Posted: 5/6/2014 6:02:19 PM EDT
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Detective John Hobbs Phoenix PD and AR15.com member (Hobbs5624) was shot and killed on 3-3-2014 while in pursuit of a felony suspect. Det. Hobbs returned fire killing the suspect after he was shot. He leaves behind a wife and 3 young children. John was an avid 1911 enthusiast and well respected member on AR15.com. His technical knowledge on the 1911 platform was huge. He helped out numerous members on their 1911 builds, including myself. I didn't know John very well other than my interactions with him on this site, but with that being said, myself and another AR15.com member, PWS2112, were in a unique position to help his family out by completing an important 1911 and to create a memorial in his honor.
It was nice that this project was completed exactly 2 months after he was shot. It was logistically difficult, but I was able to deliver this memorial to John's close LEO friends yesterday in Phoenix to be presented to the family by Marines in uniform. To summarize what we did is we completed John's very authentic MEU(SOC) 1911 and created a display case/shadow box for both pistols. It was a collaborative effort and (PWS2112) did an amazing job at machining the mounts for the pistols. We were also able to get Dedication/Authentication letters from Kimber as well as one from Precision Weapons Section to add a nice personal touch to the memorial. Both of these pistols were owned by John. The USMC Kimber DET-1 1911 is a very rare pistol in itself. Only about 200 in civilian hands. His MEU(SOC) 1911 is probably the most authentic reproduction to this date. In fact, it's as real as you can get considering it made it's way to PWS to be inspected by PWS2112 and for finishing work. John took meticulous detail in building it and 7 long years acquiring the correct parts. It would have been shame if his MEUSOC never got finished. His wish was for these two pistols to go to his 2 sons when they became of age and I am glad we could make that happen in a unique way for them. I want to thank all of the members on here who sent donations or contributed by buying the USMC Weapon Record Books to help offset some of the costs associated with this project as well as donations that will go to the family. Hopefully this will bring some closure to his family, friends, and the members here who enjoyed John's threads and technical help. Semper Fi...... R.I.P. 
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| Just to be clear, Detective Hobbs was not a former Marine. He held the Marine Corps in high regard and hoped one day his two sons might join. As such, he had an affinity towards Marine Corps 1911's. Even though Hobbs was never a real Marine, he still held every characteristic, trait, and most importantly true warrior spirit tiil the final bullet. |
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That's beautiful man. I don't mean the pistols, that's part of it and they're very nice, but it's the whole thing. The attention to detail and the effort that went into a memorial that he would have appreciated and one that will mean a lot to his family. It speaks volumes about those responsible for its being and about the man who it's meant to memorialize. It's times like these that I remember why I like this site and its members. For those responsible, I salute you. |
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