The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-06-25

with infinite care such operating
details as how to get into the
standing, kneeling, sitting, and
prone positions we were shoot
from, and which end of the rifle
we were to shoot out of.
We learned, furthermore, how
to wind the sings Of our rifles "a
round our left arms to steady our
weapons an dalso to absorb some
of their kick. We learned how
to manipulate a rifle bolt while
stretched out in a prone position,
a difficult maneuver, although it
appears absurdly easy when per-
formed by a knowing corporal.
On my initial. attempt to strike
this pose, with my feet spread
out behind me, and my left arm
entwined in the sling. I was I'M
able to manipulate the bolt at all
and felt as helpless as a chorus
girl reserted by magician while
tied up securely in his cabinet.
Spacious Range
My company spent three days
committing to the MI range, a
spacious, busness-like clearing a
bout four miles from our bar
racks. While thus engaged, we
arose every morning at four-fifty,
forty-five minutes earlier than
usual, and were lined up with
our packs on, ready to march to
work a little before 6 o'clock.
We marched out to the range a.
long a highway, observing the
progress of the sunrise and from
time to time enduring the motor
lied taunts of soldiers from other
companies, who were being taken
out by truck in order to pull tar
gets up and down for us, as we
were expected to do for them
while they fired the following
week. It took us about a hour
and a half to get to the range and
by the time we got there it was
light enough to begin shooting.
The MI range is an impressive
sight, with 104 numbered targets
lined up in orderly fashion across
a grassy field. People who saw
the movie, Sergeant York." re-
tain some idea Of what a rifle
range is like. We fired from
ridges 200 yards away.
AS soon as we were ready to
60 into action, we stood in ranks
before the targets assigned to us
and were counted off in orders, or
rows; a given target wa sthen de-
signated for each order. It was
up to each man to remember that
he was, say, the fourth man in
the twenty-seventh order, and to
be ready to take his turn on the
firing line whenever the third
man retired from it. A commits
stoned officer directed these and
all other movements through
public address system while
perched on a raised platform that
might have served equally as
we'll, in civilian circumstances,
for a lifeguard or a tennis UNI
pire. Other commissioned and
commissioned officers sour
ried up and down the firing line,
commanding the men to get into
proper positions, reminding them
to hold their breath when firing
and to squeeze the trigger rather
than pull it and gemarking now
and then that as soon as we got
our rifles precisely adjusted, or
zeroed, a process requiring the
def turning of a few screws, we
should all get bulPs-eyes on ev-
cry shot. The army works on the
theory that of the two factors in
volved in shooting-the man and
the rifle-the latter is on the
whole more variable.
(ThiS is the twelfth of a series
of articles on the army life by
Ray LOwery, former editor OF
The News, who is now a private
in the United States army and
stationed at Camp Forrest, TENN
Treatments recommended by
Howard Garriss, Extension plant