U. S. Marine Corps
1955 All Marine Corps Rifle & Pistol Matches

PI Marine Seems Certain To Take Corps Shoot Title

PARRIS ISLAND - Lt. W. W. McMillan of Parris Island shot a 276-271 for a score of 547 out of a possible 600 in the all-Marine Corps pistol matches today for the early lead.

Lt. McMillan earlier this week won the rifle matches wiht a total score of 576 and although pistol firing was not complete early this morning, his 547 seemed sure of being tops.

Thus Lt. McMillan seems almost certain of winning the coveted Lauchheimer Trophy, given to the Marine of the United States who compiles the highest total score in tha all-Corps rifle and pistol matches.

No. 2 man in the pistol matches this morning is Captain C. E. Reese of Cherry Point Marine Air Station, N. C. He has a total of 551 but his rifle score was lower than that of Lt. McMillan.

In third sport is M-Sgt. Alfonso Jurado of El Toro Marine Air Station, Calif. He had a 545 pistol score today.

Inter-division matches opened today after the pistol matches drew to an end.

Official Marine Corps Photo
Unknown news article, June 1955

MC MILLAN TOPS MARINE SHOOTERS

Two Points Below '50 Quantico Record

The first leg of competition in the Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol Matches were completed here Wednesday morning when First Lieutenant William W. McMillan of Weapons Battalion here, duplicated his score of Tuesday, 288, giving him an aggregate score of 576 of a possible 600 points and first place in the Marine Corps individual competition.

His score was only two points below the record set by Captain Remos DeLahunt at Quantico, Va., in 1950.

The issue Wednesday was in doubt however, until the final line of fire at the 600-yard line.

Staff Sergeant Michael Pietroforte of Quantico, Va., was tied with Lt. McMillan for the two-day course when they reached the point from where the final 20 shots were to be fired.

Hundreds watched as the two shooters, ironically were firing on the same relay and on adjacent targets. Lt. McMillan finally drew away from SSgt. Pietroforte and finished eight points above him.

Lt. McMillan's winning scores at the different ranges were: 50, off-hand at 200 yards; 48, rapid, sitting at 200 yds.; 48, rapid, prone at 300 yds.; 48, slow, prone at 500 yds. and 94, slow, prone at 600 yds.

Wednesday's winner has now been established as the favorite to cop the individual pistol competition today and to go on to greater glory by winning the Lauchheimer Trophy, the two combined total scores of individual rifle and pistol competition.

Recognized as one of the Corps top pistol shots, Lt. McMillan won the Host Match in Venezuela last Fall and placed second in the Center Fire Match during the Pan American Matches at Mexico City last Spring.

Othernames and scores of the first ten shooters, included: 1stLt. N. D. Fournier, Parris Island, 565; Capt. C. F. Keister, Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif., 565; MSgt. J. C. Palmer, San Diego, Calif., 564; MSgt. F. D. Hafer, P. I., 564, SSgt. E. H. Williamson, 2nd MarDiv, 563; SSgt. L. T. Scoggins, Force Troops, Camp Pendleton, Calif., 563; SSgt. V. D. Mitchell, 3rd MarDiv and Capt. M. L. Darling of Quantico, Va., 561.

The individual pistol matches were to be fired yesterday and today, and the Lauchheimer Trophy winner will be decided from the composite rifle and pistol scores.

Monday and Tuesday of next week, the inter-division rifle and pistol matches will be held and the awarding of trophies and medals Tuesday afternoon will close out the annual affair.

The Parris Island BOOT, Friday, June 10, 1955

New Lauchheimer Record Set As Lt. W. McMillan Posts 1123

A new record for the Lauchheimer Trophy was set here last week by First Lieutenant William W. McMillan at Weapons Battalion as individual pistol competition ended in the 1955 Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol Matches.

McMillan's second place pistol score of 547, coupled with a winning 576 rifle tally earlier, earned him the coveted trophy awarded to the Marine with the highest aggregate score in both rifle and pistol competition.

First place in the pistol match itself was taken by Captain C. E. Reese of Cherry Point. He combined his winning pistol score of 551 and a rifle total of 541 to finish third in the Lauchheimer Trophy competition.

Had McMillan been able to raise his pistol score four points and take first place, he would have been the only Marine in match history to win both rifle and pistol competition while taking the Lauchheimer. As it was, his aggregate of 1123 was three points higher than the previous record.

1stLt. R. E. Martin of 29 Palms, a joint-holder of the old record, finished second in the trophy race with a 1101, firing 560 and 541 with the rifle and pistol, respectively.

A score of 531 by Sgt. P. G. Gerdes of the 3d Marine Division took the first gold medal in the pistol match.

Following Capt. Reese and Lt. McMillan in pistol shooting were: MSgt. A. Jurado, El Toro, Calif., 545; Capt. T. R. Mitchell, Albany, Ga., 543; Warrant Officer M. G. Klipfel, San Francisco, Calif., 542; 1stLt. R. E. Martin, 541; 1stLt. G. L. Hillyard, 3d MarDiv, 537; MSgt. R. O. Jones, 1st MarDiv, 534; TSgt. F. W. Filkins, San Diego, 534, and Major E. F. Stanley, 2d MarDiv, 532.

Earlier McMillan's score of 576 won the rifle match, only two points below the record set by Capt. Remos De LaHunt at Quantico, Va., in 1950.

Last month during the Eastern Division Match at Camp Lejeune, N.C., McMillan placed first and Capt. Reese finished in third place.

The Parris Island BOOT, Friday, June 17, 1955

East, West Split Div. Matches

The Eastern Division five-man pistol team won over the Western Division by a one-point margin here Tuesday afternoon following the Westerner's sweep of rifle honors earlier in the day, bringing to a close the Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol Matches.

It marked the first time the matches were ever held at Parris Island. With a famous Marine Shooter, Lieutenant Colonel Walter R. Walsh of the Second Marine Division at the helm, the Eastern "Scarlet" Team fired 1341 to edge the Western "Blue" Team.

The winners, Captains, C. E. Reese, Cherry Point, N.C., T. R. Mitchell, Albany, Ga.; First Lieutenants W. W. McMillan, Parris Island, J. P. Taylor, Clarksville, Tenn., and Col. Walsh, fired an average of 268.1 of a possible 300 points.

Captained by Major George Kross and coached by Chief Warrant Officer R. D. Chaney, the Western Division "Blue" Team fired a total score of 2807 to cop first place in the morning rifle competition.

Their average was 280.7 of a possible 300 points.

The winning rifle team included, Captains L. Cox, San Diego, Calif.; C. C. Keister, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; B. B. Bevers, 3d Marine Division; First Lieutenants R. E. Martin, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; C. G. Tryon, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Master Sergeants J. A. Moore, Barstow, Calif.; J. A. Fowler, 3d Marine Division; Technical Sergeant L. Williams, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Staff Sergeant L. T. Scoggins, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Sergeant P. G. Gerdes of the 3d Marine Division.

Another Western Team, the "Grey", placed second in the rifle match with a score of 2791.

Following the third place with a 2788 was the Eastern "Gold" with the Easterner's "Scarlet" Team placing above the last place Western "Golds."

The Western "Gold" Team finished third in pistol competition, with their "Grey" Team placing above the last place, Eastern "Golds."

During the noon hour, a luncheon was held in honor of the team competitors and guests who had been invited here by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr.

After the conclusion of the pistol match, ceremonies were held in rear of the rifle range 600-yard line, with trophies awarded to team winners in both rifle and pistol competition, along with the 30 some individual medal winners.

Among those individually honored were 1stLt. W. W. McMillan, who broke the Lauchheimer Trophy, the same Lt. McMillan for winning the McDougal Trophy, indicative score with the rifle and Capt. C. E. Reese, who won the individual pistol match.

A team will be selected soon for the NRA Matches.

The Parris Island BOOT, Friday, June 17, 1955