I got up early yesterday-one of the disadvantages of being out west is that the “home office” is already at work and the items of interest that need to address have already begun to fill your in box by the time that you are just working to struggle out of bed.
Stumbling forward into the room of rest, trying not to awaken the sleeping S.O. who has no reason to have to be up at 6 AM. Back to the desk and spin up the old laptop. Rub eyes and stretch a bit-why the hell do they have to start business so early? Whatever happened to 9-5, with time for breakfast up front?
Logged in, I have two choices-check my personal e-mail first, or go straight into the work que…….
Screw work-I’ll see what’s happening with people I like. Open up the Inbox. Amid the usual spam, one little subject line jumped out at me:
About Walt Joller.
That was it. Nothing more in the subject line. Addressed to a large number of former denizens of the Hawkeye community, pretty much all of whom have moved on to other pursuits in life-not by choice, but because of the ravages of time.
Now as you age and come past a certain age, that kind of title to an e-mail about a man you had not seen in five years, it is not without a certain sense of foreboding as you hit the double click of the mouse. In younger days-would not have given it a second thought. However on the bad side of 50-you say to yourself, ” I hope it is not bad news.”
Sure enough it was:
Coroner ID’s cyclist killed by car as 55-year-old man
SAN DIEGO: A bicyclist who was killed in Sabre Springs has been identified as Walter Carl Joller Jr, the Medical Examiner’s Office said yesterday.
Joller was riding home from work on Sabre Springs Parkway south of Morning Creek Drive about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday when a car crossed into the bike lane and struck him from behind, authorities said. He died on the scene.
San Diego police said Joller had several lights on his bike, was wearing a reflective vest and had reflective tape on his helmet, shoes and seat.
Investigators plan to request misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges against the driver, said Sgt. Jeff Fellows. He said there are no indications that alcohol played a role in the crash. –K.D.
Damn.
The thing about a career in the profession of arms, is that the number of people who go on to great and lofty flag rank is limited. And in many cases-the personality compromises you have to make to attain that lofty position makes it not worth the effort. The real legacy that a great many people leave behind during service within the military, is the legacy of the people they have trained and the the things that they have gone on to accomplish.
Walt had that kind of legacy and then some.
He was an accomplished Naval Officer and Naval Flight Officer in his own right. With a great record of achievement and had several prestigious commands of his own. I did not know him that well-we had met on various occasions over my time in the Navy-and we moved in different circles within the E-2 community. He was one of the movers and shakers within the community-I was one of the guys who got sidetracked on a different path. But every one knew him or knew of him, and every one knew he was a good guy. His reputation spoke for itself. Furthermore, he was one of those guys that everyone had a kind word to say about. Spoken with respect-respect for his professionalism, respect for his care for his subordinates, respect for his love of life, and respect for his great sense of fun.
There is also a personal aspect to this-for both the S.O. and myself. When I had first met her-we went to Hash Runs together. She had been doing it for a while, well before I was a factor in her life. She got me interested in it. Walt was a big runner. So, when he came to Japan to visit the E-2 squadron there ( He was the West Coast Commodore at the time), he came to the Hash Run. It was my sixth hash run and thus the one where I was to be given my assigned nickname.
He helped the S.O. feed them dirt info about me and thus come up with an appropriate nickname. Afterwards, he in turn was exceedingly kind to the S.O. and took time to talk with both of us-even though there were plenty of other people with whom he needed to see.
He was that type of guy- a people person. A man who could stay focused on the big picture, but still took time to pay attention to the small details. Who believed that the Navy was better off taking care of its people, not treating them as just another expendable commodity. The kind of person the Navy did not have enough of-in any aviation community.
Its a great loss. For his family and for his extended family those of us who had the privledge of learning from a man like him.
”Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.