivities, vets will also be honored at this first-time event for the newly established Equest Men’s Auxiliary.
* Photos provided by Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship