5 Seek Spots On U.S. Rifle, Pistol Teams

Five Marines -- four pistol shooters and one rifle expert -- are training here as candidates for the U.S. team, representing the country in international competition.

The five will vie with a number of other shooters on October 28 at Ft. Benning, Ga.

At that time, six rapid fire and six slow fire pistol shooters will be named as the nation's representatives. The rifle shooters will be seeking a like number of spots in either big bore — .30 — or small bore — .22 competition.

SEEKS SPOT

Pistol shooters practicing here are Lt. Col. Walter Walsh, who will seek a spot on the slow fire team; Capt. Thomas Mitchell, rapid fire; Capt. John Jagoda, both slow and rapid, and 2d Lt. W. W. McMillan, slow and rapid.

It was pointed out that while there are six spots available on each team, it does not necessarily mean, for example, that 12 different shooters will be named to the pistol squads. Several are expected to be named on both rapid and slow fire teams, thus cutting down the number of spots available to perhaps eight or nine.

DOUBLE EFFORT

The lone Marine rifle shot is 2d Lt. J. M. Smith Jr., who is attempting to win spots on both the big and small bore teams.

In addition, two Marine reservists, who are not training here, are candidates for the teams. They are Lt. Col. Harry Reeves of the Detroit Police Force and Lt. Col. Philip Roettinger, Arlington, Va.

The candidates selected will leave United States November 10 for Venezuela, site of the matches in the latter part of November.

WORLD WIDE

The majority of the world's nations are expected to be represented at the event. However, several oriental countries are not expected to send squads.

In all, some 150 pistol experts will be aiming for honors. No estimate was available on the number of rifle shooters expected to compete.

It was stressed that, on the whole, the competition will be on an individual basis, with each shooter attempting to garner single honors. However, U.S. shooters will compete as a squad when firing in team matches.

A national police record was set in the rapid-fire tryouts by Joseph C. White, Jr., U. S. Border Patrol, who registered a 584 score.

As for the outlook, Lt. McMillan, who has proven to be one of the Marines' top shots, said, "We expect several of the Marines here to make the team. The future, I'd say, is bright."

The Parris Island Boot, South Carolina, Friday, October 1, 1954

Rifle, Pistol Candidates

28 Marksmen Vie for Slots On U.S. International Team

Twenty-eight of the nation's top rifle and pistol marksmen held a two-day orientation here this week and began competing yesterday for berths on the U.S. International Team.

Tryouts will continue through Nov. 6 when a 25-man team is selected to represent the U.S. in the International Matches at Caracas, Venezuela, Nov. 15-27.

With the U. S. Army Rifle and Pistol Headquarters are 22 officials of the National Rifle Association Shooting Committee.

Among them are Marine Corps Major Gen. (retired) Merritt A. Edson, executive director of The NRA; Marine Corps Brig. Gen. (retired) Thomas Wornham, International Shooting Committee, and Rear Adm. (retired) M. C. Mumma, Olympic Committee.

Match Schedules

The U.S. International Team candidates were briefed on match schedules and participated in a practice firing session before the tryouts start.

Selected on the basis of their performance during the National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, last August and September, the experts represent the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Reserve components and civilian agencies.

Frank T. Parsons of the NRA will captain the tryout team which includes 19 officers, four enlisted men and five civilians.

Three are members of the U.S. Army Rifle and Pistol Team. They are Capt. John F. Dodds and Capt. R. W. Anthony, both of the Army's European Command, and M-Sgt. Joe Benner of the U.S. Military Academy.

The Bayonet, Fort Benning, Georgia, Thursday, October 28, 1954, Page 20

Squad to Be Picked Friday

U.S. R&P Teams End Post Tryouts

The final team will be chosen Friday at Fort Benning to represent the United States in the World Rifle and Pistol Championships at Caracas, Venezuela, from Nov. 16 to 27.

Thirteen rifle and pistol shooters were selected Monday leaving 12 still to be picked.

Eight of the first 13 members are veterans of the 1952 Olympic and World Championship teams.

The three pistolers who will represent the U.S. again are Lt. Col. Harry Reeves, USMCR of Detroit, Michigan, six-time United States champion, Master Sergeant Huelet Benner, USA, of West Point, N.Y., and Second Lt. William W. McMillan, USMC, of Turtle Creek, Pa.

The five international veteran rifle shooters to make the squad were Arthur C. Jackson, of Washington, D. C., Second Lt. Verle Wright, USAR, of Ft. Wayne, Ind., Lt. Col. Emmett O. Swanson, USMCR, of Minneapolis, Minn., Lt. Arthur Cook, USAFR, of Washington, D. C., and August Westergaard, of Sloan, Iowa.

The newcomers to the pistol squad are Capt. John F. Dodds and Captain Ralph W. Anthony, USA, both of Ft. Benning, and CWO Offutt Pinion, USN, of Norfolk, Va. Neophytes on the .22 caliber rifle squad are William G. McAuliffe, of Bernardsville, N. J., and Second Lt. James M. Smith, USMC, of Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The six pistol and seven rifle marksmen selected Monday represent one-half the squad which will be sent to South America by the National Rifle Association of America. Of the men selected Monday Reeves, Benner and McMillan also will try to win spots on the rapid-fire pistol squad and riflemen Jackson, Wright, Westergaard and Smith will try for the high-power free rifle. All of the men earned their right to try for positions on the team in elimination tryouts which started early last spring.

Thirty-five countries will be represented in the world rifle and pistol championships which will be fired in Venezuela. The American team will leave from Mobile, Alabama on Nov. 9.

From all indications the American team will be one of the strongest ever sent overseas and has a good chance of winning several world titles which have been dominated by the Swedes, Norwegians, Swiss, and ? for years.

The Bayonet, Fort Benning, Georgia, Thursday, November 4, 1954, Page 12

Post Trained R&P Teams Off For World Meet

Twenty-one rifle and pistol experts, including some of America's all-time greats, left the U. S. by plane Monday for Caracas, Venezuela, where they will represent this country in the 36th International Shooting Union World Championship Matches Nov. 15-26.

One world champion and eight veterans of the 1952 Olympic and International Shooting Union World Championship teams are among the U. S. marksmen who will compete against shooters of 34 other nations. Team members vied for berths during Fort Benning practice sessions.

Leading the pistol team are Marine Corps Reserve Lt. Col. Harry Reeves, of Detroit, Mich., six-time American titlist; Marine Corps 2nd Lt. William McMillan, of Turtle Creek, Pa., and Army M-Sgt. Huelet Benner of West Point, N. Y., world rapid-fire champion at Oslo, Norway, in 1952.

Riflemen taking another crack at world competition are Air Force Reserve Capt. Arthur Jackson of Washington, D. C., Army Reserve 2nd Lt. Verle Wright of Fort Wayne, Ind., Marine Corps Reserve Lt. Col. Emmett Swanson of Minneapolis, Minn., Air Force Reserve Lt. Arthur Cook of Washington, D. C., and August Westergaard of Sloan, Iowa.

Newcomers to the pistol squad include Army Capt. R. W. Anthony and Capt. John F. Dodds, both of Fort Benning, Navy CWO Offutt Pinion of Norfolk, Va., Marine Corps Reserve Lt. Col. Philip Roettinger of Washington, D. C., Marine Corps Lt. Col. Walter Walsh of Arlington, Va., Capt. John Jagoda of Ashbury Park, N. J., Marine Corps Capt. Thomas Mitchell of Lubbock, Texas, and John Forman of El Paso, Texas.

Rounding out the U. S. rifle squad are Army Reserve Major Robert K. Sandager and E. O. Franzen, both of Minneapolis, Minn., Marine Corps 2nd Lt. James Smith of Camp Lejeune, N. C., Airman 2nd Class Allen Luke of Richmond, Va., and William McAuliffe of Bernardsville, N. J.

The Bayonet, Fort Benning, Georgia, Wednesday, November 10, 1954, Page 6

American Rifleman, Vol. 102, No. 12, December 1954

Eight Marines Win Spots On International Team

Eight Marines this week copped spots on the 21-man international rifle and pistol squad tryouts concluded at Ft. Benning, Ga.

The majority of the world's squads to the matches in Venezuela later this month. The U.S. team left for the South America country Wednesday.

In copping team spots, two Marine shooters, one a veteran and the other a young lieutenant, demonstrated once again marksmanship which has made them famous in pistol world.

Second Lt. W. W. McMillan of the Island's Weapons Battalion chalked up 1,754 out of a possible 1,800 score to take top billing on the rapid fire course.

The score makes the lieutenant the number one man on United States' rapid fire team.

Lt. Col. Walter R. Walsh of Camp Lejeune turned the same trick in slow fire, becoming the number one man on that team.

Lt. Col. Harry M. Reeves, Marine reservist and a member of the Detroit police force, came in second in slow fire.

Other spots in raid fire were taken by Lt. Col. Philip G. Roettinger, reservist from Washington, D. C., third; Capt. John M. Jagoda, Weapons Battalion, fourth; and Capt. T. R. Mitchell, Camp Lejeune, fifth.

Thus, the Marine Corps captured four of six places on the rapid fire team.

One other Marine made the team — 2d Lt. James M. Smith of Cherry Point. He was the lone Marine who competed for a spot on the rifle squad.

Lt. Smith, who was graduated from Harvard recently, fired in service competition for the first time this year. He had only limited experience in small bore matches prior entering the Corps.

The Parris Island Boot, South Carolina, Friday, November 12, 1954