I think that Mexico -- as a place to visit -- is still quite safe. At least, where I am seems to be. All during the time I've been here, through good times and bad, people have been coming to visit. We've never had any problems. Mind you, when people fly into Mexico City, I come to meet them. Then we usually go to the pyramids for an overnight on the way back here.

On the other hand, the Northern Border is a problem area. I think the kidnapping problem is actually abating from a HIGH-end panic situation of last summer/fall -- but by all means be careful of "new" friends. Don't do things you wouldn't do at home.

I was in Central America for a while at the end of the '80's when they were still fighting down there and "Death Squads" really did exist. I remember something an old lady told me one night in the town square of some small pukeville I happened to be in; "If you see women and children on the street -- even if there is inadequate lighting -- that is a good sign."

As time goes on, we are hoping to get a nice NRA Action Shooting program going on our Queretaro range. Of course, Mexico's caliber restrictions ARE always a problem, but there's lots of .38 Special revolvers (old and newer) around, that's for sure. If ANYONE is planning a visit to Central Mexico, it might be good to let me know. If we have something going on, you could come shoot with us. Don't try bringing your own guns though. I won't promise you'll get to shoot Phil's gun -- it's not EXACTLY a good idea to run around with that gun right now. Lot's of roadblocks around, you know. My regular K-38 is no problem, it's registered and is a .38. This other one, though...it's registered (thanks to Phil's connections), but it's really something else. I take it only when I'm SURE I have "coverage."

Anyway, hopefully next week I can get the letter sent off, and I will advise y'all with a post at that time.

You know south of the border hasnt been all that great for a long time. I too can attest that the death squads existed (probably still do) and I have always been leary of people in the "lower" America's. The person that buys you a beer is just as apt to be the one to knife you later in an alley.

Yes please keep that gun safe. I think if anything happened to it you would find a bunch of forum members coming to Mexico to start an international "incident".
Keep well

Cal,

This continues to be one of the best threads about guns, history, and friendship ever seen anywhere ! Glad to hear you and Phil's gun are well. :-)

Hi Onomea/CALMEX,
this certainly has been an interesting thread so far. All of the photos and history added by yourself and many other members just blow my mind.
I especially enjoy the old Marine Corps' shooting team photos and history a lot because it takes me back to the Marine Corps shooting team of my era which was the late 80's and early 90's. At that time, in HQ building the WTBN range, they had many many similar photos and historic shooting trophies with the names of most of all the shooters in photos and plaques as some we've seen in this thread. Just awesome.
I was interested in the history also linked to Col Walter Walsh as he was still in and around the ranges and RTE shop many times during my stay there, and many of us got to know him. He would make a trip to Camp Perry each summer to be an official presenter of trophy awards after the matches-always in a white suit. What a fun guy to talk to and a grand gentleman of the world.
And I remember seeing some copies of photos from a magazine article that included Col Walsh in uniform doing an exhibition of the FBI draw he was familiar with, and he was wearing and drawing a large frame S&W in those photos. This was possibly from the same interview/story that your friend did back in the 50's I'm guessing.
Thanks again for the super thread and a neat revolver story!
Best-MC

The bump of nowness.

__________________
I Love This Site

Gaucho,
Good call, it would be a shame for this thread to disapper. I hope one of the members who keeps in touch with Calmex will e-mail him and let him know about the new forum address and updates.

Bill

__________________
US Marine, 16 years+

I just checked the members list and Calmex is there.

__________________
I Love This Site

Gaucho, thanks for checking on me. Yes, I made it. My modem spritzed out last Friday and it took until today for Telmex to get me a new modem. (For anyone who doesn't know, there is one {1} phone company here in Mexico. They are as efficient as any other company that does not need to compete.) Then it took me all afternoon to get the thing working again. Then I downloaded my email and came STRAIGHT here. Had to change my password, but I did that, got in and then I changed it back to what it was. So I'm here again. Thanks for checking on me.

I have NOT sent the factory letter yet. That is going off soon, I promise. I have a guy here who owes me a hefty bill and when he pays me, I'll cut the check to send North. Just a little longer and things will be in motion. This thread has gone back-in-time about 50 pages, but always comes back to the front when there is something to report. The factory letter will (I hope) indeed be something, so don't sweat it, I won't let the thread go away.

For people who keep track of such things, I came HERE first. NOW I'm going to check out the Lounge. As if it matters...

We ARE keeping a very close eye on you.

__________________
I Love This Site

Good to see you here, calmex.
You're responsible for perhaps the most interesting thread on this Forum!

__________________
John

+1

Glad you meade the jump, Cal!

Thank-you all so much.

I was thinking about the thread last night, and remembering the two Phils. Might always come up with a new anecdote I haven't written down if I think about these things. One thing I did think of and remembered this morning to mention; Phil called the gun either "the Model 27" or "the three-fifty-seven" when he spoke about it. He MAY have referred to it as "the Magnum" once or twice, but always -- in my memory -- he referred to it as either "the Model 27" or "the three-fifty-seven".

No pet names. But it was clearly his favorite of everything he had. It will be interesting to read what S&W has to say, whether it's a little or a lot.

Good day to all.

Cal
I stand by my original offer...send me the pertinent info and I will pay for the letter on that gun. It would be my pleasure and well worth the price.

I'll make you a deal. If I can't "pull it together" enough to do it by myself by August, I'll take your offer. However, I know things should be okay if the guy who owes me pays up -- and he will, he's a straight shooter. He's just tight at the moment too.

Either way, you will get a color photo-copy of the letter I get back as well as a black-and-white copy signed by me for your efforts to help me out. Don't think I don't appreciate it.

Incidently, how long a "turn-around time" do you think we are talking about once I send the letter and the check off? I have heard there is a bit of a back-up, so we could be left speculation for a bit, couldn't we?

It's all exciting, though.

calmex, letters are running about 1 to 1 1/2 months right now.
Mr. Jinks will be getting ready to attend the S&W Collector's Association meeting this coming week and will be taking a few days off, so he may get behind a little bit.
It will be a real treat to see the letter when you get it.

__________________
John

Yes, well, I am hoping to get paid next week. I will get the letter and post it immediately thereafter. Then I will inform here, and we can all collectively wait and wonder what new things we shall discover about this gun.

I am trying to arrange to have some nice photos taken so that as the letter comes -- or perhaps immediatly afterwards -- I shall have them to post. The photos I already have that I have posted will be made into prints (they actually have one of them there machines in the Drug Store next door that can take a digital image from a computer disk and make you a print!) for the letter to Mr. Jinks.

I intend to have some nice photos taken of the nice King front sight with the little mirror reflector as well. I DO NOT know anything about the installation of this sight. I assume that the gun CAME that way when presented as a prize -- however I do not know. Perhaps Phil was able to specify the sight design, perhaps not.

Hopefully, the S&W letter will be able to tell us this.

1 1/2 months is not too long to wait unless you are from the "now" generation. I remember, when I was 19 (1977), I canoed down the Missouri River as a sort of summer project. Somewhere along that long wide stretch of the Oahe Reservoir in South Dakota, someone had given me a book called "Star Wars" (See the movie, read the book.)

I remember commenting to my friend in the back of the canoe that I rather hoped to survive the trip and not drown in the damned river so I could go see the movie because it sounded like it must be a pretty good one. Waiting a month and a half sitting here in my Ice Cream Store, in probably pretty perfect summer weather (which is the ONLY thing Mexico seems to have to offer sometimes) will hopefully be less stressful -- if somewhat less adventurous.

Years later, a friend had a Grumman 17 foot standard in his back yard. I went and sat down in the back seat and sort of wiggled around and declared it "sort of comfortable".
"What do you mean?" asked my friend. "I heard you spent almost 4 months in one of those."
"Yeah," I replied. "But NEVER back here. I was always..." pointing up to the front seat "...up there."

I remember the day this photo was taken. Near the very end of June or early July, 1977, right about near the State Line between North and South Dakota. Of course, on the river, there was no line, but we had Corps of Engineers maps (which were AMAZING in those days) so we knew about where we were. The black powder Remington .44 copy was about the only thing a 19 year old Canadian could buy himself to carry at that time; but it served me well. I'll see it this summer when I'm back in Canada and get an updated photo of it, as I still have it stored at a friend's house back there.

calmex, I need to visit Mexico again just to sit outside and enjoy some of your ice cream! Sounds like a nice place.

__________________
John

John,
I'd like to go as well...I could use some peace and ice cream about now.

Like that pic, Cal. Very dashing! Reminds me of me in about 1970, before I got my weight up there to current, ah, fighting trim... Hair's kinda short tho.

(I am intrigued by the secenario I envision of Cal's guy who needs to pay up. I imagine a latin Sydney Greenstreet kinda guy, running a tab at an ice cream parlor... "Little girl, let me buy you an ice cream, my sweet. Senior Cal! Put it on my tab!")

As I tell all my friends from back home; "If you are planning on a visit, please let me know in advance so that I don't bugger off to the beach or something on one of MY rare vacations." For example, I'll be in Calgary, Alberta for a couple weeks in August. I will for SURE be at the Shooting Edge range in Calgary for a couple of nights as friends of mine run that. Other times I'll be at SEALS ACTION GEAR. Both those places can be googled for anyone in and around Calgary who wants to discuss Smith and Wessons. My friends I will be visiting are all gun people, by the way.

But yes, this area of Mexico seems quite safe enough. This is a nice colonial town -- somewhat backward but remember WHERE it is -- colorful and with some nice restaurants. The quality of food preparation has gone WAAAAAAAAAAY up in the last 19 years. Trust me on that. I haven't had amoebas for a few years now, thinking on it....

Yes, my hair is longer now than it was on the River, however I think I cut it shorter for the River. By the end of the trip I think my hair was longer. I have (not as a scanned image) a shot taken of me in a gunstore at the end of the trip with a copy of a Colt 3rd Model Dragoon captioned "Why didn't I get one of these?" and my hair is longer.

The guy that owes me the money is a rather noted Canadian Artist named Michael French. He lives here, and can be googled as Michael French Artist. He's a cool guy, not the typical left-wing ditsy artist that San Miguel produces in rather sapping quantities. Michael is about as right as I am, a member of our gunclub, etc. etc. His paintings sell for a King's Ransom. However, since the CRASH came last September, he's been going through a "slow down" in sales. He sold his first painting in a while just last week (for a paltry 25,000.00 dollars). The money should arrive next week. I've been keeping him and his family in food for a few weeks or so -- and hey, it's been tough all around -- so when he pays ME, I can take care of a lot of unpaved roads in my immediate vicinity.

During the "tough time" this winter Michael and our Mexican gunsmith finished constructing Michael's NRA Competition gun. The "Silver Menace" is registered as .38 Special, of course. It has an nickled 8 3/8 inch barrel mounted on a nickled Model 19 round-butt frame, with the sights left in black. I believe he's got a McGivern Bead pegged into the front sight now, and if not I know he's planning on it when the cash comes in. It certainly turns heads, and is deadly on the 50 yard stages, but it isn't precisely a "factory piece" in exact terms. It's Michael who I am going to get to photograph Phil's gun for me. He does good work and will produce some nice images I am sure. It's just a matter of getting our act together and doing it. He took this shot of "the Menace" when he got it built and sent it around to the rest of us as an "intimidation tactic". Up until now, my own homemade K-38 heavy barrel has been the gun to beat around here in NRA Shooting. Thus, the "menace" title.

I always enjoy posts on this thread, especially after days I have had like today. With the exception of a couple of years, my life has been pretty vanilla in terms of expedition, and I'm really not inclined to talk about the "exciting" ones.

Kinda like a couple of my favorite guns I pull out of the safe, I go back and re-read this thread frequently to escape the daily chaos in my life.

Thank you all for contributing and especially Arlo for getting this thing started.

What a wonderful thread! As you can see, I'm new around here. RKmesa suggested this thread to me.

Thank you everyone for your contributions here. Calmex, you have a great story, memories and firearm.

Thanks. Obviously, there was some luck involved, but so far it's worked out pretty fair.

I'm still waiting on this money so I can do that letter! No, 29aholic, I don't need you to cover this for me yet. Michael will come through....it's just taking frustrating time, that's all. Damn, by the time we get an answer at this rate it'll be a Christmas present.

So, anyway; we're waiting for the letter to go. AND, I think I have another Phil story. Came up the other day when I was talking to someone about Phil. I need to check back through all these pages and make sure I haven't told it already (so as to not be boringly repititous), and then I'll put it down when I have some time.

Cheers.

An update on the scheduling of the Florida Mid-Winter: It was listed in the Jan. 1942 American Rifleman as to be March 17 through March 21.

Your friend had plenty of time to make the August-September festivities on Guadacanal. I was there in March of 2008. I was most impressed with the steepness of much of the terrain.

Regards,

Tam 3

You went there? Man, I'm jealous, I'd love to do something like that. Post any really neat photos you may have.

I always have been intrigued by "Battlefield Archeology", although I certainly can't claim to know anything about it. Oh, I could identify a rusted 1861 Navy from an 1860 Army maybe as well as the next guy, and tell the difference between a 1928 or an M1 Thompson about as well as the next guy I'm sure. However, let's face it, I'm also as much of a country-bumpkin as the next guy as well (no offense to the next guy).

When I see snippets on History or Discovery or stuff like that of these teams that go over to some of those islands and explore for stuff and look for stuff I can't help but thinking (as I sit here in my Air-Conditioned Mexican Ice Cream Store) "Damn, someone's doin' somethin' neat! And I'm stuck here."

I suppose it's all relative, but you've made me so jealous I'm going to go and have myself an Ice Cream.

Cal
Having most of my "adventures" involving having someone shoot at me, I am inclined to rather sit down over an ice cream with you. I cannot recall one fond memory of my time south of the border although I was much further south than you.

I believe we have a pact, that if you havent received payment by August 1 the burden (and it isnt one) of the letter falls to me. This is something I feel compelled to do if for no other reason than to be able to post the provinance of Phil's gun...something I think he would want.

Cal:

I swore that anything that was rusty would come home. Didn't happen. The only relics that I saw were one 7.7 cartridge, a beatup canteen w/cup and some Coca Cola bottles. Henderson field is still there but the fighter strip is part of a golf course. The wartime control tower remains (unused) but the "Pagoda" long gone There is an unidentified propeller on the wall inside the modern terminal. Someone claimed to have bought a U.S. bayonet for $400. that was no longer functional. No grips and metal rusted into immobility. The coconut groves are still there

The Australian Peace-keeping force is there to keep the natives from killing the Chinese descended population. Not many of them left. I saw none.

Regards,

Tam 3

Ok cal...we had a deal time to pony up the info on Phil's gun so I can letter it. August 1st has come and gone.
Please send me a PM.

Arrrgh! You are more precise than my alarm clock. Yes, you're right. I had a couple minor disasters come up here and spent the last two weeks sorting them out.

Give me an extention until September 01. IF I DON'T HAVE THAT LETTER ON THE WAY BY THAT TIME, YOU WIN. I haven't even been posting for 2 weeks, I haven't been able to relax. We've had some electrical problems in the store (Ice Cream Store, remember?) and it's been hectic. Seems to be fixed now.

If I fail this time, I will NOT try to weasel out. Cross my heart. (Just like in "UP", which is funny if you haven't seen it.)

Let's say I don't make the deadline. How do we do it? I download the form here, and then send it to you with the photos that I have (which I've posted here already) and then we wait? I assume that is how we should do it, because if you are paying for the letter, it should be you that gets the original.

I intend to get myself a decent digital camera to take some more photos as soon as I can as well. It's been a tough year down here, the economy has been disasterous, so a lot of things just have to be "put off" for a bit.

However, first things first. I will TRY to do the letter myself, and if by September 01 I have not succeeded -- we do it your way. Fair enough?

I already replied in PM to you, but I'll post it publicly. I do not want the original letter, it should stay with the gun. I would like a copy of it though.

Info needed:
Serial Number
Registration Number (if any)
Barrel length measure from the front end of the cylinder to the tip of the barrel
Type of front sight (Patridge, Call, McGivern, etc.)
Type of rear (square/U notch, outlined or not)
Type of grips
If there is a rework date stamped on the side of the grip frame under the grips.
Most of this info I can get from the pictures, and in essence is used to record its current configuration in the database and to cross reference what the letter will say.
Any pictures are good, nice close up pics would be great especially of the engraving.

We have a deal. Come Sept 1 if you havent done it, I will do it regardless of whether you send me the info or not.

Curtis;
Come my first day off, I'll make sure to pull the gun out of the safe and get all the exact info for you. I know most of the info but for example have never actually measured the barrel precisely.
Also, haven't looked under the grips that I remember. I will get the info for you, don't worry.
Thanks!
Cal

Cal has conceded to let me letter this gun in his favor (typical stubborn Canuck it was like pulling teeth).

I dont remember if anyone else did it, but Roy just gave me the ship date on this gun.

May 1942

I will be sending off for the letter very soon, and will post it here when I receive it.

And NO I am not keeping the original letter.

Curtis;
I really wasn't trying to be stubborn, I just hoped against hope that the Mexican economy would pick up and allow me to pay my own way here. However, closing the whole country down over the Swine Flu scare in May has just sunk the economy here. We're going to have to tighten the belt and get through until January now and the next tourist season.

So I REALLY appreciate you taking this on right now. And if you WANT the original letter, you earned it man. I'll take the color photo-copy. Whatever pleases you, you've been more than generous.

The names on the side of the gun are; Guadalcanal, Cape Torokina, Koromokina, and Piva Forks. The last three I believe are on Bouganville. Phil talked a lot more about the fighting on Bouganville than on Guadalcanal -- I think for him personally Bouganville was the place that stuck more in his mind. He was lightly wounded there -- that actually might be a Phil story I haven't told yet -- and I just think it affected him more. I sure wish he was still around to ask more specifics, but there's hardly any veterans of that war around now.

And dammit, at the TIME, I figured I was asking him everything I could possibly ask. However, as time goes by, you think of more things and it's too late you know.
Cheers!

I was just funnin....although y'all are subject to be stubborn

I have two primary reasons for wanting to do this.

1. That gun deserves a letter

2. Phil reminds me of a buddy of mine I lost, who had probably as colorful of a past. I always meant to write a book of his exploits, but life got in the way and he passed away while we were out of touch.

Most excellent, gentlemen!

Arlo
We wouldnt be here if it wasnt for you...thanks for starting the thread

Curtis,

If the cost of the letter cuts your dog biscuit supply low, give me a shout. I'll go halvsies...

__________________
Barry, youngest son of Claud

It will be very interesting to learn whatever more we can learn about this revolver.
Obviously, things like the side engraving with place-names from Guadalcanal/Bouganville came afterwards, as the battles were yet to take place at the time the revolver was shipped. Personally (although I don't know) I would imagine that Phil had the engraving done himself -- along with thinning down the magna grips and cutting away the trigger guard.

Phil did run a gun company here in Mexico for sometime during the early '60's. "Officially" he was producing Winchester Model 37 single-shot shotguns and I think he said they did some of the Remington single-shots as well. However he did tell me that anything "special" like silenced weapons for the C.I.A. were also something he worked on as well. I believe he told me about making some silenced Hi-Standard .22 autos, IIRC. Any work he would have wanted to do I'm sure he could have done himself or "farmed out" locally.

I have a spare camera I can send you. My email is in my profile. No strings attached. Even comes with the software.
DW

DW, what a nice offer! However, it really isn't necessary. I can borrow a camera or buy one, however...

...let me ry to explain. Phil's gun is a .357 registered as a .38 special in a country that RIGHT NOW is going topsy turvy. The (often very corrupt) Police are running rampant trying to show the public they are "doing something" and all too often they end up going to the houses of people with registered guns and "checking up". IF that was to happen right now, and they saw the ".357 ctg." marking on the barrel, they'd take the gun.

So, "the gun" is in a safe place. I have an old rusty Victory/M-10 that will replace it coming any day now, and that will cover my rear if the Gun Gestapo pays me a visit. Because of the gun's age, when it WAS originally registered, under the category of "Model Number" it just says "No Model Number" because model numbers weren't stamped at that time on the guns. Well, the one that's coming has "No Model Number" either, and it will be correct in all other critical areas. I don't really want to go into details on this because we are getting into some pretty muddy areas here, but I'm sure you can fill in the blanks. I'm in a tough spot here; the gun AS IS will be confiscated on sight by the "new" Gun Goon squads. On the other hand, NOT having a revolver in the correct caliber with correct markings would also be a "no-no", and I have taken the course of action I believe to be prudent in my current position and situation.

I will get some good photos of the gun. I have a friend I trust whom I'm going to bring with me to my hiding place and we'll set up a nice cloth background and photograph the sucker top/bottom/and sideways. But you don't need to send me a camera. The hold up is that the gun is "stashed" until some type of order comes into play around here. And please, don't worry...it is in a safe, clean, dry and secure place. It's just not in my safe at the moment, because in "as is" condition, it wouldn't be safe there.

Hopefully, you guys will not have to worry about this sort of **** anytime soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmex ...Hopefully, you guys will not have to worry about this sort of **** anytime soon.

Ain't that the truth.

Jeez, Cal. That sounds like a royal PITA. I can understand perfectly your course of action, and agree that is prudent. Good luck!

Longer term, even very longer term -- AKA when you kick the bucket! – I wonder if there is not some way to get Phil’s treasure to safety…. E.g., back to Canada. It is a true treasure.

I do think since Phil was your friend, and he bequeathed it to you, that it should remain with you as long as possible. Do you intend to return to Canada some day?

I have made this statement before, but I am fairly sure if the federales should ever take that gun, I believe there would be an "international incident" instigated by a few of us on the forum...I for one would be happy to lead that charge.

Once rusty old Pre-10 62485 appears (I'm told any day now), blood-pressure can come down. We have a very good, competent U.S. trained gunsmith down here who does not have any "oversight" to worry about other than what one might expect. Remarking is a closet industry down here. Can't say how many Model 13's I've seen remarked as Model 10's with newly installed Model 10 barrels on them, or Model 65's marked as Model 64's with the proper correctly marked barrel installed.

I've seen Model 66's nicely marked as Model 67's with the original barrel remarked so well that if I didn't know what I was looking at, it would have fooled me. In this part of the World, if it says ".38 Special" it's cool, and if it says ".357" it's a ticket to jail and some stiff fines and confiscation. It might surpise many of you to find out that the average dedicated Mexican Shooter is as apt to swerve his way around silly regulations as any Canadian or American Shooter would be -- and the Mexican Authorities are MUCH less educated and much more pompous than their Northern counterparts.

The ONLY way Phil's gun could safely get out of here and end up there, or Canada, would be to uninstall the original tube and install one that was properly marked as to caliber. At that point, there would really be no problem. I honestly was considering doing exactly that when I started to hear about shooters in surrounding towns being "paid a visit" by authorities on a witch-hunt. However, the M-10 remark just solves SO many problems I decided to go that route for now. First off, it doesn't devalue Phil's blaster. Second, in a case of a general confiscation on the hands of the Geheime Staats Polizei, they get a rusty old clunker that is worn to the point of junker and the other one stays where it is. Of course, such a general confiscation scenario would greatly complicate things, but at the moment I don't foresee that happening.

Police abuse of the Public's good will is one thing; a general confiscation is something I don't think they'd get away with. Remember; when the Police go around "checking up" on registered owners, they are looking to fill their own pockets through threats and intimidation. It has nothing to do with Public Security.

If I leave here, or decide it is prudent to move, Phil's gun will go with me. I would probably have to rebarrel it to transport it, and then rebarrel it again on the other side -- but given that the alternative would be losing it, I guess it's the way it's gotta be. In the meantime, I believe I have the bases covered as well as I can. It's a bad situation and we can only wait and see what happens. In the meantime; Phil's toy is safe, and I'll be able to produce a "reasonable facsimile" should I be required to very shortly. As I said, my blood pressure can come down a few notches at that point. I hope I haven't given out "too much information" here, but times are tense and I feel that people like DW deserve an explanation. I suppose if Lee feels I've been to explicit, he'll let me know, I trust his judgement.

"I have made this statement before, but I am fairly sure if the federales should ever take that gun, I believe there would be an "international incident" instigated by a few of us on the forum...I for one would be happy to lead that charge."

Curtis:
Keep in mind this is a reality-based forum, not fantasy.

With all the respect due:
Ed

Ed,

The international incident is farfetched, but as many people who have enjoyed this thread as much as I, I am sure there would be an uproar. I DO tend to wax romantic at times though

Well, as I said the other day, Phil got wounded on Bouganville. I couldn't remember if I had ever mentioned that because this thread has gone on a couple of years now and I can't remember with clarity everything I put down or might just have thought of putting down. Sometimes I don't remember things until something happens that brings back the memory, so to speak.

One day, probably ten years ago, Phil was in the store for his Ice Cream and had a sniffle. I asked him if he was okay, and he replied that he had a cold. However, he ordered his chocolate-chip ice cream cone, so I went and sat across from him. His voice was raspy, and I guess I sensed he might not want to talk, so I didn't prattle on either. I don't like talking with a sore throat. He did talk though, and he told me this little story.

"I got hit on Bouganville," he said. "I was in charge of a machine-gun squad. One of those old water-cooled Brownings. We were firing out across an open area, but I couldn't see where we were hitting at all so I climbed up this little ridge just behind the gun and held onto a tree trunk so I could lean out and look through my binoculars. One of them Jap mortar shells came down and landed on the breechblock of the Browning. It killed my crew, put the gun out of commision, and a nice splinter of steel stuck itself into me right here..." and he pointed with his finger right onto his breast bone "...and was sticking out like one of those thowing stars in a kung-fu movie." I don't put words into his mouth here, that's what he said.

"Anyway," he continued, "it hurt like hell. I saw that I was bleeding and I could clearly see my crew was dead so I pushed myself to my feet and headed back to the aid station. That was, oh, about 500 yards back from where we were."

"I got there, and there was a young navy corpsman operating on some guy on a stretcher that was just propped between a couple of ammo-crate tables. He was working right inside this guy, you know?"

"Anyway, I walked up, and I said, 'Uh, I've been wounded.' Or something like that. The Corpman looked at me, and I have to say now he looked disgusted. He reached over and pulled out the piece of steel with a quick jerk. His hand was all bloody, and he pointed to one of the ammo crates at a bottle of alcohol."

"Put some of that on the wound," the corpsman told me, "and put one of those bandage packs on it and keep pressure on it and get back to the line."

"Then," Phil told me, "he said something I have NEVER forgotten." He said, "Sir, YOU don't have a problem. This guy here, HE has a problem."

"He said it," Phil went on, "with the type of voice you use to scold a spoiled little kid." Phil shook his head. "So, I went back to the line, and my little wound healed up. But to this day, I've never forgotten his saying 'Sir, YOU don't have a problem. This guy here, HE has a problem'. Whenever I have a little sniffle or something, I think back to that and try not to complain too much about things.

And that's what he told me.

Great story, Cal. He sure put it in perspective.

One tough guy, your friend Phil. RIP.

"In this part of the World, if it says ".38 Special" it's cool, and if it says ".357" it's a ticket to jail and some stiff fines and confiscation."

calmex,

It sounds like you need a .38/44 Outdoorsman barrel for your RM.

__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!