George Walsh(1917-2005)

George Walsh was the voice of 'Gunsmoke' from 1952 through 1962 on CBS Radio, starring William Conrad as Marshall Matt Dillon. Then on the long running CBS television program starring James Arness, which began each show with Walsh's, "Around Dodge City and in the territory out West, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. marshal and the smell of 'Gunsmoke.'" Announcer-Newscaster for KNX-AM radio for 34 years(1952-1986). He hosted 'Music Till Dawn" (1952-1970). The show won the coveted Peabody Award in 1966. Hosted 'This Is Los Angeles' nightly at 8:15, which earned the Golden Mike Award from the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California in 1961. Recorded the signature line of 'Smokey Bear',"Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!" After he retired from KNX radio, Walsh worked for a few years at the Candy Palace and other stores on Main Street at Disneyland. His voice could be heard on the rides, 'Flight To the Moon' and 'Mission To Mars". Following Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps, assigned to the Armed Forces Radio. Walsh also was emcee for the USO shows. When he returned from overseas he was stationed in Roswell New Mexico and got a job at KSWS Radio there. He was responsible for 'breaking' the Roswell UFO story and putting out on the wire.