This article's lead sectionmay be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(June 2024)
Walsh was Naval Armed Guard detachment commander aboard the merchant shipSS Patrick J. Hurley in the North Atlantic Ocean on the night of 12 September 1942 when the German submarine U-512 stealthily surfaced and closed on the Patrick J. Hurley. Undetected, U-512 opened fire on Patrick J. Hurley with devastating effect. Walsh fell severely wounded in the initial shelling, taking shrapnel in the throat. In spite of the machine-gun fire directed at his battle station Walsh remained at his post, though weak from loss of blood. He died of his wounds. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
Decommissioned on 26 April 1946 at Green Cove Springs, Florida, Walsh berthed initially with the Florida Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet there. Later, she was moved to the Texas Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, where she remained until stricken from the Navy List on 1 May 1966. She was sold for scrapping in July 1968.