National Rifle & Pistol Championships
Camp Perry, Ohio

Higginson Wins National Pistol

Quantico's Warrant Officer Higginson fired his way to the National Pistol Championship last Saturday at Camp Perry, Ohio.

Higginson, attached to the Marksmanship Training Unit here shot an excellent 2656x2700 total to capture the prestigious title.

Quantico Sentry, Friday, August 7, 1970

Marine Edges Navy Champ At Camp Perry

CAMP PERRY, Ohio (UPI) — Marine WO Francis Higginson of Placerville, Calif., withstood a late challenge by defending champion Navy PO Donald Hamilton, Wollaston, Mass., to capture the National Pistol Championship with a three-day total of 2656 points.

Higginson fired an 881 out of 900 with the .45 caliber pistol to wrap up the championship and become the first Marine to get it since 1957 when Lt. Col. William McMillan of Turtle Creek, Pa., turned the trick.

Hamilton, who got off to a bad start Monday with the .22 caliber pistol, closed strongly with an 884 to finish second with 2649 points. Army M.Sgt. Emil Heugatter, Rosebud, Tex., was third with 2643 and Air Force Maj. Franklin Green, Rantoul, Ill., was fourth at 2642.

William Blankenship, Columbus, Ga., who took the .45 caliber sub-championship with 886 points and who has been national champion six times won his first title in the civilian category with 2636 points. He retired from the Army in April.

Army Maj. Sallie Carroll, Spokane, Wash., walked off with her fourth ladies title with 2578 points and Allen Arrington, a highway patrol officer from Charlotte, N.C., pulled an upset by winning the police title with 2607 points. He unseated Elwin Burnett, a state trooper from East Lansing, Mich., who had won the crown three consecutive years.

S.Sgt. Stuart Clingman, Guernsey, Wyo. was high National Guardsman with 2629 points.

In team competition, the Marine Red entry won the national team title with a three match total of 3496 points but was hard pressed by a strong Georgia state civilian team led by Blankenship with finished second just four points back.

Wednesday's fired match was won by the Army Red squad with 1162 points and the Georgia state club was one point behind. The champion Marine Red team which did not win any of the fired matches was third, also with 1161 points but five fewer shots in the X-ring than the Georgia crew, 53 - 48.

Stars & Stripes, Friday, August 7, 1970

Grabs Second Pistol Title

CAMP PERRY, Ohio (UPI) — The Marine Corps' Red team captured its second title Thursday at the National Pistol Championships here with a score of 1,149 in the Trophy Pistol competition.

The first title the Marines captured was the National Pistol Team Championship Wednesday.

The Army's Blue team was runner up in the pistol team match with 1,141 points and a Georgia state civilian squad was third with 1,135 points.

Army S.Sgt. Arthur White of Williams, Ariz. set a record in winning the National Trophy Individual Match with his 296-12X Previous high in the 30-shot match was 295.

National Pistol Champion Marine W.O. Francis Higginson of Placerville, Calif. was runner up to White with 294-13X and Army Sgt. Santiago Machuca of San Antonio, Tex. was third with 294-9X.

Sandusky Register, Friday, August 7, 1970

Higginson Dethrones Hamilton To Win National Pistol Crown

CAMP PERRY, Ohio — WO Francis Higginson became the first Marine since Lt. Col. Bill McMillan turned the trick in 1957 to win the National Pistol championship at the National Rifle Association's "world series" of shooting here.

Higginson turned in a score of 2656 to dethrone the Navy's Aviation Machinist's Mate First Don Hamilton (Ret.), last year's champ, by seven points. Hamilton had a 2649 aggregate. He has won the title three times, triumphing in 1965 and '66 in addition to last year.

In third place was Army MSgt. Emil Heugatter with 2643, giving the services a sweep of the first three places.

En route to the championship, Higginson pushed Army SSgt. Arthur White to a record to win the National Trophy Individual match. White scored 296, eclipsing the old mark of 295. Higginson, who finished second, was only one away from the old record with a score of 294. Army Sgt. Santiago Machuca was third, also with 294, but Higginson took second by virtue of 13 bull's-eye to nine for the Army representative.

THE MARINE Red team captured two championships, led by McMillan.

Although the team did not win any one of the three events — centerfire, 22 and .45 caliber events — their second and third places finishes gave the Leathernecks an aggregate of 3496 to capture the National Team championship.

In addition, they won the National Trophy title with an aggregate of 1149. The team, in addition to McMillan, was made up of Anthony Mucci, Higginson and James Dorsey.

Higginson and Hamilton already have won places on the U.S. team which will compete in the World Championships at Phoenix, Ariz., in October.

Navy Times, August 19, 1970

WHEN Warrant Officer Francis Higginson, of Placerville, Calif., posted a final aggregate of 2,625 points in the national pistol matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, recently he emerged as the first Marine to cop the open championship since Bill McMillan of the Marines turned the trick in 1957.

McMillan, a native of Borden Shaft, Allegany County, one of the world's greatest shots in bygone days, was on hand to congratulate Higginson.

The former champion is now a lieutenant colonel and commanding officer of the Marine Corps marksmanship group

Lt. Col. McMillan was on the 10-man U.S. squad picked from the high scores in the .22 caliber slow fire match that fired a score of 2,814 points out of a possible 3,000. That was the annual Mayleigh Cup Postal Team Match and the outcome will not be known until the other countries participating fire the event.

The Mayleigh Challenge Cup is an international postal team match sponsored by the National Rifle Association. The cup is of sterling silver and is 22 inches wide. It was donated by .22 caliber pistol shooters of Great Britain and was entered for competition in 1947.

Cumberland Times-News, Wednesday, September 2, 1970

Grab Rifle, Pistol Titles

Marines Win Big

Marine marksmen ran rough-shod over the competition in the 1970 National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio, the weekend of Aug. 22. Individual and team shooters from Quantico won 20 out of 24 matches in the competition, plus winning both the National Trophy Rifle and National Trophy Pistol Matches in the same year. It is the first time the Marines have won both events in fourteen years.

Warrant Officer F. A. Higginson took top individual honors in the pistol competition and was named National Pistol Champion with a total score of 2556 and Regular Service Pistol Champion with a score of 2556.

W.O. Higginson also won the Center Fire Pistol Championship with a score of 887, the 22 caliber Slow Fire Match with a score of 197, the Center Fire Slow Fire Match with a score of 943-195X and the Center Fire National Match Course with a score of 296.

Gunnery Sergeant J. Dorsey of Quantico won the President's Pistol Match with an 887. Gunnery Sergeant M. L. Ewing won the 22 Caliber Rapid Fire Match with a 200-16X, and Staff Sergeant D. R. Oxford of Quantico won the 45 Caliber Rapid Fire Match with a score of 199.

The Marines captured the Pistol Team Aggregate Match with a total score of 3495. Team members were Lieutenant Colonel W. W. McMillan of Quantico, W.O. Higginson, Quantico, GySgt. Dorsey of Quantico and Gunnery Sergeant E. J. Eibert of the Marine Corps Supply Center at Barstow, Calif.

In the individual rifle competition, Warrant Officer R. L. Goller of Quantico won the Service Rifle Championship with a score of 1566, the President's Rifle Match with a 792 score, and the Nevada Trophy Match (High Service Rifle) with a score of 774.

Chief Warrant Officer D. I. Boyd of Quantico won the Members Trophy Match (High Service Rifle) with a score of 198 and Staff Sergeant D. Sanchez of Quantico took the Army Cup Match (High Service Rifle) with a 200-6X score.

In the team shooting, the Marines won the National Trophy Rifle Team Match with a score of 2885. Team members were: Captain J. Kappel of the Third Marine Division; Chief Warrant Officer M. Pietroforte of the Recruit Depot in San Diego; Chief Warrant Officer G. R. Murdock of the Recruit Deopt at Parris Island; W.O. Goller of Quantico; Master Sergeant R. E. Martin of the Recruit Depot at Parris Island and Gunnery Sergeant W. D. Dobbie of the Third Marine Division.

In the special rifle competition, Chief Warrant Officer G. Connor of Quantico won the 100-Yard Metallic Sight Match with a score of 400-32X; W.O. Boyd won the Four Position Metallic Sight Match with a score of 796, and Chief Warrant Officer R. H. Green of Quantico took the Four Position Any Sight Match with a score of 798.

The Marines also captured the team competition in the special rifle class by winning the Four Position Metallic Sight Team Match with a score of 1578. Team members were: W.O. Boyd of Quantico, W.O. Green of Quantico; W.O. Connor of Quantico; and Staff Sergeant J. F. Boswell of Quantico.

Quantico Sentry, Friday, September 4, 1970

Leatherneck Shooters Dominate Camp Perry Championships

The smoke has cleared at the Camp Perry (Ohio) National Rifle and Pistol Championships and Leatherneck shooters have, for the first time in 14 years, walked off with the National Trophy Rifle and National Trophy Pistol Matches as well as numerous individual honors.

WO F. A. Higginson of Quantico won top individual honors in the pistol competition and was named National Pistol Champion with a total score of 2,656 and Regular Service Pistol Champion with the same score.

He also won the Center Fire Pistol Championship with an 887 score, the .22 caliber Slow Fire Match with a 197 score, the Center Fire Slow Fire Match with a 943 x 195 mark and the Center Fire National Match Course with a 296 score.

Three other Quantico Marines scored high in pistol shooting as GySgt J. Dorsey won the President's Pistol Match with an 887 score; GySgt L. E. Ewing took the .22 caliber Rapid Fire Match with 200 x 16 and SSgt D. R. Oxford won the .45 caliber Rapid Fire Match with a 199 score.

Marines won the Pistol Team Aggregate Match with a total score of 3,495. Team members were LtCol W. W. McMillan, WO Higginson, GySgt Dorsey (all from Quantico) and GySgt E. J. Eibert of MCSC, Barstow.

In Individual rifle competition, WO R. L. Goller of Quantico won the Service Rifle Championship with a 1,566 score, the President's Rifle Match with 792 and the Nevada Trophy Match (High Service Rifle) with a 774 score.

CWO D. I. Boyd won the Members Trophy Match (High Service Rifle) with a 198 score and SSgt D. Sanchez won the Army Cup Match (High Service Rifle) with a 200 x 16. Both Marines are from Quantico.

The National Trophy Rifle Team Match was also won by the Marines with a score of 2,885. Team members were Capt J. Kappel of the 3d Marine Division, CWO M. Pietroforte of MCRD, San Diego, CWO G. R. Murdock and MSgt R. E. Martin of MCRD, Parris Island, WO Goller of Quantico and GySgt W. D. Dobbie of the 3d Marine Division.

In the special rifle competition, CWO G. Connor of Quantico won the 100-Yard Metallic Sight Match with a 400 x 32 score; WO Boyd won the Four Position Metallic Sight Match with a 796 and CWO R. H. Green, also of Quantico, won the Four Position Any Sight Match with a 798 score.

The Leathernecks also took the team competition in the special rifle class by winning the Four Position Metallic Sight Team Match with a 1,578 score. Team members were WO Boyd, WO Green, WO Connor and SSgt T. F. Boswell all from Quantico.

Marine Corps Gazette, October 1970

The Mayleigh Trophy Match - Britain's Success

Since these matches started in 1937, except in 1950 due to Korean war commitments, the U.S.A. has won every year - until 1970. Warm congratulations to the British Team upon their fine total of 2835, which is no fewer than forty-four points better than their previous best which was made in 1966. Congratulations also to the Captain, Major Peter Freeman and his Adjutant, Colin Bennett. Colonel C. J. Smith, formerly of the U.S. Army, who lives in France, and at Bisley, has been our witness for many years and certainly brought us luck this time.

The match is by invitation to English-speaking countries and is fired at 50 yards range, thirty shots each of ten team members. The U.S.A. hold the record with 2865 in 1967.

Australia returned their best score in this match, four points better in fact, to place third, whilst although South Africa improved on their 1969 score by five points their 2756 is still five short of their previous best - in 1968. Unfortunately Canada slipped back a bit whist Jamaica obviously suffer from a lack of competition outside that paradise island and from limited competition within.

N.S.R.A., The Rifleman, Spring 1971