default-img

Dominance of Marine Marksmanship

After retiring as a gunnery sergeant in 1968, I spent the next 20 years as owner/operator of my own shooting range.
I began raising money to construct the Illinois Korean War Memorial. You cannot believe the time I spent and the people and places I encountered for the next seven years to raise $1.6 million: all at no pay.
The final fundraiser we had was at the Abe Lincoln Gun Club, Springfield, Ill. The shooters paid an entry fee, 100 percent of which went to our memorial fund. At age 65, I was quite content to help run the shoot, grade targets, etc., but then I started hearing, “Why ain’t the Gunny shooting?” “I reckon the Marines are chicken!” etc.
So, I said, “Enough.” There were six events including the aggregate and novelty shoot. I entered all the events.
Two weeks before the shoot, I called the first sergeant at Drill Instructor School, Parris Island and asked if I could buy a drill instructor campaign hat. He said, “We don’t sell them. Why do you want one?” I explained the circumstances and said “After I kick their ass, I want them to know it was a Marine that did it.”
Without hesitation, he said, “What size do you wear?” I did not disappoint him; I won all six events.
GySgt C.I. Greenwood
USMC (Ret)
Springfield, Ill.