GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!

[Major Matt Lewis]

Brothers and Sisters of the Grand Army of the Frontier,

It is my pleasure to report to you that I have met the impressive standard set by Sgt. Drydock at the SASS Convention last December.  I was lucky enough to win the Military Costume catagory at End of Trail and am indeed the recipeint of a Championship Buckle.  My uniform of choice was the Federal Cavalry Major's uniform that I put together for the GAF Muster this fall.  The entire decision was based on the fact that as a Federal Major, I decided to wear my Crimson Sash with the uniform.  I was told by Captain George Baylor, one of the Judges, that my winning was based on the fact that I had not over looked the detail of the crimson sash. 

I am embarrased of my shooting school and will be fixing that shortly....

I was also lucky enough to win an IAC Winchester 87 as a door prize.  The shoot was fun and challenging.  It was not the basic stand and deliver shoot.  Lots of movement, but it was possible to shoot it clean and well.  All in all, I give it a 10. 

This concludes my report.

Major Matt Lewis
Grand Army of the Frontier

[Pawnee Bill]

Brothers and Sisters of the Grand Army of the Frontier,

.  I was lucky enough to win the Military Costume catagory at End of Trail and am indeed the recipeint of a Championship Buckle.  .

Major Matt Lewis
Grand Army of the Frontier

Congrats on your Trophy Buckel. I got one of them from EOT 5, I was proud you outa be too.
Cheers
Pawnee Bill

[Chantilly]

CONGRATULATIONS MAJOR!  WOOO HOOO!!  Good job with the costume contest and you won an 87 too! 



Chantilly (who advocates looking good when you shoot so if you don't shoot so well, you atleast look good!  )

[Chantilly]

PS....Major....where are the pictures??      Pictures....we need pictures!!

[Lou Graham]

Major, glad to hear you did well enough to earn a buckle even after your recent health problems! 
In uniform and then you went and won a gun, too.
I'd call that a good trip!

[Major Matt Lewis]

I will post pictures when I get them from Lit Rhodes.  Also, they will be in The Chronical....

Thanks Lou....It was a GREAT trip.  The only problem is I have to go back to work tomorrow....

[Hedley Lamarr]

Now that I am home, I should have a photo up tomorrow of the Major and his award.

[Major Matt Lewis]

Thanks Hedley...

It was great meeting you....

[Bull Schmitt]

Congratulations Major on your fine achievement!!! The GAF is proud of you!

Bvt Col Bull Schmitt
Commander Department of the Atlantic

[Drydock]

Wellll, he cleans up purty good,  fer an occifer an sich' . . .

'Course, neither me ner Rattlesnake Jack was there, so how hard could it have been 

Seriously, congratulations.  Its a sure enough honor,  I know how good it felt at the convention, got to be at least that good at EOT.  Ya dun good Major!  Headquarters staff salutes you!

[Hedley Lamarr]

Here it is: (It was really dark in the back of the tent)

[Hill Beachy]

Job well done, Major!  Especially good to hear that you were sufficiently recovered to shoot the match.  Regardless of where you may have finished, remember how you finished -- upright!

(Now before you let all this go to your head, remember that it's the prize for best dressed not best looking!)

[Major Matt Lewis]

Why Hill Beachy,

Don't you know if it had been a contest for Best Looking, I would not have had to be dressed

[Pitspitr]

Congratulations Major!

[Hill Beachy]

Don't you know if it had been a contest for Best Looking, I would not have had to be dressed

I fear that it's already too late for the boy.....

[Chance]

Congratulations, Major. Good to see you up and running again. I kinda knew you'd be famous one day!

[Major Matt Lewis]

Congratulations, Major. Good to see you up and running again. I kinda knew you'd be famous one day!

LOL!  Just remember, the on difference between famous and infamous is a syllable....

[Kayleen]

Major Matt,
  Congratulations on your award. We all knew you were holding out on the Originals thing. Right?
  Great job by a great guy.
Latter,
Kayleen

[Sweetwater Jack]

Good work Major! You've made us all proud!

[Capt. George Baylor]

Actually, I said that because someone remembered you said you were on the staff you won.  The sash that I saw as maroon wouldn't be appropriate for a cavalry officer of the line.  This is why the presentation is so important. 

It should be noted that the entered uniforms were so close together that we had to break the tie on some of the most nit picking items.  This is a problem with the military category.  It is usually solved by having someone on the judging staff who knows what should be on the uniform and what shouldn't, which is why I was there.  It was a good judging crew.  Mad Mountain Mike conferred with me on military matters, and I conferred with him on his areas of expertise, and the ladies kept us straight on hairstyles, etc.  We both knew which hats were wrong.  I believe we both qualify as what Bob Boze Bell calls "Hat Nazis."  That didn't apply in the military category as both were right.

The good news is you won.  Congratulations.  The bad news is now you can't enter that uniform again at EOT or the Convention or at Mule Camp, possibly other regionals.  This means you don't get to see how well it would stack up against Sergeant Drydock or Colonel Baylor.  I fear this rule will lead to mediocrity in this category particularly.  Those who make the rules don't agree, but somehow I feel the field would be better with Sergeant Drydock, Captain Bacon, Calvin N Hobbs (as Custer), yourself, and myself in the field.  Then the winner would know he'd fought a good fight.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say one thing to all of the military costume wearers at EOT who didn't enter the costume contest:

YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T ENTER.  ONE TROPHY WENT BEGGING.