National Rifle & Pistol Championships

CAMP PERRY, 1972

July 30 - August 21

Summertime rains are almost inescapable, but the National Matches went on as scheduled. The 2,101 entries weathered the rains n fine form, as scores such as a 100-43X in the Wimbledon proved. The winner, firing through fog and rain, used a service M14 instead of a bolt rifle.

It rained on the small-bore prone individual matches, let up for the position shooters, and the sun smiled for the pistol competitions. Drenched or dry, however, everyone did his or her best.

Excerpt from the American Rifle Magazine

Pistol title to Sgt. Harmon

CAMP PERRY, Ohio (AP) - Tie-breaking center-x hits were called into play to give Army Sgt. 1.C. Bonnie D. Harmon of Ft. Benning, Ga., the title in yesterday's warm up match as the National Pistol Championships got under way here.

Harmon and Navy Reserve PO 1.C. Donald Hamilton of Kingston, Miss., finished the three-gun opening shoot with identical 878 scores out of 900. In the center-x count Harmon had 44 to Hamilton's 28.

Marine Lt. Col. William W. McMillan of Turtle Creek, Pa., competing here before rejoining the Olympic shooting team practice at Quantico, Va., was third with 875.

Arizona Republic, July 31, 1972

Center Fire record setter CWO2 Higginson

Corps Competes In Pistol Nationals

Story and Photos By Sgt. Daron K. Lime

For pistol marksmen across the nation and from every branch of the Armed Forces, the shooting game is over...that is to say, for 1972.

It ended Aug. 2 at Camp Perry, Ohio, with the close of the 1972 National Pistol Championships, one of the tightest competitions in the history of the National Matches.

Of the more than 700 shooters participating, a 38 year-old Army sergeant first class, sporting an unusual first name, won the national pistol title after a grueling three-day contest that was split four ways.

SFC Bonnie D. Harmon became the National Pistol Championship when his total score of 2650 with 121 center X's out-X'd that of Navy Reservist Petty Officer First Class Donald L. Hamilton who had a 2650-117X's.

Two Marines, CWO-2 Francis Higginson and GySgt Billy R. Taggart, kept pressure on the two leaders throughout the three days of shooting. CWO-2 Higginson completed the match with a 2646-130X's to take third place, which Taggart had held for the two days prior.

Taggart's 2649-129X's gave him fourth place in the overall match and the Service Master honors for the individual competition.

In the team championships, the U.S. Army 'Blue' team won with a 3496-150X's. The Navy 'Blue' team placed second with 3484-148X's and the Marine 'Scarlet' third with a 3465-127X's.

At the end of the first day of shooting, SFC Harmon moved into the first place position upon winning the .22 caliber Championships with an 890-51X's. His winning total X'd out Mr. Raymond K. Tourigney of Glendale, R.K., by two X's. GySgt. Taggart was third with an 885-46X's.

When the competition moved into the second day, PO-1 Hamilton won the Center Fire Championship with a 1768-76X's for a two-day trial. Harmon was down two points on the Navy shooter while GySgt Taggart continued to put on the pressure with a 1763-90X's.

It was during the Center Fire competition that CWO-2 Higginson made his move. In the National Match Course phase, he set a new national record and was second match master for the competition. His 298 with 18 center X's beat the old record of 298-13X's which was set in 1965 by SFC William Blankenship Jr.

The championships ended with the .45 Caliber Matches. In that competition, National Guard Spec 6 Milo M. Vlasin shot his way to the first place position with an 886 with 29 center X's. CWO-2 Higginson was down one point on the guardsman and Harmon, who later won the National Crown, was third with an 884-38X's.

Two special matches highlighted the three-day competition. In the special President's Pistol Match, which is an aggregate of the center fire, .22 and .45 caliber National Match Courses, GySgt. Billy Taggart was the winner with an 888-44X's score. Hamilton was out-X'd for the first place position by one X and Marine Reservist Cpl James B. Comely was third with an 883-41X's.

In a second special match, the National Trophy Individual and Team Pistol match which was fired today, the Army's hard-holding Harmon topped the individual with a 294-13X's, beating the runner-up national champ, PO-1 Hamilton, by one point.

The Army team won the team competition phase with a combined overall score of 1143-39X's and the Air Force 'Blue' team was second with an 1141-40X's. The Marine 'Eastern' team placed third with an 1141-29X's.

Quantico Sentry, August 11, 1972

Courtesy of Gunner Getchell

LtCol William W. McMillan

Courtesy of Gunner Getchell

LtCol William W. McMillan and LtCol James A. Getchell