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Taps, Present Arms
Raymond
Behnay
Master Sergeant
Raymond Behnay, 77, expired April
7, 2001,
in Columbus, Georgia.
Master Sergeant Raymond Behnay
served in World War II with the 4th Armored Division in Europe. He
took part in five major battle campaigns, including the Battle of the
Bulge and was awarded the Purple
Heart Medal for wounds received from hostile fire.
His other military tours
include positions in Ordnance Technical Intelligence, Explosive
Ordnance Disposal, Calibration and Ballistics, Guidance Survey Team,
and assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division and US Army Southern Command.
Raymond Behnay served over 20
years with the US Army Marksmanship Unit as a Master Gunsmith and
Shop Foreman. His service to the USAMU began as a military gunsmith
in 1958. MSG Behnay retired from the Army in 1964 and was hired as a
civil service employee. He served as the international rifle gunsmith
and USAMU shop foreman for an additional 14 years.
During his tenure in the USAMU
Custom Firearms Shop, he taught other military and civilian gunsmiths
how to build, customize, and maintain high quality rifles required by
world class shooters. Mr. Behnay also served as the principal
international rifle gunsmith for USAMU teams at the National Matches
and as the gunsmith for United States teams competing in the Pan
American Games, the World Championships, and the Olympic Games.
Behnay customized the rifles
used by Gary Anderson, Lones Wigger, Lanny Bassham, Margaret
Thompson, and countless other world class shooters.
All of his accomplishments
were done to aid and help the shooter achieve their goals. The
success of the shooter, the smile on their face, and a winning score
was his reward.
In 1993, Behnay
was inducted into the USAMU Support Hall of Fame.
MSG
Behnay's Gunsmith
Accomplishments
-
Designed rifle
stocks with a "canted" butt allowing the shooter to cant
the rifle while the sights remained 90 degrees to target.
-
Designed first open
circular palm
rest --
jestingly coined as a "toilet seat" palm rest by
international rifle shooters.
-
Designed first
four way butt plate with custom fitted hook.
-
Designed first
adjustable fore end weight.
-
Made the first
adjustable cheekpiece, allowing the shooter to hold their head in
same position while aiming with iron or telescopic sights.
-
Converted the Anschutz
smallbore rifle to left hand operation for left handed shooters.
-
Designed and fabricated
custom made smallbore
and center fire "standard rifle" stocks complying with
international shooting union specifications
for USAMU international rifle shooters. |
