Vietnam veteran still plugging away

By Connie Mertz
For The Daily Item

ELYSBURG -- Tuesday was another sweltering day for trapshooters at the Pennsylvania State Sportsman's Association State Trapshoot near Elysburg, but no one was complaining. Shooters took soaring temperatures in stride as they competed in the Marathon Doubles event.

"This will take most of the day," noted Charles Fritzges, manager of the event.

One of the retired disabled veterans shooting was Tim Doyle of Erie, who made the All American team in 2004, 2005 and 2006. "I'm 61 years old and counting," he said from his wheelchair. "I've been trapshooting for more than 20 years, and I still can't get it right," he said in jest.

Doyle has been paralyzed for 40 years from the middle of his chest down. "I have a brace and a special strap which allows me to lean into the gun," he said Doyle, who considers himself a chair shooter.

With his Beretta over-and-under 682, they make a good pair, he said. "It's a heavy gun which can handle the use and abuse," he added.

His injury occurred while he was in the Marine Corps stationed in Vietnam. "I was hit with shrapnel, but I was one of the lucky ones," he said in a matter-of-fact way.

"It took me about five years to get interested in trapshooting," he said. His wife, Lucia, was his inspiration and encourager.

It was while he was in Colorado attending a gunsmith school that he was first introduced to trapshooting. "Before that I shot skeet, but I find that shooting trap is easier and less frustrating."

When a bystander heard his remark, the unidentified shooter, spoke up. "It is?" he said with a laugh. "Well, it is to me, " Doyle responded.

Like most trapshooters, Doyle has been coming to the State Shoot for years, though he can't remember how long.

That is probably because he is an avid traveler. "I belong to a chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America, and we travel all across the United States. I've been to Kansas, and last week, I was in Baltimore, and in about a month, I'll be going to Green Bay, Wisc.."

While he obviously enjoys the challenge of trapshooting, his eyes sparkled when he mentioned hunting and fishing. "I love to hunt. I especially like pheasant hunting, but I travel to South Dakota for them."

It is obvious that even a "chair shooter" can make targets explode, and in fact, nothing deters him from doing what he enjoys.

FRIENDS ON THE RANGE: Richard Carlson of Derry represents a lot of trapshooters. He probably won't win any events at the state shoot, but that is just fine with him. "I can't recall winning any events here, but I come here for the camaraderie. It's a nice place here and a nice club, and they treat you really good," he said taking a break from the Marathon Doubles on a shaded bench.

"I've shot a gun since I was 5 years old, and I'm 74 and still shooting."

He has made many trapshooting friends down through the years at trap ranges, but sadly, he said, "I am the only one living out of our group that originally shot together."

Carlson has been shooting trap since the early 1970s, "but then my kids went off to college and took all my money," he said chuckling. "I started up again in 2002."

He will be the first to admit he is not a champion shooter. "I want to do better. When I started here in 2002, I was in the D class. Then I moved up to C and now I am a B shooter," he said, explaining that his shooting average has improved every year. "I still want to become an A shooter, if my eyesight holds out. This is the age that the eyesight starts to fail."

He feels the key to trapshooting is concentration and practice. "It's a hard sport to do. All I know is that I shoot a lot of shells and practice, practice, practice. Trapshooting is like welding. If you don't do it every day, you won't be good at it."

Both Doyle and Carlson soon resumed shooting. The smell of gun powder permeated the air, as the Marathon Doubles event continued up and down the runway.

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