Biographical Notes reCharles A. (Chuck) StonePage 2 of 3 Pages, of Chapter 8,EXPANDING HORIZONS |
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| To get the picture, you must realize that General LeMay loved guns and had directed that all SAC personnel (later on ‘all USAF personnel’ when he became Chief of Staff, USAF) be given initial training and prove annual proficiency with a rifle or pistol. Beyond this, it was his goal that the USAF become capable of giving the other services serious competition at the National Matches at Camp Perry and future Olympic Shooting Competitions. With this in mind, he ordered that ATC establish a USAF Marksmanship Training Center, at Lackland AFB. They were charged not only to develop extensive shooting range facilities, but also to establish a gun accurization program and train and use gunsmiths to give the USAF increased compentncy and a competitive edge. Many of his people, up and down the chain of command, didn’t believe for a minute that this was really important and that it should take time away from mission duties — EXCEPT, they sure didn’t want to let General LeMay know they were dragging their feet. They would clandestinely express their views by often failing to pursue range construction projects and/or give short shrift to their shooting training programs. But they would never raise their voice of dissent where the news would be passed to their Commander.
About the time I was getting ready for my final draft of the Manual and had tried out my color slide briefing on a few groups, I was invited to a USAF-wide Marksmnship Training Conference at the USAF Marksmanship School, Lackland AFB. I had already organized and supervised the conduct of the 2nd AF annual shooting matches and served as project officer for the SAC shooting matches that followed, when this invitation was offered. I packed up my draft of the manual and color slide presentation and drove over to Lackland for a three day meeting at the Marksmanship School. Colonel Peter Agnell, Program Director, from Hqs. USAF, was present and there was a large collection of people with marksmanship responsibilities and problems from bases around the world. |
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| As the third day began to wind down, we had heard nothing but a littany of peoples’ problems and no solutions. As the meeting was about to close, Colonel Agnell told the group that he had no more to offer, but would they like to see and hear a color slide presentation by Capt. Stone from 2nd AF. They all said yes and I made my pitch, offering advice and solutions to a large range of problems that had been discussed. When the slide program ended, I told them this story, as told to me by one of our British exchange officers at 2nd AF Headquarters: He had recently heard from a female cousin of his, living in Africa. This family had fairly extensive property holdings with a few locals as part of their workforce. She had developed special warm and sympathetic feelings relating to one of the younger male workers. She had recently noted that he was attending a number of meetings in the community. One day she asked him what it was all about. The young man said “Mam, we’re getting ready for the revolution. But when it comes, I’m not going to kill you, because I love you too much — My brother is going to do it!” The lights came on and the entire room erupted in applause and whistles of agreement with my ideas, proposals and overall theme. A sergeant from the Marksmanship School started to page through my draft manual and exclaimed “This is exactly what I have been asked to do for the whole Air Force!” Colonel Agnell asked me to stay over an extra day so I could give this same presentation to the Training Directors at the ATC Headquarters over at Randolph. I agreed and reported in the next day, as directed at Randolph. A Lt. Colonel and a Major welcomed me and looked at and listened to my pitch. When it was all over they drew me over to the side and whispered in my ear “You don’t really believe all this, do you?” They were, in their hearts, no more convinced than the wider supervisory force we were all working within. That was kind of a letdown, but I packed up and drove back to Barksdale. |
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| Simultaneously with these related actions, I developed an interest in the potential of pellet guns, rifles and pistols, to be used with custom-designed pellet traps, indoors. I had in mind combining the entertainment and training values for people stuck in the end of the runway alert facilities and a similar benefit in Air Police/Combat Support units. Casting about for someone who was interested that could help do something about it, without waiting ten years for a government contract, I found a listening ear in Ed Denniston, then the CEO of the Crossman Arms Company, Rochester, NY. He became quite excited and followed my suggestion that his first effort should be the creation of a 357 Magnum pistol-simulator pellet gun and the design of a low-cost pellet trap that could do three things. 1 & 2) It could be set up for official indoor practice based upon National Shooting Match and Olympic Target Shooting procedures and scoring criteria. 3) It would also have a pull-down screen which would permit the projection of moving targets on the screen. When the pellet gun was fired, a sensor on a loop film projector, would hear the gun firing and freeze the frame, instantly. While working up to this point, I had also interested a representative of Technacolor Corporation to see if they could develop a sensor that would freeze-frame their loop tape projection system. Ed moved out with dispatch with his designers on this project, keeping his eye on the prize, a possibly fat contract with the USAF somewhere down the road. The Technicolor people worked in concert with the Crossman Company. While I was still stationed at Barksdale, two sergeants, well versed in the shooting business, a material representative of Robbins AF Depot, myself and Ed Denniston had a meeting at the Crossman Factory. Early development was on track and we had USAF Material people looking into what we were doing with a positive view of what was going on. Amid all of this, I was continuing my C-54 runs. I can recall an especially memorable trip that I would like to share with you. On a flight involving multiple stops with a few staff people on board, I was headed west to Offutt, attempting to plow through a succession of really dangerous squall lines. After making our way through the first two, we could see the third up ahead bearing down on us, and it was a real biggie! I saw the Des Moines airfield to my right, declared an emergency and landed faaassst. We pulled off the runway, pointed the old bird into the wind, locked the brakes and hung on. That airplane almost took to the air with the brakes set from the pressure of the wind gusts. The squall line moved on and we taxied on in and checked the weather at Omaha. An L/C navigator passenger ( I, being a only a Captain) needled me about being chicken and that he called Offutt and found they were playing golf over there. I told him I had used my best judgment to protect my crew, passengers and a very weary C-54. We flew on to Offutt about an hour later and next day back to Barksdale. He couldn’t stop bitching to me and some of our passengers about his unwarrented delay. |
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End of Page 2 of 3 Pages, Chapter 8 — Go to Page 3 Click below to select a destination Go to Page 1 — 2 — 3, this Chapter Chapters 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7 — 8 — 9 — 10 |
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