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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1955)
r vnrtm MraronD (orzgow) mail tribune Wail Tribune Writer, An Inexperience Finds Shooting Skills of Law Officers By CARL H. ADAMS Mail Tribune Staff Writer An inexperienced gunman finds competition stiff against veteran law enforcement offic ials in a target practice course set up by the federal bureau of investigation. The course lasts 6 minutes 10 seconds, during which time 50 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition is fired into (or at) "silhouette' targets from four different dis tances and five positions. Some 38 law enforcement of ficer from five agencies in southern Oregon went through au two-day session, the second firearms course this year, at the National Guard pistol range off Antelope rd. last week. Although six participants failed to register score of 60 or better, each prac tice round groups of four men fired twice in each half day produced improved scores. Chief Instructs Medford Police Chief Charles Champlin, rho received instruc tion in conducting the course while attending the FBI acad emy at Quantico, Va., instructed participants in the course Wednesday and Thursday, on previous occasions, FBI agents from Portland conducted the course upon request of local of ficials, but this time, FBI of ficials said an agent was not available. The "silhouette" target, which also was devised by the FBI, is used, in place of a bulls-eye tar get, to simulate the shape of a human body. The silhouette is outlined . into . sections with a large portion of the head, neck, chest and lower abdomen rated the highest number of points five. Edges of the abdomen count a point less, with the "strong" arm counting three, and the "weak" arm counting two points. The "strong" am is the arm which is used most, depending on whether the person is right or left handed. The "weak arm would be the left arm if a per son is right-handed. The silhouette" target is used because law enforcement offic ials, imthe line of duty, fail to see criminals as "bulls-eyes." And use of the different dis tances and various positions is because officers, in emergencies, do not waste time getting injo correct bulls-eye target positions and ; determining aim through gun sights. The first 25 seconds of prac tice consists of firing 10 rounds rapid fire "double action" from a crouched position seven yards from the target. The po sition is used in practice because it is one most used when offic ers encounter criminals off guard. The round starts with five shells in the pistol, which is drawn from the holster, fired, reloaded, another five rounds fired, and holstered empty all within 25 seconds. Firing from a distance of seven yards is "instinctive" aiming. Officers' eyes primarily are kept on the target, with secondary vision on the gun, which is fired from hip level in the crouched nosition. ($aurs truly as greatly sur prised that what appeared to be a large target could not be hit from seven yards.) Following the 25-second prac tice, the remaining 40 - rounds are fired from three distances and four positions in 5 minutes 45 seconds with gun sights being utilized. i From a prone position 60 yards from the ' target, five rounds are fired in single action the pistol, before each shot, . is cocked with the thumb.. . (Yours truly was not entirely sure the pistol was directed at the correct silhouette, from a stomach position looking over tall weeds.) ' Officers then move to a dis tance of 50 yards from the target for the next 20 - rounds all single action firing. The first five rounds are from a sitting position, the next . five from prone, and the last 10 from standing positions behind a bar ricade simulating the corner of a bglding, behind which offic ers may seek cbver. The first five rounds from be hind the barricade are fired with the "weak" hand left handed for a right-handed per son to give officers exper ience shooting with both hands The last five are with the "strong" hand. (Yours truly had difficulty try ing to Stretch the left thumb to cock a .38 calibeV pistol in "weak" hand firing.) The final 15 rounds is fired from a distaifte of 25 yards with five shots in rapid succession from a kneeling position. Five are fired from behind another barricade with the "strong" hand in rapid fire, and the final 'five are single action . from behind the barricade with the "weak" hand. As Instructor Champlin said, "You then go up and read the bad news." One of the most important aspects of practicing on the FBI planned course is reloading, O RAPID FIRE Members of southern Oregon law enforcement agencies are pictured above in the first phase of the fire arms practical shooting course held at the National Guard pistol range Wednesday and Thursday. In 25 seconds, officers draw a loaded .38 caliber pistol from their holster, fire five rounds, reload, fire five more, empty and re-holster the revolver seven yards from the target. The remainder of the course is com pleted from three other distances and four other positions. In addition to the crouched position above, officers fire from READING TARGETS Determining scores after completion of the 6-minute 10:second fire arms practical shooting course is pictured above. Scores are computed by multiplying the number of bullet holes by the figure represent ing "kill value" in the silhouette, and multi plying the total by .4 for ,the participants per centage. Federal bureau of investigation of ficials recommend a score of 60 or better for which is counted in! the time limit. On two occasions at the start of the first 10 rounds and at the start of the. final 40 rounds the pistol is loaded and in the holster. The remainder of the reload ing is counted in time in which the total 50 rounds must be fired. (Yours" truly found he had five thumbs on each hand during reloading.) Officers taking the course are taught to make themselves the smallest, possible target, as would be the case in a "shooting fray." In determining practicing positions, FBI officials took the five positions most used by of ficers who had experience in actual "shooting frays." The' course is organized for a standard .38 caliber revolver, the type primarily Vused by law en forcement agencies throughout the country. Pistols used during Public Service Program Planned Plans for a weekly, public service television program to aid pet and livestock owners with animal health problems were made Wednesday by mem bers of the Rogue Valley Veteri ary Medical association, who met at the Cave Shop, Grants Pass. The program, scheduled for Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m., is spon sored by KBES-TV and pro duced by members of the vet erinarian's association. A different veterinarian will be featured each week to discuss topics relating to animal health. Once a month a panel will an swer questions which have been submitted by viewers. Dr.- Walter Weller, Ashland, will talk on salmon poisoning in dogs on the next program, Oct. 25. On Nov. 2, Dr. Walker Krebs, Grants Pass will discuss trau matic gastritis in cattle, also known as "hardware disease." Members of the association at the Grants Pass meeting also discussed parasitism in young cattle. Injured Flier Once Stationed in Medford The state police office in Med ford recalled Saturday that 1st Lt. Charles W. Clark, co-pilot of a jet bomber which crashed near Tokyo Friday, was a state po lice officer stationed here brief ly in 1952. and '1953. Clark, whose home is in Rose burg, was a reserve Air Force officer, and was called back to active duty from his job here in January of 1953. A story about the crash ap peared on Page 1 of Friday's Mail Tribune. Clark was injur ed, but was reported in good condition. ' Sunday, Oefobtr 23, 1955 r jmmmmmm,, i j. liuhmmi iiiii m mivm'-, )!,,Mm...m'- -,.u,j,.j law enforcement agencies, but requires its own agents to fire 80 or better. Only six of the 38 participants in the two-day course last week fired 60 or below, and Medford Police Chief Charles Champlin, who conducted the training, said additional training periods would be estab lished for those who shot 60 below and for others interested in improving their scores. (Brainerd photo). - practice are those carried by of ficers while on duty so the pa trolman will be familiar with his particular pistol. Each officer firing is coached regarding safety regulations and proper positions. The coach dur ing practice also serves as an observer for the shooter. During the two-day session last week, officers also fired, for acquaintanceship purposes only, a .30 caliber rifle and a 12 gauge riot gun on the National Guard rifle range. This is the first year in which such practice sessions have been conducted twice, and Chief Champlin said he hopes funds may be made available to con duct the course about once every three months in the future. The course ' was initiated here two years ago, and had been held annually until this year. Ammunition used by the Med ford nolice department is what is called "wad-cutters" used shells reloaded with a lighter amount of powder than regular .38 caliber shells. "Wad-cutters" are used only in practice ses sions. . Scoring targets is based on Three Patients Flown By Mercy Flights Three patients -were ' carried to Veterans Administration hos pitals in the Portland area by Mercy Flights planes Friday and Saturday. The flights brought the number of patients carried by the non-profit air ambulance corporation to 414 in the al most six years it has been in service. Dr. Charles Todd, VA physi cian at Camp White, went north for medical treatment . at the Vancouver VA hospital Friday evening.' He was accompanied by Mrs.- Todd. En route north, the p l a n e stopped at Grants Pass to pick up Ed Hill, . who was going to the VA hospital in Portland for treatment. ''.""'-.' At about noon Saturday, the plane left again carrying Joseph Brown, Gold Hill, ji cardiac pa tient, to the VA hospital in Portland. Lee Flink and Cecil Davis were pilot and co-pilot on the Saturday flight. - ' Portlander Found Guilty Of Taking State Funds Portland (U.R Mrs. Myrtle G. Coad, Portland, mother of four ; c"h i 1 d r e n, has been found guilty of taking S1112 in state funds while working as a cashier for the State Tax Com mission. ., ' A Circuit' Court jury in the court of Judge Frank J. Loner gan returned the guilty verdict after deliberating five hours. Mrs. Coad was dismissed from her job with the commission in May after working there, for several years. No date has been set for. sentencing. prone, sitting, kneeling and standing positions. The silhouette target and firing course were devised by federal bureau of investigation as determined from experience of officers involved in "shooting frays." Four men firing are observed by a coach, who reminds the shooter of safety regulations and correct positions. The complete course, arranged principally for the .38 caliber revolver, lasts 6 minutes 10 seconds in which 50 rounds of ammunition are fired. Reloading time is counted in the over-all time. (Brainerd photo). " whatv is . termed ' "kill value," with the number of bullet holes in each area multiplied by the number in that silhouette sec tion. A grand total is multiplied by .4 to determine the percent age. . ' FBI agents are required to shoot a score of 80 or better, but a score of 60 or better is recommended for other agencies. Champlin said additional train ing periods will be organized for ..those -.officers who scored below 60 and for others interest ed in improving their scores. Those who participated in the two-day course last week (all of whom did much better than yours truly) were: . Medford police department Robert Allen, Wallace Bowen, Charles Champlin, Roy Erick son, . Clyde . Fichtner, Robert Gheysen, Keith Gildersgard, Mil ton Hanson, Robert James, Clif ton Lacy, Frank Lengele, Orlo McGee, Jack McMillan, Leo Mit chell, Rollie Pean, Lyle Perkins, Donald Pursel, Lee Rice, Jack Sanders, Raymond Seely, Berle Stephens, Roy Thompson, De Laire Tusow, Ted Whisler, and Edward Zander. Ashland police department George Bennett. " Jackson county sheriff's office Paul Bettiol, Dean Coe, Earl Courtney, Dean DeBerry, Bar ney Tennant, Veryl Vanoose, Joe Walsh, and Glenn Wright. Oregon state police Austin Murray. ' Grants Pass police deDartment Dan Brenton, . William Ed wards, and Earl Whitmire. -(Miscellaneous yours truly.) 1 TV solid ; gV comfort! WORTOWDA Immaculate... at tractive . . . com fortable. Conven ient location . . . moderate rates. S. W. Ilfh at STARK. gCTHAWe. (ML J Gunman, is Good Trick Shot Artist Featured Nov. 1 in Gene Autrey Show The Gene Autry show, featur ing Autry, his horse Champion, Pat Buttram and Annie Oaklay, will .be presented at Hedrick Junior High school auditorium, Nov. 1, with performances at 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. Annie Oaklay will give a dem onstration of trick shooting; Gene will sing, ride Champion and put Little Champ through his tricks. A group of ropers, singers, dancers, clowns, whip artists and acrobats will take part in the show. Autry, in his 15th year on CBS radio, is currently the top Columbia recording star, with more than- 35,000,000 record sales to his credit. "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" alone has sold 5,000,000 copies. Square Dancers To Aid Car Fund 1 A square dance jamboree will be held Oct. 29 from 8:30 until 11:30 p.m. in the gymnasium of the new E. H. Hedrick Junior High school. Proceeds from the dance, which is sponsored by the Rogue Valley Square Dance Callers as sociation,1 will go to the Jackson County Disaster Car fund to be used for. the purchases of needed equipment. - Emergency first aid material, tools; axes, stretchers, facilities for preparing food - and many other- itejws are badly needed to equip the disaster unit, accord ing to Wes Coleman, Captain, Medford Fire department.- The disaster car is designed to meetany emergency arising from any cause such as storm, fire, or accident in Jackson coun ty, Coleman said. The car is vol untarily manned by members of the fire department. Advance tickets for the dance may be purchased at Swem's Book and Gift Shop or Purucker Piano House. Greof Northern Freight Train Wrecks Near-Bend Bend (U.R) A southbound Great Northern freight train was derailed south of here late Thursday, sending 14 cars off the tracks and scattering debris for more than one-half mile. There were no injuries. Cause of the derailment was not known. The train was on a Bend-Klamath Falls run and the cars were 'loaded with freight. Bow ties comprise five per cent of all ties made' in the U.S. m ii S ii ,11 Jill ft : 4 Central Point Man Hurt in Accident; Cars Said Damaged Allen William Hill 31, of 121 Manzanita St., Central Point, was taken to Sacred Heart hos pital by Medford ambulance Friday afternoon for treatment of a badly bruised leg, follow ing a two-car accident on ' the Crater. Lake highway above Eagle Point, it was reported Sat urday. State police said the Hill car, carrying the driver and his wife and son and daughter, collided with another car driven by Ar thur Joseph Marineau, 64, Grants Pass, at about 5:35 p.m. Loses Control The investigating officer said he was told that the Marineau car attempted to pass another west-bound vehicle, saw the Hill car coming, and swerved back into its own lane. Marineau ap plied his brakes, swerved and lost control, sideswiping the Hill car, forcing it into a ditch the officer was informed. . No others were injured,- but both cars were reportedly badly damaged. No citations were is sued. A log truck driven by Wallen Rufus Chrisco, 41, Shady Cove, and a pickup driven by Victor Ettore Gardner, 49, Eagle'Point, collided in the Brownsboro area at about 6:15 p.m., police report ed. There were no injuries nor citations, but both vehicles were damaged, police said. Four Medford Doctors Take Heart Training Four Medford physicians were in Portland Oct. 14 and 15 for the fourth annual symposium on heart disease sponsored Jby the Oregon Heart association. Drs. Ray L. Casterline, Oscar Heyerman, Ralph E. Hibbs and Fred Lorish attended a series of scientific lectures concerning problems' in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. ' Guest speakers . included Franklin D. Johnston, M. D., pro fessor of medicine, University of Michigan medical school; Maur ice Sokolow, M.D., associate pro fessor of medicine. University of California medical .school, and D. Evan Bedford, M.D., Univer sity of London and physician to the National Heart hospital, in stitute of Cardiology. London, England. , The Oregon Heart association is a participating member of the United Medford Crusade. . llllllilil i. ...and who IPS Give Published in cooperation with the United Medford Crusade by The . MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE Park Superintendent Tells Story of Hunter and Bears Tom Williams, superintendent of Crater Lake National park, last week reported, an encounter between a deer hunter and a family of bears. . His moral was: "Just because they call a bear a dumb animal, don't underestimate him, : par ticularly in the matter of for aging." Nine County Men Enlisted in Navy In 'Buddy Program7 Nine men were enlisted in the U.S. Navy recently through the Medford recruiting station, ac cording to local recruiters. Enlisting from Medford were Ivan Wendell Goble, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wendel Y. Goble, 2595 Starlite lane; Ralph Charles Mill er, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph P. Miller, 1916 Grandview ave.; David Wesley Moore, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Moore, 342 Mae st.; Donald Dean Tosh, son of Mr. and Mrs. Buck Tosh, 1916 Grandview ave.; Virgil Dexter Evans, son of Mr. : and Mrs. George D. Evans, 1130 Niantic st.; Charles Albert Lewis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Lewis, 1058 Barnett rd., and Lester Dale Livingston, son of Mrs. Lara M. Livingston, 513 King st. Enlisting from - Talent was Clarence Edwin Meadows, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ora H. Meadows, route 1, box 376. Enlisting from Ashland was Joseph Aaron Rob erts, son of Ronald M. Roberts, 248J2 Wightman st. All nine men enlisted under the "buddy program" and will go through the nine-weeks per iod of recruit .training together in the same company at . the Naval Training center, San Diego, Calif. About 30 per cent of all U.S. candy sales are 'made in food stores. ' PICTURE TUBES REJUVENATED Is your picture tube dull and weak? Most picture tubes can be restored to original brightness at only fraction of the cost of replacement. For further information CALL' Electronic Service 18 N. GRAPE PH. 3-1971 thank gave the united way GENEROUSLY This is the story the super intendent told: The other day, a deer hunter en route home ' visited Crater Lake National park to view the scenic wonder. Behind his pick up truck he towed a jeep. In the rear of the jeep were two nice bucks. Near headquarters G he saw a black bear with three . cubs. Bringing his vehicles to stop, the man jumped out, arm ed with a camera. Mother bear and two of her children oblig ingly posed. Completing his photography, the man climbed back in his car and started home with a feeling of contentment two fine bucks and several exposures of mam ma bear and her brood. Unwi1 tingly he had acquired another trophy. A shout from an onlook er brought him to a halt and it was then he discovered an extra passenger the third cub hap pily ensconced in the rear of the jeep, munching on a deer carcass. The man attempted to discour age the diner. The cub, contin ued his banquet. Soon mamma bear joined her son and brought along his brother and sister. Tca gether they presented a formid-' able front. Possession being nine points of the law, the visitor withdrew and put -in a call for leinforcements while the bear family continued to feast. Acting Chief Ranger Packard, answering the call for help, drove the "free-loaders" away and the hunter departed, wiser in the way of bears. ' NT WITH BURGESS PAINT & WALLPAPER STORE ' Corner 6th & Holly Diagonally Across from the Post Office We Give" S4H Green Stampi PHONE 2-9321 ''Let Us Recommend a Reliable Painter" will 9? To The
