Thank you to all who Attended The GAF Muster.

[Major Matt Lewis]

Well,

The Second Annual has come and gone.  I was pleased to see many old friends and make a few more new ones.  Thank you to all who could attend and a special thank you to Kayleen and Steve for opening up Ackley for us next year.  For all those interested, we will be meeting next year the 5th weekend of September.   

When the Muster website is updated, I will post link here to the web page. 

Congratulations to George Newton, the 2005 Grand Army of the Frontier's Iron Trooper and I will tell you, it took a trooper to get throught the course of fire.   

[Chantilly]

Thanks to Major Lewis and all those attending the GAF Muster for a great shoot and a fun experience!  There were a lot of laughs and US Scout's winning Pee Pee Dance was very special.     Lars graced the Friday night campfire with period music played on an unusual and beautiful instrument - the nickleharpe (sp?).

The course of fire was definitely a challenge and every shooter should feel a sense of accomplishment.  Nicely done everyone!  Congratulations to all shooters and to all costume contest winners!   There were so many period correct cowpokes, scouts and all branches of the military that this was one tough contest as well!   

Ah yes, and no less important, thanks to Del and Matt for the great dutch oven food!  There was nary a scrap left. 

Best regards,

George "Shoot'n Newton" and Janet "Chantilly"

[Chantilly]

Costume contest winners were................. (drum roll please)..........

Civilian Working Woman - Crystal Jane
Civilian Working Man - Books
Civilian Formal Woman - Kayleen Best
Civilian Formal Man - Boiler Plate Jackson
Military Working  - Sgt. Drydock
Military Formal - Rattlesnake Jack Robinson

Camps.....
Military - Dr. Bob
Civilian - Jerry Barnes

CONGRATULATIONS!!

[Major Matt Lewis]

Dang Chantilly,

Here I am trying to take it easy tonight and you guilt me into working

Ladies BBP:

1st: Michelle Torrence
2nd: Tracy Martin/Lou Graham

Ladies Smokeless:

1. Janet Newton/Chantilly
2. Kayleen Best
3. Joyce Lentz


Ladies Senior:

1. Crystal Jane/Lucy Sterpwig(forgive me, I know I just slaughtered her last name.)

Civil War Veteran (Next year this catagory will be The Originals class.)

1. John Torrence/Trap
2. George Warnick/Lone Gunman (who's pistol fell apart yet again on the firing line.)
3. Bill Johnson/US Scout

Black Powder Duelist

1. Burt Pearson/Chain Blue
2. Clint Francisco
3. Lars Olson

Black Powder Shootist

1. Jack Burkovsky
2. John Covert
3. Larry Blackwell

Smokeless Duelist

1. Lee Weideman/Hardtack Henry
2. Rich Gimbert/Major Matt Lewis
3. Ron Sayer

Men's Shootist

1. Dave Birk/Colonel Diamond
2. Captain Jarrett
3. Dennis Lentz

Men's Senior
1. Ted/AT Kettle
2. Dough Duhnam/Noble Paladin
3. Roger Wake/JD Cook

Service Winners
Artillery- Sgt. Drydock
Cavalry - Captain Jarrett
Cowpoke - AT Kettle
Infantry - Hardtack Henry
Marines- Major Matt Lewis
Navy- John Covert
Scouts - George Newton

Iron Trooper - George Newton/Shootn Newton

Wild Bunch Match

1. 44 Caliber Kid
2. Doc Black
3. AT Kettle

Pistol Caliber Lever Action Doug Dunham/Noble Paladin
Big Bore Lever AT Kettle
Big Bore Single Shot- Colonel Diamond
Military Bolt- Colonel Diamond
Percision Pistol - Colonel Diamond
Fastest Rifle and Pistol.

[Dr. Bob]

Greetings,

Maj. Matt,

Great weekend!!  Your hard work was obvious in the each of the activities.

The banquet was great.  The meal was excellent and the door prizes were outstanding. 

The meal on site by Delmonico and Gopher Grease [aka Glen & Matt] were delicious.  Boy can those guys cook!!!

It was great to put faces with the names that we see here in the Barracks!  Next year I'll bring along a stool so I can look Rattlesnake Jack in the eye with out getting a crick in my neck.

If'n ya didn't come, ya missed a GRAND Muster!

Capt. R. H. Dorian
Brv't. LtC., Chief Topographical Engineer
Grand Army of the Frontier

[Marshal Halloway]

Howdy Major Matt and all the rest of the fine officers, soldiers, ladies and gentlemen we had the pleasure of meeting at the GAF Muster. We will write more later, but here is a small collage to give all those that couldn't attend an idea of how it was.

[Major Matt Lewis]

Marshal,

It was my sincere pleasure to meet you and the Marshal'ette.  Hope to see you down the trail pulling triggers. 

[Guns Garrett]

All Hands,

    I posted my heartfelt remarks on the NCOWS Forum under this subject, so I won't repeat it.  My wife and I had a wonderful time, and it conviced Penny my facination with military history is more than my own idiosyncrasy. ( from the Greek - idio- "idiot" ; synchro - "acting together";  ergo: idiosyncrasy - a bunch of idiots doing the same thing together)  Nah, just kidding.  Seriously, the detail and knowledge necessary for each participant to portray their characters is a fine testament to their dedication and love of history, firearms and the Old West.  Some of what I learned only taught me of how much I don't know, and to strive to delve deeper into the subjects in our era of interest.  Who knows, I may even show up next year as a member of one of "those other" services (ie.; Army, Navy, etc).  I'm forming an idea now - let's see - they had a kepi with a green band, served out West on boats, but weren't Navy ... hmmmm...

Semper Fi,
Guns

[Capt. Jarrett]

Thanks Major Lewis for creating such a great shoot. I enjoyed the challenging stages and the variety I don't get elsewhere. The food was great which brought back memories of eating at grandma's house. The atmosphere at last years GAF shoot and this years is unmatched by any other shoot and I will miss that location. I'm healing from my wounds and going to the proctologist tomorrow.

[Major Matt Lewis]

Also a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Jerry Barnes for Winning that BEAUTIFUL Hartford Armory Pennsylvania Rifle pictured in the Marshal's collage.

[US Scout]

Major and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lewis,

Thank YOU for putting on another great Muster! 

I know you put in a great deal of time, effort, sweat, and probably not a little of your own paycheck into insuring that the Muster would be a success. 

For those who procrastinated and/or failed to organize your calendars so that you can attend, you missed another fantastic shoot!  The stages were extremely challenging, with lots of hard to hit targets at varying ranges and spacing, and lots of reloads while that timer just kept on going. 

True, there were times of frustration such as when the pesky little cartridges just wouldn't allow themselves to be extracted, or spent brass wouldn't eject, or sometimes the gun just got tired of shooting, but as Matt says, this is an attempt to simulate in some manner a fight during the Indian Wars - you just had to suck it up and do what needed to be done. 

The Wild Bunch Match was a real challenge - and there wasn't even any shotgun!  I never saw so many 1911s that jammed or had ejection problems. 

The food was great, the weather pretty good (could have done with a few knots less wind), and the socializing was tops!

Next year's Muster will be a month earlier and in Iowa.  I'm already planning on going - I hope the rest of you are finally going to sign up and go as well.

WELL DONE, MISTER!!!

US Scout
Chief of Staff, GAF

[Silver Creek Slim]

I had a good time meeting old and "new" pards. Got to match up names to faces such as Dr. Bob, Chantilly, Lou Graham, Pitspitr, US Scout, Hardtack Henry, Guns Garrett, Marshall, Marshall'ette, Capt. Jarrett, Pvt Hoover, etc.
Had a good time shooting and even helpin' the coosies. 

Thanks, Major Matt for your hard work to put on this great event.

Slim

[Delmonico]

Slim was a great help, sometimes a cook camp needs more than a good cook.  Slim is no offically a "Hoodlum" or a "Little Mary."   I here tell he likes the hoodlum name better.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I here tell he likes the hoodlum name better.

Yep! 

Slim

[Pitspitr]

                                                          5 November 1876 (+129)
Attention to orders:

As the senior member of the Dept. of the Missouri Staff Present at the muster, I hereby offer Major Matt Lewis my heartfelt gratitude for a job well done as well as the Department's appreciation for the manner in which you upheld said department's honor and high standards of organization and challenge.
The chosen site was excellent, the food  outstanding, and the course of fire was challenging, out of the ordinary and appropriate for our organization.

Well done Major Lewis!

[Pitspitr]

For those who might care:
Jacob and I made it home in plenty of time for his football practice. We found that the route I would have chosen was 1 1/2 hours quicker than the one the computer said was the quickest We even had time to stop in Lincoln for church and a meal.
Wednesday evening Jacob's team won their second round playoff game 48-0 over Loomis (the 8th ranked team). He had 137 yds rushing with another 150+ yds on special teams and scored 4 Td's raising his new school single season scoring record to 192 points (32 Td's on the season) He also broke the school's 22 year old single season rushing record (his total for the season is up to 1773 yds) and set a new state record for the longest punt return (75 yds) in an 8-man playoff game. They play in the quarterfinals  Monday at Kenesaw at 6:30.

[Trap]

  Congratulations to Jacob. Hope they go all the way.  jt

[Chantilly]

BTT

US Scout - you asked about 2006 GAF Muster winners for Star of Merit - they are listed in this thread.