Sir Walt was on a hike in Burma (Myanmar) that normally takes two hours to complete. Because of the Burmese Troops, it was necessary to spend seven hours on the hike evading certain death. As critical relief items were delivered and the hike was completed, Walt was exhausted. He pulled out his satellite telephone and called home. His wife, Jeanne, was anxious to hear news from him. He told her about being exhausted from the events of the day and how much he looked forward to a good night’s sleep. Several hours later, Jeanne was lying in bed when Walt walked through the door of the bedroom. She looked up and remembered the earlier telephone call. Walt came to bed lying next to Jeanne on his back with his arms crossed, palms down and fingers touching his shoulders. He lay there for a few minutes. Jeanne asked, "How did you get home?" |
"I flew," was his response. She was puzzled by the answer, because he had been in Burma earlier in the day. He could not have taken an airline flight in such a short period of time.
"How did you get home?," she asked again.
Calm and steady was his reply, "I flew." She understood this time, as he was referring to the spiritual Eagle’s wings that he was able to use in his travels. He turned toward her and gave her some more calming phrases and then rolled over on top of her. With a kiss, he disappeared.
Worried that something had happened to Walt, Jeanne called, emailed and texted him. Several hours later, he reached back out, having awoken in Burma. He could remember only a deep sleep. Jeanne explained that he had colocated for a brief time. He wasn’t surprised to hear of his travels while he slumbered. Walt was growing in power, to be able to have a spiritual effect upon the physical world.
A few days later, Jeanne bought an urn. She sensed that the time for needing an urn might be near. When Walt returned from his trip to Burma, he was much more physically demonstrative of his love than he had ever been during their entire marriage. He would cling and linger in some of the most heartfelt hugs that he had ever given to Jeanne. He went through the closet and pared back the number of shirts and pants he had. He also began giving things away. He was aware that some big change was coming. He was preparing his loved ones for that change in subtle ways.
Around the holiday season, Mark, the boyfriend of Walt’s daughter, Brianna, was dealing with his father, who was missing. There was a time of waiting and not knowing what had happened. Brianna was a sympathetic shoulder for Mark to lean on, but Brianna recognized that she could never go through a similar ordeal.
She said openly that her capacity to handle a crisis of this magnitude was questionable at best. Walt was a steady rock to Brianna throughout this ordeal, but his travels sent him off to Haiti before all of it could be concluded.
It was just another day in Haiti. Several projects were coming together and some had already been completed. Sir Walt sat on his bed at the Hotel Montana working on a project. His laptop was open, and a few documents were spread around on the bed. He had a smile on his face, because he had just emailed Jeanne. At 4:53 pm on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010, the earth began to shake. The most powerful earthquake ever to hit the island of Haiti in known memory lasted for thirty-five seconds.
The Hotel Montana shook and seemed to make it through the quake. But Walt heard sounds that indicated the hotel was in trouble. He began running for his life. The building stood for over a minute after the quake but collapsed in five seconds killing Walt instantly. Walt’s spirit saw a reflection of light. He, no doubt, passed through crystals from a chandelier on his spiritual path out of the hotel.
In the physical world, we all said prayers hoping for a miracle that he would be found alive in the rubble. After the quake, there was an eerie silence. Those who know Walt understand the passion he brought to many relief operations. We all assumed that Walt was helping those injured in the quake and that he would surface when he got a break.
Just a few years ago, Walt’s love of helping people, who for no fault of their own couldn’t help themselves, caused him to relocate his family to the West Coast to be better able to continue this work. Walt traveled the world to help the needy. He visited Asia, Africa, South America, and Central America. Each time, he brought food, medical relief and solar power to have a sustaining impact on all of the lives that he touched. Walt was part of a team brought into Haiti by USAID (United States Agency for International Development) to bring infrastructure. Walt was working there on several solar projects, including a few hospitals, in which electricity allowed them to perform surgeries and other treatment that were previously unavailable in these hospitals. Many of the projects were completed prior to the quake, provided much needed support for the injured, and saved countless lives.
Walt’s incredible network mobilized many to raise money and to travel to Haiti. All of us expected a miracle to unfold, for, as Sir Edward said repeatedly, "Walt was the best of all of us."
Seven teams made their way at various times throughout the search and rescue phase of the operation. Each of those teams brought much needed food, water or medical relief. Sir James hired a bus in the Dominican Republic, which he loaded with bottled water that was distributed to the many who were thirsty in Haiti. When the team arrived at the hotel site, the task of dealing with the dead was given to the Knightsbridge team.
Without complaint, they set up a morgue for the dead. Brian and Big Kenny arrived to relieve Sir James and his team of their responsibilities. Sir Edward loaded a twenty foot truck with food and braved the road from the Dominican Republic in spite of reports of looting and hijacking of other vehicles on the road. The first team was given the emotional task of handling the morgue at the Hotel Montana. Without complaint, each member of that team stepped up and did what was asked. Each night, the team's members cried themselves to sleep from the emotional toll that dealing with the dead that day had taken.
Each of the Knights and friends of Walt reached out to their entire networks and brought awareness to the search for Walt. When Sir Edward arrived at the hotel, he was greeted by a member of the 82nd Airborne, who had graduated from basic training with the son of one of the other Knights. Everybody on the ground was looking for Walt and expecting a miracle.
As time wore on, it became obvious that a miracle wasn’t meant to be. Some held out hope and began feeding the need for hope with information that was irresponsible. Walt’s son, Shane, stepped up and assumed his role as patriarch of the family. He put an end to hurtful rumors. Hope gave way to preparation for the inevitable. Walt’s backpack and laptop were found a few days before his body was discovered. The news waited for positive identification that would be made at Dover Air Force base in the United States. Dental records confirmed that Walt was a casualty in the devastating earthquake.
He was one of the more than a quarter of a million souls separated from their bodies in that quake. No doubt Walt was busy in the spirit world calming and organizing this mass of men, women and children for their spiritual trek.
Brian found a crystal at the site and showed it to Sir Edward. It was decided that this crystal was a proper artifact to remember those, who had lost their lives at the hotel. More crystals were recovered and given to various people, who would make the deliveries the Knightsbridge way, "hand to hand, eye to eye, and heart to heart."
The family all pulled together to make arrangements for a proper send off. A date was set for the memorial service, and the body was promised to be delivered on time. A few days before the memorial service, there was news from Dover that the body would require an additional nine days before being released to complete the necessary paperwork. A barrage of telephone calls from Senators and Congressmen followed. It was rumored that former President Bill Clinton made the definitive telephone call that got the body released and sent home in time for the service.
Three Knights, a Dame and a filmmaker made the trek to Portland along with many others who wished to pay their respects to Walt. At the airport in Los Angeles, one of the Knights found a hundred dollar bill on the floor at breakfast. Searching to find the proper, owner the group nearly missed their plane. Finally, the Knight placed the bill in his pocket knowing that a situation would arise to put the discovered bill to good use.
The travelers were greeted by Jeanne, who shuttled them to the Church, where preparations were underway for a proper memorial service for such an incredible and enlightened man, who was to be honored for the life that he had lived and the choices that he had made. Brianna was at the church telling the Knights about her father’s love for the Bald Eagle. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Bald Eagles around the neighborhood before but told us about two Eagles that were seen behind the house washing in the river. She attributed the recent sightings to her father’s spirit, which had summoned them.
In a private moment, Sir Edward pulled the crystal out of his pocket that was meant to be given to Jeanne. There was an exchange of words and tears as the crystal passed from Ed’s hands to Jeanne’s. He looked her in the eye. There was an exchange that can only come from the connection of two hearts. Moments later, two Knights accompanyied Jeanne from the Church to her home. As she pulled out of the Church's driveway, one of the Knights pointed to an amazing hovering Bald Eagle soaring fifty feet above the car.
To the astonishment of all three in the car, the Eagle began escorting the car as it traveled along the road. As the road curved, the Eagle used the wind and thermals to good effect to keep time with the car. For a full three minutes, this Eagle kept up the escort. The conversation of the two Knights and Jeanne was occupied for nearly the entire twenty-five minute ride with the amazement of the Eagle’s escort for the first three minutes.
Less than thirty seconds to go, a last comment about the "three minute escort" was answered by the appearance of the Eagle yet again to set the record straight—for, even though the occupants of the car had not seen the Eagle after the first three minutes, it had been tracking the car the entire time. The Eagle appeared only fifteen feet above the car on the driver’s side and crossed the road in front of the car where the final turn was made into Walt and Jeanne’s driveway. The Eagle had escorted the car, which included Jeanne, her new crystal, and two Knights, from the Church where Walt’s remains were staged for the memorial service to the home where a crowd was gathering to celebrate his life.
At the house, everyone was telling stories about Sir Walt's courage and dedication. A buzz circulated that a refreshment run might fuel the party. The Knight who had found the hundred-dollar bill offered the bill to Mark, and the run was made with the request that it all be spent and no change be returned. Refreshments were purchased, and Mark returned with a single dollar bill. On the back of the dollar is a single Eagle.
Walt now was affecting the physical world from the spirit. He comforted his family by letting them know that he would always be there even when he wasn’t seen to escort them on their road in life. He seemed to be tipping his own ambrosia filled glass to the friends and family gathered in celebration by buying a round of refreshments.
Each of us who were involved in Walt's life and now his death know that he lived a life of honor and that he died doing the work that he loved. His death was certain to be a death of honor because of the way he chose to live his life. Each of us has the opportunity to rededicate ourselves to living our lives in a manner more aligned with the values that Walt applied every day that he was here. Walt stared death in the face so many times and lived that we all expected him to be immortal. Each of us has been reminded of our limited time on the planet. We can use Walt’s example to make that time count.
The crystals that were found in the Hotel Montana captured some of the spirit material that was once a valiant warrior doing the good of humanity. One of those crystals is in your hand right now. The crystal is the embodiment of that spirit that said, "There is always a way." Walt traveled around the world bringing relief to those who could not fend for themselves. He brought light and hope to millions of people who needed a hand up. When Walt left the people he helped, they were always better off because of his visit. We are all better off because of his visit to the planet. This crystal is a reminder of the valiant and courageous life of Sir Walt.
Our very good friend Brad from Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach in Springfield, Illinois, has suggested that we build or retrofit a hospital in Haiti and name it after Sir Walt, who gave his life helping the people of Haiti.
