After graduation from Axtell (NE) High School in 1957, Gary enrolled in the University of Nebraska (Lincoln), joined ROTC, but only stayed two semesters. He decided his best bet for top notch rifle training would be with the Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, GA. He had no idea how his scores would stack up against other shooters.
He wrote a letter to Commanding Officer of AMU, COL Tom Sharpe and reported his scores, asking for a tryout for the USAMU International Rifle Team. But the team leaders did not believe his scores, thought he was lying. For some reason, COL Sharpe decided to take a chance on Gary and wrote back telling him he would get a 90-day tryout with the unit after enlisting.
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| Gary with Col. Sharpe c. 1964 |
After Basic Training at Ft. Carson, CO, Gary arrived at AMU, but was nearly derailed with orders to The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California. COL Sharpe was able to circumvent Gary's orders and get him to Ft. Benning for a 90 day tryout. His tryout with the team started with dry firing for 30 days. At the end of the 30 days he was asked to shoot 40 shots standing. His score turned out to be the second best score of the day and resulted in a permanent assignment to the unit before his tryout was over.
Gary remembers the letter COL Sharpe wrote him. To date we have not found this letter and fear it has disappeared from our hands. It is significant because COL Sharpe's decision to give Gary a tryout with the Army Team in spite of the advice he was getting turned out to be one of the great turning points in the history of shooting.
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