This board is my gift from Col. Charles Askins, Jr. in 1979. My Dad and he served in the North African and Italian campaigns together in a recovery and ordinance unit. Daddy called him "Charley". The ole bird remained, going on to the 82d. Dad came home, got drunk, and couldn't find the house, according to Mom.
But he took me to see Askins where he lived in San Antonio in 78 and the Col. told stories for three days, showed me his guns, game room, introduced me to the men at the gun club and let me shoot his prized Smith 52. At 16 I was awe struck. I'd been reading about the ole' coot in Guns & Ammo. He was now Senior Editor at NRA. He was forever sending me something after that trip to San Anton, especially his books he would or had authored like Texans, Guns and History, and Unrepentant Sinner that included some of my Dad's and his questionably legal exploits in N. Africa like shooting some unwary camel jock off his mount from afar with a an '03 Dad had slicked up (as the Armorer) because they would unbury the American's for the clothing. They mostly shot up everything that moved or didn't and got into trouble for shooting at a bird on a communication wire. They'd shot the wire into with Colt 1917 revolvers.
I was surprised that he was underwhelmed with Bill Jordan, instead caring more for daring dangerous big game hunters and John Wesley Hardin. Jordan had only killed one but it was by accident, referring to Jordan's book, "No Second Place Winner". Those guys were nuts.
I asked Askin if he believed Elmer Keith killed a deer at 600 yards with a .44 Magnum revolver. He replied, "I don't know, but if he did, he shouldn't have told it".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Askins
http://www.darkcanyon.net/The_Legend_Of_Charley_Askins.htm
But he took me to see Askins where he lived in San Antonio in 78 and the Col. told stories for three days, showed me his guns, game room, introduced me to the men at the gun club and let me shoot his prized Smith 52. At 16 I was awe struck. I'd been reading about the ole' coot in Guns & Ammo. He was now Senior Editor at NRA. He was forever sending me something after that trip to San Anton, especially his books he would or had authored like Texans, Guns and History, and Unrepentant Sinner that included some of my Dad's and his questionably legal exploits in N. Africa like shooting some unwary camel jock off his mount from afar with a an '03 Dad had slicked up (as the Armorer) because they would unbury the American's for the clothing. They mostly shot up everything that moved or didn't and got into trouble for shooting at a bird on a communication wire. They'd shot the wire into with Colt 1917 revolvers.
I was surprised that he was underwhelmed with Bill Jordan, instead caring more for daring dangerous big game hunters and John Wesley Hardin. Jordan had only killed one but it was by accident, referring to Jordan's book, "No Second Place Winner". Those guys were nuts.
I asked Askin if he believed Elmer Keith killed a deer at 600 yards with a .44 Magnum revolver. He replied, "I don't know, but if he did, he shouldn't have told it".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Askins
http://www.darkcanyon.net/The_Legend_Of_Charley_Askins.htm
