Walter W. Getchell
Incident
Deputy Marshal Walter Getchell suffered a fatal heart attack after getting lost in the wilderness near Nome, Alaska. He had left his office to serve a notice of judgment against a dredging company in Nome.
Deputy Getchell never arrived at the company and failed to returned to the office. A search party was sent out but failed to locate him. His body was found five days later on a different trail. It is believed he took a wrong turn and lost his way.
In Our Keeping
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- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- September 9, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Getchell served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy U.S. Marshal Getchell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Cardiac
United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service has lost 313 officers; 4 of them lost to cardiac events.
Walter is one of 71 officers lost to cardiac events in DC, 5% of the 1,419 remembered there.
Walter is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Walter is one of 1,309 officers lost to cardiac events worldwide, 3.8% of the 34,117 remembered here.
34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1924, 1 officer in DC was lost to cardiac events, the 19th heaviest of 48 years on record. The heaviest was 1945, with 3.
In 1924, 2 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 107th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.
In 1924, 2 officers worldwide were lost to cardiac events, the 107th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.
Who
Walter was 57. Of the 69 lost to cardiac events in DC whose age is recorded, half were between 41 and 51; the middle age was 46.
Walter was 57. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48.
Walter was 57. Of the 1,251 lost to cardiac events worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 42.5 and 55; the middle age was 48.
When
August holds 9.9% of these deaths in DC; May holds the most, 12.7%. Tuesdays: 12.7%.
August holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Tuesdays: 13.9%.
August holds 8% of these deaths worldwide; January holds the most, 9.5%. Tuesdays: 13.9%.
How
Cardiac deaths account for 1.3% of all 313 deaths at United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, the 4th most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 5% of all 1,419 deaths in DC, the 4th most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 3.8% of all 34,117 deaths worldwide, the 4th most common cause.
His people
United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service has at least 120 officers remembered here, Walter among them.
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Robert Forsyth
Jan 11, 1794
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John Gatewood Feb 2, 1839
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James Batchelder May 26, 1854
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William H. Richardson Nov 17, 1855
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Eli R. Doyle Dec 27, 1855
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Leonard Armes Apr 20, 1860
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George W. Leihy Nov 18, 1866
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Theodore W. Moses Dec 6, 1869
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Thomas P. Foley Apr 27, 1870
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William Rufus Story
May 2, 1870
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William Hicks Reeves Mar 1, 1871
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William Anderson Looper Mar 3, 1871
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John Zeke Feb 16, 1872
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William T. Bentz Feb 22, 1872
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Clement McCausland
Feb 23, 1872
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Blacksut Beck Apr 15, 1872
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Sam Beck Apr 15, 1872
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William Hicks Apr 15, 1872
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George Selvidge
Apr 15, 1872
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Jim Ward Apr 15, 1872
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Riley Woods Apr 15, 1872
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William Beck Apr 16, 1872
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Jacob G. Owens
Apr 16, 1872
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Caleb N. Keith May 2, 1872
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Maddison F. Mitchell Jun 18, 1872
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Henry Franklin Griffin
Oct 6, 1872
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Marcus F. Parker Mar 22, 1873
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John C. Stephenson Jul 11, 1873
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R. T. Dunn Aug 8, 1873
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Andy Frigate Sep 5, 1873
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John P. Fries Oct 25, 1873
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Perry DuVal Nov 2, 1873
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Noah H. Burns Feb 15, 1874
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James P. Everette Jul 10, 1874
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William Spivey Aug 6, 1874
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Alfred F. Duckworth
Mar 1, 1876
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Arthur J. Harrington Jun 6, 1876
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Felix H. Torbett Oct 1, 1876
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Albert Gibson Jan 26, 1877
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Augustine McIntyre
Feb 10, 1877
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Van Buren Hendrix Feb 12, 1877
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John Wilson Feb 14, 1877
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Maston Reynolds Greene
May 12, 1877
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George Ellis Dec 10, 1877
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Rufus Springs
Apr 19, 1878
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Thomas Echols Rodgers Apr 29, 1878
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Augustus Harris Jun 17, 1878
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Harry T. McCarty Jul 13, 1878
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John Hicks Adams
Sep 2, 1878
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Cornelius Finley
Sep 2, 1878
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Jack Kimbrew Sep 11, 1878
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William H. Anderson Nov 8, 1878
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Lorenzo C. Crowell Jan 10, 1879
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James Kirby Sep 1, 1879
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C. R. V. Schefsky Sep 7, 1879
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Willard Rufus Ayers
Aug 11, 1880
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John Byron Hardie Dec 8, 1880
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Henry Seagraves Apr 8, 1881
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Robert Olinger
Apr 28, 1881
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Thomas Young Aug 25, 1882
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Dave H. Layman Apr 10, 1883
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John Mack Weir Jul 2, 1883
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John Collins Aug 10, 1883
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Addison Beck
Sep 27, 1883
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Lewis Merritt Sep 27, 1883
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William Leech Apr 10, 1884
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Walter Raleigh Killion May 24, 1884
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L. J. McDonald Jul 12, 1884
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Bud Pusley Nov 9, 1884
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Harrington Lee Gosling
Feb 21, 1885
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Jim Guy May 1, 1885
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William Kirksey May 1, 1885
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Andy Roff May 1, 1885
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James Roff May 1, 1885
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William Lee Miller Jul 6, 1885
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Miller Hurst Oct 11, 1885
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W. D. Kellett Dec 7, 1885
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John Nathaniel Merritt
Mar 6, 1886
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Tom C. Hall Mar 18, 1886
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James E. Richardson Mar 29, 1886
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R. W. Townsend Apr 4, 1886
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Henry Miller Apr 9, 1886
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William H. Irwin Apr 13, 1886
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Sam Sixkiller
Dec 24, 1886
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William Kelly Jan 17, 1887
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Mark Kuykendall Jan 17, 1887
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Henry Smith Jan 17, 1887
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William Fields Apr 10, 1887
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Dan Maples
May 5, 1887
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John Carleton Nov 5, 1887
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Frank Dalton
Nov 27, 1887
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E. A. Stokley Dec 3, 1887
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John D. Trammel Jun 26, 1888
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John Phillips Jun 30, 1888
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William Whitson Jun 30, 1888
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Mose McIntosh Nov 9, 1888
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Thomas Goodson Dec 1, 1888
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Z. W. Moody Mar 15, 1889
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Russell Wireman Mar 26, 1889
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Jim Williams Jun 5, 1889
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Joe Lundy Jun 10, 1889
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Charles Tanner Sparks
Oct 2, 1889
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Worth Bailey Saunders Feb 13, 1890
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Robert Cox Apr 14, 1890
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Charles H. V. Fusselman
Apr 17, 1890
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Jim Billy Jul 13, 1890
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David Sigemore Jul 31, 1890
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Samuel L. L'Estrange Nov 21, 1890
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William Pitts Dec 1, 1890
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Marion Prickett Dec 15, 1890
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Steve Pen-Su-Wau Feb 6, 1891
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James C. Arnold
Feb 26, 1891
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J. Locke Ezzell May 8, 1891
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Bernard Connelley Aug 19, 1891
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Charles Edwin Short
Aug 23, 1891
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Joseph S. Wilson Sep 23, 1891
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R. Lee Taylor Oct 1, 1891
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George E. Thornton
Oct 28, 1891
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George Wise
Oct 30, 1891
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Calixto Garcia Oct 30, 1891
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 10-W
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