Carlos Hathcock; Sniper in Vietnam

Late in his life, he was awarded a Silver Star, the third-highest military honor, for an incident that happened nearly 30 years earlier, when he pulled seven comrades off a burning armored personnel carrier that had struck a mine. That act of bravery left Hathcock badly burned and effectively ended his career as a rifleman.

Hathcock, a native of Arkansas, was a slight, unassuming man with a self-contained temperament that made him perfect for a job that involved infiltrating deep into enemy-held territory and waiting, often for days, to take one shot at his target.

He once said that he survived in his work because of an ability to “get in the bubble,” to put himself into a state of “utter, complete, absolute concentration,” first on his equipment, then on his environment in which every breeze and every leaf meant something, and finally on his quarry.

His work demanded steady nerves and was exhausting. During one pursuit of an enemy general, he had to cover more than 1,000 meters of open terrain during three days and nights of constant crawling an inch at a time. Enemy patrols came within 20 feet of Hathcock, who lay camouflaged with grass and vegetation in the open.

During two 13-month tours of duty in Vietnam, Hathcock volunteered for so many missions that his commanding officer once had to restrict him to quarters to make him rest. At the time the 5-foot, 10-inch Hathcock weighed only 120 pounds.

“It was the stalk that I enjoyed,” he once told a reporter for the Washington Post. “Pitting yourself against another human being. There was no second place in Vietnam–second place was a body bag. Everybody was scared and those that weren’t are liars. But you can let that work for you. It makes you more alert, keener, and that’s how it got for me. It made me be the best.”

Raised outside Little Rock, Hathcock lived with his grandmother after his parents divorced. He loved the outdoors and taught himself to hunt in the woods as a young boy. He knew where the rabbits and squirrels ran. “As a young’n, I’d go sit in the woods and wait a spell,” he once said. “I’d just wait for the rabbits and squirrels ’cause sooner or later a squirrel would be in that very tree or a rabbit would be coming by that very log. I just knew it. Don’t know why, just did.”

By age 10, he was bringing meat home to the table regularly. As soon as he turned 17 in 1959, Hathcock enlisted in the Marines. It didn’t take him long to make his mark. He qualified immediately at boot camp in San Diego as an expert shot. 

10. Mr. Jerry Whitmore-

11. Mr. Dick Davis- McMillan Fiberglass Stocks

The shooting industries longtime friend to all, an idea man, an adventurer, a very smart man, a serious firearms enthusiast, professional, true gentlemen, and very strong second amendment supporter, Dick Davis has left the range.   He passed late in the evening of September 12^th, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona shortly after speaking to son Duncan (of McMillan Machine) on the telephone. He was 71. A man of honesty, integrity, resourcefulness, and a serious passion for shooting, Dick Davis will leave a large void in the firearms industry that may be impossible to fill. Anyone who has been in the firearms industry for any length of time likely knew Dick Davis and called him a friend. If they knew him, they only spoke well of him.

It is impossible to say the name Dick Davis without attaching “of McMillan’s” to it, but there is a lot more to Dick Davis than that. He was a proud graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in Geology and after college he worked for U.S. Steel. After moving to Phoenix, he worked at Building Products Company making red clay water pipes before moving into the firearms business working at Earl’s Sporting Goods. He then moved on to manage the sporting goods company, Gunsport Centers and their three stores, also in Phoenix. Along the way, he tried his hand at building car washes before joining McMillan Fiberglass Stocks. The late Gale McMillan acknowledged that he made a very wise decision hiring Dick so long ago. We all know that Dick was a fixture at McMillan Fiberglass Stocks for 30 + years. He was always there helping someone.

Dick’s passion and knowledge of firearms was astounding to anyone that spoke with him. He loved the firearms business and seldom spoke of anything but. All who knew Dick remember that, when invited, he would jump at the chance to help anyone with a need or question in the firearms world. Polite and patient, Dick would listen to a conversation involving firearms of any type or the parts for them and wait. He would wait until invited into the conversation and would then stop everyone in their tracks as he explained, in detail, his points and knowledge about the topic, often reciting that he personally knew the owner of the company, the project engineer, the fabricator, or machinist that made the firearm or parts…and he was not bragging in anyway. It was fact!

Dick was an avid hunter with a passion for bird hunting, elk and deer hunting, and joined in with anyone that wanted to go prairie dog hunting in a flash. Dick was so well known and liked that he was invited many times to attend large and small shoots and hunts by many industry leaders, firearms writers and sportsmen from all over the world. His stories were fascinating and included so many well known names of industry people, it was a ‘who’s who’ for each trip. Although he was a firearms enthusiast, Dick even enjoyed a little archery hunting as well. With his diverse interests, he once had a serious desire to become an Arizona Game and Fish Commissioner. When asked why, his answer was 100% predictable; he felt he could help them!

Dick truly loved shooting. He and son Duncan would travel 250 miles round-trip together to the Tucson, Az. NBRSA 1,000 yard monthly match. Proudly, Dick even set an NBRSA world record in 1000 yard benchrest competition during his time competing. The rifles, the ammunition, the optics, the bullet’s performance, the wind, inside or outside neck turning, what was the perfect stock and more were common topics with Dick. He talked to everyone; he listened to everyone; he learned from everyone and then he always shared his knowledge freely and openly. He joined other shooters in the Chevy Team Challenge, he shot trap and skeet, shot at some FCSA matches, enjoyed shooting machine guns, and basically anything that had a decent trigger and went boom! He helped John Lazzeroni of Lazzeroni Arms bring Sako’s fine rifles to the Lazzeroni line. This was something he was also very proud of. Every shooter that called McMillan’s and spoke to Dick, saw him at a show, or saw him at a shooting match who had a question, needed help, or just wanted to talk firearms and shooting, had a friend with Dick Davis.

Years ago, Dick was determined to help shooting by improving the concrete shooting benches so he convinced a fiberglass fabricator to build him a strong mold to form quality a concrete bench top. It is a great design and many have since used it all across the United States. With his dedication to accurate shooting and helping shooters Dick loaned, at 100% NO CHARGE, his quality mold to any one that needed a good bench top. Dick even had a special metal frame made for the bench top interior too. He had a special shipping crate made and had it ready to go at a moment’s notice to a needy person, team, or range.

Not commonly known in the industry, Dick loved to hike. He was an accomplished high altitude climber and mountain rescue climber. He hiked the Grand Canyon as a guide for different groups several times. He inspired son Duncan to do a one day ‘rim to rim’ hike a few years ago. While it was a brutal hike for Duncan, he accomplished it and promised his dad that he would spread some of his ashes on the trail when he next took on the challenge of the Canyon. Duncan is training now for that eventful and difficult hike in honor of his father.

Keeping it mostly to himself, Dick has dealt with a diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure for many years. Even with the diagnosis, Dick continued to work supporting McMillan Fiberglass Stocks as he had done for so long. Most of us cannot recall when he was not there either. Upon his passing many, many industry people were contacted with the sad news. No one can be found that can ever remember Dick speaking harshly of anyone…ever.   As a gentlemen, he was known to greet everyone, known or unknown. with a solid handshake, a look in the eye, and a friendly strong, upbeat, and firm voice. He was truly pleased to meet all that were introduced to him and those that met him felt that genuineness and sincerity too. There was no one more professional and polite on the telephone than Dick.

Dick leaves behind countless friends and good memories all across America and the world. He leaves his two sons, Duncan and Tom, and daughter Jana He sadly leaves you and me also. Each one of us has a Dick Davis story that makes us smile. Upon his passing, Dick requested to be returned to his roots in Panguitch, Utah and son Duncan has vowed to do it. Taken too soon, Dick is truly a loss to us all; to his family, his friends, his fellow shooters, fellow workers, to the firearms world in general, and to me. I am proud to say Dick was my friend and I was his. He was always glad to see or speak with me which, looking back, was not often enough. Even if I had just talked with him an hour earlier, he was pleased to hear from me again. We will all remember his laugh, his polite manner, positive attitude, vast firearms knowledge, a few of his wild ideas, and endless desire to help everyone. All of us who were fortunate to know him already miss him a great deal. Share a Dick Davis story with your friends and know he is listening and smiling; thinking of a way to help. Thank you to the Davis family for allowing me to write this tribute. Dick Davis’s proud friend– Jim Schmidt- Arizona Ammunition, LLC.®.

12. Mr. Robert Hocken-

One definition of a gentlemen is, “someone who always tries to make sure the other people around him or her are as comfortable as possible”. That is 100% a definition of Bob Hocken, “a true gentlemen”. Back in the late 80’s Bob took a chance on me joining Phoenix Transit and a new and special relationship began. Little did I know that I had joined a group of transportation professionals that worked as a huge team. Quite frankly the largest, smoothest team I had ever seen and I had been in 7 other bus systems.. Bob was a leader that absolutely believed in everyone; one person at a time; individually. Bob was a person that made every other person he met so comfortable that it was like Sunday dinner with friends and family when you talked to him.

In those days his opening greeting every time was “Hi… How goes it?” And he really wanted to know. Many times he would look at you and wait for a response. I quickly found out that Bob liked a smooth cohesive operation at all times with few waves. But he tolerated wave makers if they were sincere and honest and had the best interest of Phoenix Transit and American Transit Corporation in mind. I saw him fight when he need to, wait when he needed to, and waited some more when it was the right thing to do to win. Amazingly with all that waiting he still got it done professionally and successfully.

In all the bus operations I had been in around the United States I had never seen the contractor, a city government in this case, trust and respect anyone more than Bob. Bob had a magic about him that made everyone comfortable with anything he presented or supported. Bob introduced me to his near lifelong friend John McFarland and asked me to share my office with him. Bob was someone that you would never say no to either. Not because he was the boss, but he never asked for anything that he did not totally need. You said yes out of respect and friendship. That started another new and fascinating relationship that brought me even closer to Bob. A good thing for sure.

Bob, John, and I had a mutual interest and that was the outdoors. We talked about it and made plans to do things together in the great outdoors. Bob joined 4 of us on the famous “No Wimps Bear Hunt” in the amazing and very rugged Mount Graham area in eastern Arizona. We were 10 days in the field in rough weather, untested terrain, shared a camp with strange and sometimes very dangerous large bugs, snakes, hundreds flies, and more. You can imagine with a smile that Bob was good company in camp and a solid hunter in the field. He told me many times it was a special experience for him. We saw only one bear and had a hell of a good time anyway. Talk around the camp fire at night was special for all of us. While often quite, Bob gave us a story or two at times and always encouraged each of us to bring out a story with a few leading questions to get us started. He sat back and listened with a smile.

Having lived in Arizona for over 30 years, Bob is the only person I know that had a very large extremely heavy SaguaroCactus fall on his car! Only Bob! He took it all in stride too and it was kind of humorous to many of us. He once showed his tolerance and humor when about 25 of us in management played a trick on him. Bob had a firm opinion on facial hair on the men. He disapproved. He accepted a well groomed mustache with reluctance but beyond that it was…NO! Well we all respected Bob a great deal but a modern update in policy was due. The Phoenix Transit team always celebrated his birthday with a fun party/lunch. Once at the Phoenix Spaghetti Company birthday lunch we had for Bob, all of us, some 25 people, put on fake beards and waited for Bob to enter the room for the celebration. Even the women went along with the gag and wore fake beards!

Well Bob walked in last, by design, after all were seated and waiting and the crowd greeted him with a big smile with all wearing fake beards! Bob stopped and starred briefly at the seated group before starting to laugh and said “alright you made your point” and from then on well groomed beards were accepted by Bob! It was a great time for all of us. And Bob had his limits of fun too when I was called in by his assistant Ron Norton, per Bob’s instructions I am sure, to have a serious talk with me about having a squirt gun battle with a bus driver/Special Event team member in my office and out in the hall at the South Maintenance and Operations Facility. Rather than discipline me he just asked me to stop the horseplay. A true professional in every way. After that I respected him even more…and stopped the horse play too. I followed that example in my management after that experience from Bob.

In our adventures hunting I was proud to be setting with Bob when he got his first wild Arizona turkey. We were near the Mogollon Rim in Arizona getting up at 4am in the cold and heading into the dark silent timber. Bob was a trouper and was up on time, full of excited energy, and raring to go! We hunted hard and Bob made a perfect shot and scrambled to retrieve the downed turkey proudly. I never saw him so proud except went he spoke of his family who I was honored to meet and work with on some of our adventures. All are polite and professional as Bob too. I often felt that Bob was a man that had everything going his way! I still believe that he did too!

Of course we know that Bob had a plan for everything. Bob survived Korea, he and friend John survived Viet Nam and they retired. Then he and John worked for the Phoenix School System and retired, then he and John worked for Phoenix Transit and retired. ‘Triple dippers’ I called them and bragged on their life plan many times. I was proud of them! I still am!

When I left Phoenix Transit and American Transit Corporation (ATC) to work for a competitor in the bus business it all had to be negotiated. I had never done anything like that before but I felt safe because Bob was there to lead the negotiations and make sure I was well taken care of.   Bob looked out for me even though I was moving to a major competitor, Bob made the transition smooth and successful for everyone in the room. I will never forget his honest concern about me and that my deal was a good one for me. While he was still loyal to Phoenix Transit and ATC he was loyal and honest to me too.

Off on my many adventures I did not see or communicate with Bob for a few years. I missed his retirement from Phoenix Transit when I was at the Olympics in Atlanta. I missed his many adventures with friend John McFarland fishing and traveling together. I missed when Bob and John purchased a small private airplane together too. But once I returned and caught up with them it was like I had never left. We picked right up and off we went meeting for lunch in Tempe, telling stories, sharing Christmas cards, and likes. That was Bob!

This small airplane Bob and John shared was a curiosity to me and I asked questions about it finding out that they flew together around Arizona seeing the sights. It was explained to me that they were a great team and always flew together, not because of a near lifelong friendship but because they needed each other. You see one of them did not see so well and had trouble with takeoffs and the other did not hear so well and did not do well with landings! So they could only fly if each did his part. One listened and the other watched as they flew around Arizona! A perfect match and perfect team! Of course no one on the ground or in the tower knew any of this!

Bobs comment on his Christmas card to me each year was “good memories”! That is right Bob I have good memories of adventures with you too! I cannot help but smile every single time I think of the No Wimps Bear Hunt, the Javelina hunts in the rain, the cold Turkey hunts, and so much more! I remember the chewing out I got when I ran charter busses through the bus drivers’ Union picket line when they were on strike. Yep you chewed me out over the telephone to satisfy the City Officials but did not call the busses, the drivers, or me back and allowed us to get the job done for Phoenix International Raceway! What a guy! What a leader!

You are missed by so many already and by me every day with a smile and my positive thoughts!