85 year old Battle of the Bulge sniper hasn't lost his touch

[dhermann1]

Interesting and nice story about an American GI, who was a sniper during the Battle of the Bulge, who proves he can still hit the target like a pro.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ves-lost-skills-picks-target-1-000-yards.html
I just had dinner last night with another 86 year old who I found out later served in the Pacific during WW II. They're continuing to pass away at the rate of 1,500 a day. Appreciate them while they're still with us.

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

I wouldn't want him shooting at me!

Yes, appreciate those veterans while they are with us. Adopt any veteran you can find and you will be surprised the stories they can tell and will if you take the time to make friends.

 

[Levallois]

That's a great story! I have an original Springfield sniper rifle from WWII and with that tiny scope it's really difficult to hit anything out past 200 yards. This guy apparently was a gifted marksman and thank God he was.

 

[Dark Bourbon]

Great story.. thanks for sharing! I'm just glad to see that our Army is showing him the appreciation he deserves.

 

[Marshall]

What a great article, thanks for sharing that. God bless our WWII veterans.

 

[Rookie1]

That was a great story. Thanks for sharing. Its nice to see WW2 vets,or any vet for that matter, recognized.

 

[Doublegun]

Great story, thanks for posting. Amazing shots with both the 03 Springfield and the 700 Remington but especially the 1000-yard shot with the Remington. It takes more than top-shelf equipment to shoot that well at that distance - that's skill, pure and simple.

We all owe so much to those WWII vets. God bless them.

 

[Harp]

Amazing shots... especially the 1000-yard shot with the Remington.

Very impressive marksmanship. :eusa_clap

 

[Widebrim]

Man, another example of a "master" who hasn't lost his touch. The Army trained him well, and having a natural talent for sniping didn't hurt either. Bravo!

 

[Man of Vintage]

Boy, I'd hate to be on the other end of that veterans crosshairs...wow.

 

[Treetopflyer]

Wow! To say that was impressive is an understatement.

 

[ukali1066]

What a guy ! And it was so nice to see the young snipers being suitably respectful....

Reminds me of a Parachute jump day when a veteran WW2 British Para was doing a parachute jump with his modern day counterparts...

"How many jumps have you done son' ?
" Oh must be almost 30 Sir, how about you ?"
"Ahh just two...Arnhem and the Rhine..."
"Sir...those two are worth more than all of mine put together"

 

[R.G. White]

My grandfather fought in the Battle of the Bulge and he's in the hospital right now. Fluids around his lungs and heart. Though it may be gone now, I'm not sure. I'll have to ask my mother.

 

[Widebrim]

My grandfather fought in the Battle of the Bulge and he's in the hospital right now. Fluids around his lungs and heart. Though it may be gone now, I'm not sure. I'll have to ask my mother.

Wishing your grandfather a full recovery, R.G. God bless him.

 

[R.G. White]

Wishing your grandfather a full recovery, R.G. God bless him.

Thank you very much. I hope he gets better, too. At least he has lived a very long life.

 

[Shangas]

Now that is a REAL sharpshooter. 86 and he can zing a headshot at 1000 yards!!

 

[Masked Marvel]

I guy I work with was telling me about this.....When I read this post it really brought his story home....

 

[bashfulbrother]

If I remember right, the vision piece of the snipers training was an important one. A sniper had to have 20/20 vision. I haven't seen 20/20 vision since I hit 35. Here is an 85 year old man that-to quote a friend of mine-"could take a gnat off of a cheetah's back at full speed".
Truly an amazing guy.
Neat, neat article.

 

[An Uptown Dandy]

Awesome story. Those guys must have been really well-trained to be able to pick it up 60-70 years later.

 

[R.G. White]

My grandfather fought in the Battle of the Bulge and he's in the hospital right now. Fluids around his lungs and heart. Though it may be gone now, I'm not sure. I'll have to ask my mother.

My grandfather passed away Saturday at noon. He went peacefully.
Makes you wonder how many years left all of the WWII veterans have...