South Pacific States Regional
Pistol Tournament

All-Navy Shooters Take Honors at Pacific Meet

Marine LT W. W. McMillan, member of the All-Navy Rifle and Pistol Team, set a new world record at the South Pacific States Regional Championship held last week at the San Diego Police Range. He won the Individual Championship by shooting an outstanding aggregate score of 2652x2700 with .22, .38, and .45 caliber pistols.

Other members of the All-Navy team who participated at this meet also placed highly. Merle Martin, ETC, took first place in the Expert class; N. J. Baker, was top man in the Sharpshooter class; and LT W. J. Laux took top honors in the Unclassified Division.

CDR R. C. Joerg, Officer-in-charge of the All-Navy Rifle and Pistol Team, stated that his stay here at Miramar has been a very pleasant one. He said the team will train here until sometime in August when they will depart for Camp Perry, Ohio, where they will shoot at the National Matches.

Unknown Newspaper

McMillan Sets National Marks in Pistol Shoot

SAN DIEGO, July 7 - Marine Corps Lieut. W. W. McMillan completely dominated individual performances today in the South Pacific States Regional Pistol Championships at the police range here. And in so doing, the young officer stationed at Camp Matthews cracked three national records.

He fired a 2652 out of a possible 2700 in the national three-gun aggregate; scored 883x900 in the 45-caliber aggregate, and set a new mark of 296x300 in the 45-caliber national match course event.

The U.S. Border Patrol swept to victory in every team event.

Los Angeles Times, Monday, July 8, 1957

MARINE SETS PISTOL MARK

Marine Lt. W. W. McMillan of Camp Matthews yesterday was credited with a pistol shooting score of 2,652 of a possible 2,700, bettering the national record for the third time this year.

He made the score, which fellow marksmen said had been considered next to impossible, at a South Pacific States regional elimination here Sunday for national competition at Camp Perry, Ohio, in September.

McMillan twice previously this year had bettered the record of 2,644 set by Army Sgt. Huelet Benner of Fort Knox, Ky., in 1951. McMillan's previous scores were 2,645 and 2,648, the latter on May 4.

Elmer Hilden of Oceanside, a member of the U.S. Border Patrol, fired a 2,612.

A total of 231 sharpshooters from the western states competed in the match at the San Diego Police Pistol Range.

San Diego Union, Tuesday, July 9, 1957

McMillan Cracks Record Again; MTU, Top Army
Talent To Clash

For the third time in as many months, 1stLt. William W. McMillan, Jr., shattered a national regional championship pistol aggregate with a score of 2652x2700.

The Marine Corps Pistol Team shooter broke his own record for the second time in the South Pacific States Regional Pistol Championship Tournament held at the San Diego Police Pistol Range over the weekend.

In April Lt. McMillan topped, by one point, a record of 2644 held by Army MSgt. H. L. Benner. Pistol shooters who had predicted Benner's score could never be beaten, had just recovered from their surprise when the MTU dead-eye fired a 2648 a few weeks later to jump the record by three more points.

Two More Records

Evidently not satisfied with one new national record, Lt. McMillan broke two other national pistol record scores in firing over the weekend.

In Match 18, the Lieutenant fired an 883x900 for a new .45 caliber aggregate mark. A 296x300 in Match 14 set a new high for .45 caliber competition over the national match course.

Other firsts fired by the Marine Corps marksman included 196x200 with the .22, slow fire; an aggregate .22 score of 889x900; a "possible" of 200 in center fire, timed fire competition; a 198x200 in the center fire, rapid fire match; and a center fire aggregate of 880x900.

In the .45 rapid fire match, Lt. McMillan fired a 197x200. This was followed by an aggregate of 386x400 in the NRA Building Fund Match which included .22 and center fire competition.

In .22 timed fire competition, SSgt. D. W. Henry scored with all 20 rounds for a "possible" of 200.

The 240 competitors represented top pistol marksmen from the Marine Corps, as well as other Armed Forces, Police, Border Patrol, and civilian groups.

Bulletin

The results of the first day of firing in the Border States Regional Matches in El Paso showed that the Marine Corps Pistol Team's MSgt. J. A. Davis led competitors in .22 aggregate firing with 867x900.

Marine Corps Pistol Teams swept all three places in pistol team competition. The Gold, Blue, and Red teams fell into first, second and third places respectively. The Gold team led with an aggregate of 1150.

MCRD Chevron, Friday, July 12, 1957

Lt. McMillan Tops World Pistol Mark

SAN DIEGO - Marine 1st Lt. William W. McMillan continued his one-man assault on his own aggregate pistol record by firing a sizzling new 2652x2700 mark in the South Pacific States Regional Pistol Championships here.

McMillan broke the world aggregate record with the .22, .38 and .45 caliber pistols for the third time in four months. During his latest effort, he also set a new national aggregate record of 883x900 with the .45 over the rugged San Diego Police Range course.

The new McMillan standard marks the second time he has broken his own record. He scored his first major break-through April 7 when he topped Army Sgt. H. L. Benner's record of 2644 by one point. He raised his own ante May 4 over the same course with a 2648.

A Marine Distinguished Marksman in both pistol and rifle, McMillan is attached to the Marksmanship Training Unit at Camp Matthews.

He was a member of the Marine team which swept all five major shooting events at the 1956 National Matches at Camp Perry, O. He is now in training at camp Matthews with the Leatherneck group which is shooting for a repeat performance in the National Matches at Camp Perry this September.

Navy Times, July 20, 1957