By Ashley Brugnone, | CMP Writer
The First Shot Ceremony not only officially begins the National Matches, but also honors past and present military members. (CMP photo)
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is proud to announce the lineup for the 2018 First Shot Ceremony, set to take place Monday, July 9, at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Facility, near Port Clinton, OH. — DRGO Editor Robert B. Young, MD is a psychiatrist practicing in Pittsford, NY, an associate clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
The ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the base’s Rodriguez Range and is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome to come and witness the parade of historical vehicles, aircraft and pyrotechnics that pay homage to history while also spectacularly initiating the 2018 National Matches season.
The First Shot Ceremony serves as a greeting event for guests, participants, volunteers and staff conducting the 2018 National Matches at Camp Perry, which feature the finest pistol and rifle shooters in America.
Firing the ceremonial First Shot down Rodriguez Range will be Maj. Gen. Clark W. LeMasters, Jr., commanding general of the US Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command and the senior commander of TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, US Army Garrison-Detroit Arsenal, MI. LeMasters will also be the First Shot speker. — DRGO Editor Robert B. Young, MD is a psychiatrist practicing in Pittsford, NY, an associate clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.The First Shot marks the official start of the National Matches.
The National Trophy Pistol and Rifle Matches have assembled talented marksmen and women at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Facility since 1907. The first CMP National Matches of the 2018 season will fire on July 14, beginning with the pistol competitions, and will conclude on August 8, following CMP’s new Long Range matches. Several other pistol, rifle and air gun competitions and small clinics are scheduled throughout the National Matches to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected to participate in the annual event.
At this year’s First Shot celebration, the CMP is honored to include former US Army Golden Knights skydiver, SFC (R) Dana Bowman. SFC Bowman lost both of his legs in 1994 after a collision incident during the annual Golden Knights training in Yuma, AZ, that also took the life of one of his teammates. A story of triumph and inspiration, Bowman became the first double amputee to re-enlist in the United States Army later that year.
The First Shot Ceremony will also include free rides in Model T Ford automobiles, a static display of Vietnam War era military vehicles, the 555th Honors Detachment color guard, historic cannon salutes and ground pyrotechnics.
Additionally, breathtaking flyovers from a fully-restored World War II US Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bomber and Georgie’s Gal, a B-25 medium range bomber, will grace the skies above – both housed at the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton. (All aviation appearances are subject to favorable weather and mechanical conditions. Vehicle traffic near the First Shot grounds will be re-routed to allow use of the street for our presentation.)
An exciting addition to the 2018 schedule, the Ohio National Guard invites all attendees to a ribbon cutting at the reconditioned Hough Auditorium at the conclusion of the First Shot events. Be the first to see the stunning restoration of the theater that has housed incredible individuals since its beginnings in 1938, including some of the greatest American marksmen in history and famous entertainers like the incomparable Bob Hope. The new theater pays homage to its past through its renovations, while also incorporating innovations that will accommodate guests for years to come.
