Do you Guys think that this is O.K.?

**DaveHH** · 03-25-2010 07:36 PM

The trainfire was different by 1965. We stayed in one spot and could move around a few feet. the scorer stood behind us. The targets would pop up at random intervals and could be 25 meters or 175 meters you didn't know. The most difficult part was seeing the targets. They were subdued colors and what you looked for was the sun glinting off as they came up. Then you had to focus on that position as you made your shot. The close targets were shoulders up size and the far ones, 250 meters out if I recall, were full sized man targets. I had incredibly strong legs when I was 20 and could go from standing to sitting by just crossing my feet and sitting down. Didn't need to use my hands. Coming up was just a rock forward and up, again without using my hands. That way both hands stayed on the rifle and saved time. My drill instructor scored me and that sit down, get up routine just blew his mind. After I had made expert he had me shoot squirrels instead of the targets, 1 hit squirrel=1 hit target. There were hundreds of ground squirrels on these rifle ranges. I can see using a squat position when you have 20 year old legs but I preferred a kneeling position over a squat. In the sitting you could lock those elbows into the knees and be solid as a rock. My drill instructor really liked me. When he wasn't making an example out of me and abusing me, we got along great. I was the only draftee in the platoon but far and away the best trooper he had. I finished 2nd overall in the cycle out of 220 men. Some guy from Washington edged me out for outright winner. My Drill Instructor wrote letters to me after basic, just to see how I was doing in Vietnam. He eventually got out, not wanting to get shot. Funny how trying to make the best out of a bad situation pays dividends.