Walter Nisbet was best known for his inner strength, integrity, and limitless generosity. From his beginning, he had a strong moral compass, and it never wavered.
He had the warmest welcoming nature; very generous in his sharing, and his anonymous quiet quest to financially help many veterans, friends and strangers in need.
He was the first person to contribute to the construction of the “Military Veterans Plaque” that rests on the Seal Beach Pier.
As a member of Seal Beach Veteran’s Post, his life and home was filled with his many veteran comrades and their mates where Walter entertained lavishly; paying most of the time for all the steaks, chops and pizzas for all the periodic penny-ante poker games and holiday get-togethers.
Walter came into this world on May 18, 1929 in Los Angeles, California. A mixture of Scotch-Irish and French came from his father who had been born in Indiana, and his mother, born in Nevada. Named after his father, the name “Junior” stuck with him until he noticed girls – then he became “Wally.”
He always had a job – either cutting grass for the neighbors, or delivering newspapers.
His love of animals was reflected in the family dogs and pigeons. He was always pestering family members to take him and the pigeons to a distant location so he could race them home.
In the 1930s and 40s, Wally was a good student at Micheltorania Grammar School, Virgil Jr. High, and Marshall High in Los Angeles, graduating in 1947.
He played the clarinet, and in the 5th-grade was proficient enough to become a member of the Los Angeles Jr. Symphony Orchestra. He also played the piano by ear. Walter had the knack of bringing fellow students together, being their early spokesperson.
In 1946 he was chosen to represent the Los Angeles area at “California Boys’ State” in Sacramento; a week of government classes for the top students in the state, sponsored by the American Legion.
Boring teenage summers became an exciting adventure when Walter could spend them with his grandfather, Joe, who owned and worked his Santa Rosa Mining Company in the Keeler, Lone Pine, California area.
Wally’s mother was not told until years later that her father, Joe, taught Walter how to use dynamite for blasting the ore, and especially, how to run fast.
Walter had always wanted to be an archeologist, but soon after high school graduation, bowing to family tradition, he enrolled at Los Angeles City College for pre-med courses.
At that time he was also working for an antique dealer who taught him how to appreciate working with wood; also to repair, and refinish antiques.
During these years he met Norma, and in 1950 they married.
On October 6, 1950, Walter received his “Certificate of Acceptability” for induction into the Armed Services – and in November he was officially greeted at Fort Ord, California to an infantry division of the USA Army.
It was Walter’s early mining experience with his grandfather, and the two summers when he also worked in Yuma, Arizona, as part of a crew that found and cleared designated military firing ranges of 105 mm and 155 mm shell casings and pieces of shrapnel that fostered the Army’s interest in assigning him to a demolitions squadron.
A few months later he was shipped to Korea, and soon found himself living in a cold, freezing hole that he would never forget. He never talked about what really happened while there – but he knew what other combat vets knew, that no one could possibly understand what it was like.
With his past experience in demolitions, and his ability to bring people together, and with his vocal authority, he ultimately became Master Sergeant.
He would say that his greatest pride during that period was that he never lost a man under his command, however he was not that lucky when two years later during a night raid a flash grenade ended his tour of duty in Korea. He spent the next two months in a Japanese hospital.
He was not expected to live, but he did… but never recovered from the damage that was done by the grenade.
Master Sergeant Walter Nisbet was honorably discharged on September 18, 1952, with a Combat Infantry Badge, the Korean Service Medal, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.
Soon after becoming a civilian again, he refused to acknowledge his physical problems and immediately enrolled in the USC School of Pharmacy. In a hurry to get his life back, he earned his Doctorate of Pharmacy in four years instead of six. After graduation Dr. Nisbet opened and operated for 40 years, his own successful “Broadway Pharmacy” in Glendale.
But, during his first year at USC, Norma was diagnosed with a brain tumor, so Walter with his tremendous load of academics, never neglected to care and tend to Norma’s unfortunate situation.
Some 35 years ago, while climbing to the pharmacy roof to inspect a rain leak, the ladder slipped, and he fell to the ground.
He spent the next two months in Glendale Memorial Hospital with a broken pelvis. Eventually, he returned to work, but the following years were difficult in that he no longer could stand erect to fill any prescriptions.
Walter loved deep sea fishing so he retired to his lovely new home in Huntington Harbour but this was also an extremely challenging time in his life as his wife, Norma, was diagnosed with an inoperable malignant brain tumor. She suffered with this condition for over 46 years, surviving through seven brain operations and annual radiation therapy, until her passing in 1998.
As years passed, times became more difficult for Walter with his deteriorating physical condition due to the combat wound in Korea, and the broken pelvis in Glendale.
After months of deliberation and pain, the decision to sell his boat was made for him when he finally agreed to have a hip replacement at Hoag Hospital. He had been home about a week when a letter from Hoag Hospital informed him that the replacement part was faulty, and he was invited to return for a second operation to correct the problem. He refused.
In the following years Walter became more disabled but he maneuvered around his home in his “wheel-chariot.”
During these latter years he continued with his love of painting; also playing his piano with Norma’s photo on the piano top. He wrote a book on the drug problem in the US and the drug cartels. Also, he had a great interest in various types of history and enthralled his listeners with amazing stories.
Some of his greatest joys were the numerous visits with Veterans, the pizza and poker parties, and his anonymous gifts to numerous individuals and events.
After many years of physical struggle, Walter Nisbet passed away on Nov. 2, 2013 at the VA Hospital in Long Beach, California.
Fond memories of Walter will live on with all who knew him.
Bill Thomas of Rossmoor is a Veteran of World War II, and Past Commander of VFW Post 4048, and American Legion Post 857.
Contact Bill at vvbthomasvets@gmail.com.
MEETINGS of the Seal Beach American Legion Post 857, and the S.B.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4048 are held in Building 6 of the Naval
Weapons Station on Seal Beach Blvd., (south of Westminster Blvd.).
They both have a “Social Hour” starting at 6:00 p.m.,
Their “Regular” meetings start at 7:00 p.m.
The American Legion meets on the THIRD TUESDAY.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars meet on the FOURTH TUESDAY.
A “GATE PASS” is REQUIRED!
For further information, Contact Bill Thomas at (562) 431-7795, or vvbthomasvets@gmail.com.
