At one time it
was an American Tradition that most all Young Boys wanted a Gun for Christmas! Makes a
Great Birthday Present for an 11 or 12 year old too! Boys living on the Farm, or in the
Rural Communities usually got a .22 Caliber Rifle instead of a BB Gun. A BB Gun shoots
little round Pellets or “BB”s, and a .22 Caliber Rifle shoots real Bullets!
“.22 Caliber” designates the Size of the Bullet! A .22 Caliber Bullet is one of
the most Accurate and can travel up to distances of 1 Mile, when fired from a Gun!
That’s just a little background information for Understanding. ((smile))
Okay, so as a Boy, of
course I had my share of Guns! Space Guns, Western Colt Six Shooters, Water Guns, Dart
Guns … You name it … I had it!
As a Boy, of course I
played “Cowboys & Indians”, Army, and “Cops & Robbers!” Most
Children did. Our Neighborhood was no different.
My Grandfather had Guns. In
the downstairs closet, his Shotgun sat against the wall. He also had A Flintlock Pistol! "Had
My Granddad been A Pirate??"
These are the Things that
Totally Fascinate Young Boys!! They Stir the Imagination and Conjure Up Images of the
Swashbuckling Buccaneers in the Movies! Visions of Errol Flynn, Ronald Coleman or more
recently Jack Sparrow
( Pirates of the Caribbean’s Johnnie Depp ).
The Above photo is of My Grandfather’s Flintlock Pistol, taken right here at My Desk
while I was writing this. I remember that “A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words”,
so I figured that I would “show You”, and Save Myself Some Typing! LOL! I never
knew the History or Origin of the Pistol, but just recently I had Antique Gun Experts take
a look at it, and they tell me that it’s of English or Scottish Origin, and from the
design, dates back to the period of 1800s – 1850s. Can You Imagine? This is possibly
200 years old!! Can You Guess How Much It’s Worth? Any $$ Guesses??
“Actually,
It’s Priceless ~ as it was handed down to me from My Grandfather and Father!!”
((smile))
Now, I don’t want to fail to mention,
that Young Boys are also fascinated with everything from Bows & Arrows, Pocket Knives,
Swiss Army Knives, Slingshots, Rockets, Tomahawks, Swords, Spears and almost Every Kind of
Weapon Known to Man! That’s just part of being A Normal Healthy Boy!
“Seems for Young
Boys ~ This Is Somehow A Rite Of Passage!”
Well, I had them All! But I never considered
myself anything but average, as most boys in my neighborhood, and on TV, All had most of
the same, “Toys”! Remember, most of these are “Toys”, but they can
still Put Out An Eye, Cut, Maim, Burn and cause injury! We Never had any problems or
injuries. Nobody Ever Got Hurt! What Changed? Our Parents never did anything special
beyond Telling Us to Be Careful. Why is Society so Different Now?
That’s the Subject … “The
Question” … for A Blog All It’s Own … but not this one.
Have You Ever Seen ~
“Stand By Me”, “The Lil’ Rascals”, “Leave It To
Beaver”, “The Andy Griffith Show in Mayberry” … Well that’s the
Vein that I Write Of … Life was Good, full of Dreams and Imagination. Wholesome.
Mischievous. Adventurous!
When We Played “Bows
& Arrows”, I wanted to be Robin Hood. When it was “Cowboys &
Indians”, I wanted to be Cochise, Geronimo or Crazy Horse, the Great Warriors of the
Apache and Lakota (Sioux) Nations. If it was Western Gunfighters, then I wanted to be
Wyatt Erpp or Billy The Kid. If Knights of Olde, then it would have to be Sir Lancelot or
Sir Gallahad! If playing Army then it would have to be Audey Murphy, because not only was
he a Western Cowboy Movie Star, but he was a Real Life Hero in the War!
The Above
photo is of me in my Authentic Wyatt Erpp Lawman and Cowboy outfits! I’m probably
about 5 years old, with my very first Cocker Spaniel puppy, “Bitsy”, who was 4
years old. I named Her, “Itsy Bitsy Puppy”, when at 1 years old, I took Her from
her mother’s Litter! Her mother was my Grandmother’s Dog. (right) Is one of my
Birthday Parties, before guests arrived, complete with a Gingerbread House Birthday Cake
in the back on the table ~ I’m probably 3 or 4 years old. Anyway, “I Was the Fastest Gun in the House!!”
I shot Archery, Bows &
Arrows, since I was old enough to hold a Bow. The first time I remember Shooting a real
Gun, was at Boy Scout Camp. Your Parents drop You off with all the other Boy Scouts in
Your Troop, and You spend A Week at Boy Scout Camp, way out in the Woods. A Week away from
Your Parents, with all Your Best Friends, allows plenty of time and opportunity for Boys
to Be Boys, and get into all Kinds of Mischief and Trouble! I Did. We Did! But that’s
another Story … ((smile))
One of our Adventures, was
discovering the Boy Scout Camp’s Rifle Range! There we were guided by an adult Scout
Instructor, to Shoot Targets with .22 caliber Rifles! This was The Real Deal! “Real
Guns!!” “Hooray!!”
“Guns
Are As American As Apple Pie!”
Many fathers take their Sons out
Hunting in the Woods, mine did not. My Dad had been a Captain in the Army and fought in
World War II and Korea, so he knew all about Guns, and even had a Pistol he had captured
from a Enemy Officer in the War. He showed it to me over the years, let me hold it, as I
listen to his stories, but his experience of War had left him with a Disdain for Guns, and
so he never took me shooting. Although I did imagined growing up to go Big Game Hunting in
Africa shooting Elephants and Lions and Rhinos, I never went hunting at all.
My fascination with Guns grew over
the years, but it wasn’t until High School, that I got the chance to Learn
Marksmanship. My school classmate invited me to attend A Gun Club Meeting that he was a
member of ~ I did!
As it turned out, 2 of my School
Classmates were members of the Club. They didn’t really like one another, but I was
friends with both, and so I accepted both Invitations and looked forward to my 1st
Gun Class!
I met a new Circle of People at the
Gun Club. I was the “new guy”, and the youngest, but everyone was excited that I
was there. Finally having the chance to be in a Real Gun Club, My Thirst to Learn
Everything about Guns was Insatiable!
Attending Marksmanship Training
Classes, I became an “A+ Student!” I soaked up every tid-bit my Class
Instructors offered. Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns, Home Safety, Hunter Safety and Range
Safety! That’s a lot of “Safety”, huh? Yep! It was. But part of enjoying
Shooting as a Sport is to learn to do it Safely and Without Accidents!
“Guns Don’t Kill People ~
People Kill People”
I learned Respect for Guns. I
learned to handle them correctly and safely. I learned the proper Care for them, Cleaning
and Lubrication. I learned to take them apart, Disassemble them or Field Strip them, and
then put them back together again! I learned all about Ammunition, the Components and how
they all work. I became A Star Pupil, and My Instructors were impressed!
This was an NRA Gun Club, and The
NRA, National Rifle Association, is the oldest recognized Organized Shooting Authority in
the USA. The NRA promotes Shooting Activities in the USA, the Olympics and around the
World. The NRA also stands on “American Citizens’ Right to Keep and Bare
Arms”, in other words ~ People’s Right to Own Guns.
Since it was an NRA Club, all of
the Training Materials were NRA Books, Pamphlets, Films, Awards and Certificates. As I
progressed in my Training, so did my Collection of Marksmanship Certificates and Awards.
These I began proudly Displaying in glass frames on My Wall at Home!
“Learning New Knowledge
& Skills ~ Gives One a Sense of Pride in Accomplishment, Achievement, Empowerment and
Self-Confidence!”
My interest and self-motivation led me to
Learn and Achieve More! I admired my Club Instructors and took them as Role Models and
Mentors. I wanted to be like them … learn all They Knew.
My
Instructors matched my self-motivation and interest by Teaching Me All they had to offer!
It wasn’t long before I was taking the Exam to become An NRA Apprentice Marksmanship
Instructor. I Passed All of My Exams!!
I was now An
NRA Apprentice Marksmanship and Safety Instructor!!
I held
Certificates in Pistol ~ Rifle ~ Shotgun ~ Home & Hunter Safety!
“Dare To Dream ~ Dare To Achieve ~
My Dream Became A Reality!!”
I had worked
diligently to Achieve My Dreams, but that is why I Always Encourage People to Dare to
Follow and Achieve Their Dreams!
As a matter
of fact, in later years I would Adopt this very concept as the Official Motto for the ICUG
~ International Computer Users Group! Through ICUG, We would Send the Message out All
across the World to more then 10 Countries and all Races and Cultures of People!
ICUG ~ “Turning Dreams Into
Realities”
I was An NRA
Apprentice Marksmanship Instructor at Age 17!
I was too
young to qualify for the next level, so I had to wait until I was 18 years old. I made
good use of my time, learning and gaining more experience.
At 18, I
took the Exams for NRA Assistant Marksmanship Instructor, and I Passed all of the Exams! I
had also put in the time required in Club Training Classes and on the trips to the
Shooting Range, helping our Club Instructors.
Another Dream Achieved!
It
wasn’t long before I Qualified as An NRA Certified Marksmanship Instructor! My Club
Instructors were both Proud and Impressed with their Student! They began turning over more
and more of the Club Duties to me, and my best Friend, Ted, who had followed the exact
same path, step for step! We became the Designated Certified Instructors for the Club!
Our
Instructors were still active in the Clubs, overseeing the Administration and logistics of
Support. They brought more and more people into the Club and to attend the Marksmanship
& Safety Training Courses that the Club Sponsored. Most of the time, They were there
when We were Teaching Class, sitting in the back of the Classroom, observing Our Teaching
Techniques, observing the Students Learning, and adding Comments, Humor and Tid-bits of
information from time to time. Often people find themselves a little nervous with their
first experience with Guns, and so adding a Little Humor, can help to “Break the
Ice”, and help them to Relax and begin to Enjoy the Learning Experience, instead of
being Tense and Apprehensive. It insured that the Students and Classes had FUN!
Our Shooting Clubs were The
Pioneer Hunting Club, The Pioneer Gun Club and The Junior Pioneer Hunting Club. These were
the ONLY Gun Clubs in the Nation’s Capitol, Washington, DC! We had the pleasure of
taking Inner City Youth, from the Cement Corridors of the City, for an Outing in the Deep
Green Woods, with Fresh Air, Blue Skies and the Sounds of Nature and Woodland Animals all
around! Shooting, Archery and Camping were The Order Of The Day! Occasionally, We would
also take Students and Club Members down to my Beach House, where Camping and Archery were
expanded to include Swimming, Rafting, Scuba Diving and Lazily Lounging On the Beach!
“Life Was GOOD, and
So We Shared It with As Many As Possible!”
I had
personally been busy Teaching Marksmanship and acting as an Instructor to 2 Adult NRA
Shooting Clubs, and an NRA Junior Shooting Club. The Weekends saw me busy either Teaching
Guns and Shooting Skills in the Classroom, or taking big groups of people 60 miles down
the road from Washington, DC to Our Shooting Range in the Woods in Brandywine, Maryland.
I usually drove
my Mediterranean Blue Chevy Convertible, and those riding with me had the extra treat of
going down the Highway with the convertible top down, and the Wind Blowing through their
Hair! Once or twice, I took everyone down in a 25 Passenger Bus! That was really fun,
because Everyone could Talk, Joke, Sing and Share on the Trip all the way down and then
all the way back! “Life
Was Never Dull!”
Just imagine, waking early, calling all of
the people that had been talking about “Going Shooting”, all week long.
Strangely, somehow waking up and being Ready to Ride, early Saturday Morning, was a
different reality for many who had stayed up late that Friday night! Making the Rounds to
Pick up everyone scattered throughout the City, and then heading across town to meet at
one of our Shooting Instructors Homes, that was closest to the edge of the City. We’d
all Meet there at his house, and leave together forming a Caravan of as many as 10 to 12
Carloads of People, all heading down the Highway to Our Private Shooting Range in the
Woods. It was A Fun Time!
Spending
All Day in the Woods, seeing Children, Women and Men enjoying the Thrill of Shooting
Safely, and beaming with Pride at their Souvenir Targets.
Occasionally we would even Cook Out at the Range, with Hot
Dogs, Hamburgers and Roasting Marshmallows over a roaring Campfire! Sitting under a canopy
of Green from the tall shade trees, with bright Sunshine filtering down to create the
perfect day in the Woods!
My Lady Students and Lady Instructors were usually The Best Shots,
out-shooting the Men. That was simply because they put their Trust in me, and Put
themselves in My Hands, and Allowed Me to Teach Them The Basics of Marksmanship. So many
Men have a Macho attitude when it comes to Shooting Guns, thinking that somehow just
because they are “Men”, they were born knowing how to naturally shoot better
then Women. WRONG!
Shooting is a Skill and Discipline just like Martial Arts, and
Students who Listen and Follow Instruction will usually see Their Shots hitting the Target
each and every time! It always made me laugh listening to the Ladies teasing the Men,
about How Much Better they Could Shoot, after only their very first time!
The Trip Home from the
Range could be Just As Exciting as the Trip down! We Were Always Ready for A Fun Time, and
on A Spontaneous Note ~ We took a Vote and decided to Stop Off to do A Little Horse Back
Riding on the way! We Always Have Room for One More …
“Care to Join Us?”
Nobody
ever wanted the day to end, but as the evening rolled around it was time to pack up and
begin the Caravan Home.
Dropping all of the people off at their
homes, who had needed rides, and then back to my Home, where it was time to Clean all of
the Firearms that we had been shooting all day at the Range. It is very important to Clean
all of the Guns after shooting, and that encompassed taking each gun apart, Cleaning the
Gunpowder Residue and then adding a light lubrication and reassembling them all.
What A Job! By the way, all of Our Club members use "WD-40" silicone
based lubricant, finding it superior to the "off the shelf" Gun Oil products,
most buy in the stores.
The Below Photo is of My Basement Weapons Wall ~ (left) Wing Chun
Kung Fu Swords (Butterfly Knives), NRA Certified Marksmanship Instructor Certificates, NRA
Home and Hunter Safety Certificates, NRA Club Charters; (center) The Weapons of Moro Land
(Philippine Escrima & Kali Martial Arts Display), Training Pistols (Revolvers), Wooden
Kung Fu Broadsword; a Pair of
Chrome Sai (Sais) from Japanese & Korean Martial Arts; Olympic Recurve
Bow; Golden Target Arrows in Quiver; (bottom) Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu – 6 ½
Point Dragon Pole (Staff); Javaro Indian Blow Gun
that shoots Darts ( from the Amazon of South America)
Continued in Part II ~ Next Blog ~ Please Join Us ~
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