USAMU 46th Reunion

FORT BENNING, Georgia - Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army is guest speaker at reunion as three former soldiers are inducted in the USAMU Hall of Fame. More than 300 members, past and present, of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, gathered together October 18th and 19th to celebrate the 46th Anniversary Reunion celebrating the formation of USAMU.

MMA Welcome Picnic

The reunion honored the shooters and staff of the Army Marksmanship Unit and provided an opportunity for the shooters of the past to meet the new shooters of the present.

On Friday afternoon, the Military Marksmanship Association (formerly the Army Marksmanship Association) held a Welcome Picnic in the Pecan Grove on Phillips Pistol Range. Reunion attendees gathered for an afternoon of socializing and renewing old acquaintances. Photo: Two of the best Army Service Rifle shooters: Coats Brown and Bill Lee.

USAMU Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

The highlight of the 46th Anniversary Reunion was the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. On a beautiful fall afternoon, three great soldiers were inducted into the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Hall of Fame.

Retired AMU members Lt. Col. John R. Foster, Master Sgt. Bonnie D. Harmon and Sgt. 1st Class Hershel L. Anderson joined seventeen other former members of the USAMU who are enshrined the unit's Hall of Fame.

John R. Foster

Foster, a rifle shooter, won 15 Gold, 14 Silver and one Bronze Medal in international competition in both Running Target and International Rifle events, which places him in fifth place in all-time medal count for American shooters. The two-time Olympian, four-time world champion and world-record setter also served as a sniper instructor during two tours in Vietnam.

Bonnie D. Harmon

A former service pistol shooter and coach, Harmon served 30 years in the Army, including three tours in Germany, one tour in Vietnam as a sniper instructor and one tour in Korea as a first sergeant. He was a four-time national pistol champion, five-time interservice pistol champion, and the 1968 President's Hundred Pistol Champion. Harmon also won two medals at the 1974 World Shooting Championships and was a two-time champion at the Conseil International du Sport Militaire Shooting Championships—called CISM.

Hershel L. Anderson

Anderson was a two-time national pistol champion, a three-time interservice pistol champion and won the President's Hundred Pistol Match twice. The two-time Olympian earned five medals in three Pan-American Games as well as the Distinguished International Shooter Badge and Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge. A tanker, Anderson served in the Berlin Brigade and with the Americal Division Sniper School in Vietnam.

Guest Speaker

USAMU Commander Col. Robert I. Hoidahl, Jr. introduced the guest speaker at the Hall of Fame Ceremony Mr. Joel B. Hudson, the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army.

"Over the years, I have watched both marksmanship training and competition. At those Joel Hudson AA/SA

matches, I have observed the difficulty and the hard work necessary to become champions among the finest competitive shooters," Hudson said. "Today, we are here to induct three former members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit into the Hall of Fame. These individuals were not only great shooters and champions, they served their country admirably as soldiers, whether that be in Germany, Vietnam, Korea or here in the United Sates. "Although match competition is important, even more important to the Army is the goal of maintaining combat effectiveness," Hudson continued. "Through their hard work, today's inductees helped the Army accomplish this goal. They and other soldiers like them have heightened public trust and confidence in the Army. While the 21st century has already presented us with many difficult challenges, I am confident that the soldiers of today and of the future will meet these challenges and that the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will continue its unparalleled success."

Also present at the ceremony were: Charles Maddox, Florida civilian aide to the secretary of the Army; retired Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell; Fort Benning Deputy Commander Col. Stephen R. Layfield; and former USAMU members retired Lt. Col. Robert Mitchell, director of USA Shooting, and Olympic Gold Medalist Gary Anderson, director of the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

MMA General Membership Meeting

Current MMA Executive Board

MMA President, Phil Cannella; Vice President, Rick Hawkins; Secretary and Webmaster, Red Mosely; Treasurer, Sam Hunter; Historian, Ken Hamill; PAO and MMA Times Editor, Carter Berry; and Membership Chairman, Dick Rebidue.

Following the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the Military Marksmanship Association—the alumni association of the Army Marksmanship Unit—conducted a general membership meeting and elected officers for 2003. The newly elected officers are: retired Col. Archibald V. Arnold III, President elect; retired Col. Bruce Meredith, Vice President elect; retired Sgt. Maj. Laurence K. Mosely, Recording Secretary; and retired Master Sgt. Samuel W. Hunter, Treasurer. The new officers will take office in January 2003 for a two year term.

The 46th Reunion weekend also included range activities, shooting demonstrations, an open house, a barbecue picnic—plus a lot of shooting stories recalled.

More information about what happened at reunion will be included in the December MMA Times.

Check back later to view the Reunion Photo Album.