Harkrader
Member
One of my close friends in the USAF and Vietnam was the son of a well-known USAF SAC commander. The father was a WWII vet, having starting in the Army Air Corp.
He was also an excellent shooter. Retired and in his 70s he surprised a burglar in his condo at night and chased him out, across the lawn, and jumped a fence in pursuit, S&W revolver in hand!
The story I like best is from when he was a new "butter bar". He was assigned to Panama (Canal Zone?). One of his duties was seeing to it that all personnel did their annual qualification. I'll call him "Lootenant B".
The story goes that a senior master sergeant came to the line. He was not about to submit himself to a butter bar, and felt qualification with the handgun, the Colt Government Model of 1911, was a total waste of his time.
He picks up the gun in disgust and pretty much flings the rounds downrange, scarcely frightening the target. He tosses the gun on the bench saying "Damn things can't hit suet!"
Young Lootenant B says "Let me see that thing." He picks it up, slides home a new magazine and chambers a round.
He proceeds to the bench and assumes the stance. He then turned around, bent over and fired the seven rounds between his legs and under the bench, putting all rounds in the required place.
He stands back up, hands the slide-locked gun to the sergeant and says "Seems OK to me. Try it again."
I sure would like to have been there!
He was also an excellent shooter. Retired and in his 70s he surprised a burglar in his condo at night and chased him out, across the lawn, and jumped a fence in pursuit, S&W revolver in hand!
The story I like best is from when he was a new "butter bar". He was assigned to Panama (Canal Zone?). One of his duties was seeing to it that all personnel did their annual qualification. I'll call him "Lootenant B".
The story goes that a senior master sergeant came to the line. He was not about to submit himself to a butter bar, and felt qualification with the handgun, the Colt Government Model of 1911, was a total waste of his time.
He picks up the gun in disgust and pretty much flings the rounds downrange, scarcely frightening the target. He tosses the gun on the bench saying "Damn things can't hit suet!"
Young Lootenant B says "Let me see that thing." He picks it up, slides home a new magazine and chambers a round.
He proceeds to the bench and assumes the stance. He then turned around, bent over and fired the seven rounds between his legs and under the bench, putting all rounds in the required place.
He stands back up, hands the slide-locked gun to the sergeant and says "Seems OK to me. Try it again."
I sure would like to have been there!
