I had the distinct honor to be invited to a retirement dinner last Friday night.

I really didn’t know what to expect, it was a military retirement, sort of anyway, definitely being put on by a military unit for one their civilian employees, and most of these affairs are not very high on my list of most desirous expenditures of my time. But I wanted to go to this one, this individual was one I respected, one who had some great accomplishments in his field of endeavor, and one who has always been helpful to me in various endeavors through the years. I didn’t have as much association with him as his protégés but I did know what kind of person he was and the respect his protégées held for him and I wanted to go.

What I did not know was how many and how far afield his protégés were. Not until I walked into that hall Friday night, and started scanning the names of the other invitees. Many of last years Olympic contenders were there; Ken Johnson, Glenn Dubis, Mike Anti, Tom Tamas, Daryl Szarenski, to name a few. Nancy Johnson, who brought back from Sydney that elusive ribbon weighted down by gold, was there. Other Olympians from previous years were there, including those that had brought back other Gold, Silver and Bronze medals from past years. Many of them in fact, and names that were World Record Holders, and World Champions were there as well, names like Jason Parker, Bob Foth, T.D. Smith, Lones Wigger, Lanny Basham, and Gary Anderson were there to pay their respects and gratitude to this man for his coaching help. Major Gordon Roberts, the nation’s only remaining active duty Congressional Medal of Honor winner, was also there for the same reasons.

All told, I think there were 17 Olympic Medallists, World Champions or World Record Holders there. But that’s still not the whole the story, because the story does not end within the confines of the United States. Shooters from around the World were also there to honor this man for the help and influence in making their shooting programs strong. Horst Schreiber of Germany, Secretary General of the ISSF was there, Jesus Elizondo from Mexico was there, Colonel Jens Nygard from Norway were there. Sam Jin Lee, a 4 star general from Korea and former Chief of Staff flew 17 hours to be there. Each came bearing tokens of acknowledgement to bestow on their friend, and stories of their friendship that delighted us all. Dieter Anschutz was there, with stories of shooting together in their bygone years when they were, as Dieter said it “young and pretty and used to call the cuckoo.” He continued on a bit sadly, “Now we are only pretty…. and the cuckoo is calling us” and then presented our guest of honor a cuckoo clock. Elsie Unertl, carrying on her deceased husband’s scope business, was there. Neal Johnson of Gunsmithing, Inc. was also there. All had stories and reminisces of the knowledge learned from and joys shared with this one unique man.

Unique in that he truly wanted to help you, whoever you were, It didn’t matter if you were a nobody, he would stop and give advice, to help you excel, to be your best. Not just his team but everyone’s team. And not just wanted to help, he did help. Somehow he has the unique gift of being able to almost instantaneously make a correction on your stance or hold or breathing, in that calm voice of his that caused even the most frustrated competitor or practitioner of the art to relax and follow his advice, not just because it was the right thing to do, but somehow in that calm voice of his, you wanted to please him and follow that advice.

The man of the evening, the one of great advice with the calm voice and soft laugh is formally known as William Edward Krilling or Bill or just Krilling to most, a man respected around the world for his shooting and his coaching abilities. The job he was retiring from was coach of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit’s International Rifle Team. His shooting accomplishments as an individual are well known, his accomplishments as a coach of the AMU are far too lengthy to mention. It was truly an honor being in that room where the greats were paying homage to their mentor.

But one of the visitors that night truly came out of the past. A man Krilling had not seen in almost 50 years. This surprise visitor was once this great leader’s leader. Captain Tom Odderstol was Krilling’s Company Commander in a place called Korea, in a time when the bullets departing the rifle barrels were not aimed at black bullseyes on white paper targets, but at targets much more indistinct and far more lethal, because these targets were shooting back. Captain Odderstol told of us a snowy mountain, and intrenched caves, of 3 wounded comrades that under fire the young Krilling went back 3 times to carry his wounded comrade to safety, unknowing that he was wounded himself. I don’t know about you, but that qualifies for hero status in my book. Apparently Captain Odderstol thought so too all those long years ago and told us of filling out paperwork to award his young soldier a medal, only to have it rejected by Battalion headquarters because the soldier had not died himself of the wounds gained while rescuing his companions. It’s said that time heals all wounds and covers all injustices. I’m not sure if it does, but it at least allows for changes in thinking, and someone in recent years resubmitted the paperwork, and on this evening many years long after the fact , Captain Tom Odderstol , though long out of the Army and gray in hairs, had the privilege in front of all of us of awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to his formerly young soldier, our friend, our coach, our mentor and now our Hero, William E. Krilling.

I will not forget this evening. It was as I said, a great honor to be there. Sad also, to see someone so respected stepping down from a position that will be nearly impossible to fill. Age takes it toll on all of us, and though sad that he is stepping down from this position that he has helped so many from I suspect that his face will not be absent from the shooting ranges around this country. If you see him at a shooting range somewhere, take some time to thank him for his service as a soldier, thank him for his services as a coach and mentor to the shooting community, and just thank him for being a great human being. And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if, before its over, you end up thanking him for a bit of advice that just might pick you up a few points across the course.

Bio of Mr Krilling

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	Dan Durben, Lance Hopper
	Horst Schreiber, President of ISSF, Bob Mitchell, Director of USA Shooting
	Terry Nickerson (Mr Krilling's son-in-law), daughter Kathy and graddaughter Laura
	Wanda Jewell, JP O'Connor
	The AMU Board
	Lones Wigger sees a ghost ... or did he just see his tie in a mirror?
	Paula Pagan, AMU's publicist
	Deena Wigger, Mike Anti's wife Anne and Mike discussing life
	Carl Trompeter, Grant Saylor
	Daryl Szarenski, center
	Pass the salt!
	AMU commander Arch Arnold's wife, Bill Krilling and Judy Boyd, the late D.I. Boyd's wife
	Chuck Gartland, AMU gunsmith, Matt Suggs
	Steve Goff presents Bill an AMU pennant
	Horst Schreiber, Jesus Elizondo
	Bill being presented with Norwegian medal
	If we can stick this thing in
	Krilling, his daughter Kathy and AMU commander Arch Arnold
	Krilling receiving the Korean medal
	Dieter Anschutz, Judy Body, Will Platt
	Dixi Gatham, Nancy Johnson, Ken Johnson
	Ray Carter, Ken Johnson
	Deena Wigger asking her dad where he got that tie
	May I have this dance?
	Jayme Dickman with her fiancee Jamie Shipley
	Nancy and Ken Johnson in center
	Dieter Anschutz in center
	Jamie Shipley, Wanda Jewell, Nancy Johnson, Jamye Dickman
	Deena Wigger with friend and Renee Ayala
	Lanny Bassham
	Let's find another place on your chest for a medal
	Bill presented a kneeling shooter by Colonel Jens Nygard and Captain Magne Landro
	Gary Anderson, center
	Dieter Anschutz, Ray Carter, Wanda Jewell
	Jason Parker with his lovely wife Andrea
	Banquet tables
	The Norwegian Waltz
	Just Krilling ... if those words can even go together
	Mary McCartin, USAS Competitions Director, Frank Briggs, AMU Pistol Coach, Tom Tamas, Mike Anti
	Bob Mitchell, center
	Dieter Anschutz, Lloyd Crow, Bob Mitchell
	Gary Anderson
	Bill Krilling, American Treasure
	Bill, NRA Board member Edie Reynolds, Brian Osborne, the NRA's collegiate program director with the new Krilling Trophy for Camp Perry in the foreground
	Gary and Ruth Anne Anderson, Jesus Elizondo
	Glenn Dubis cleans up pretty nice
	Deena and Dieter ... a Dynamic Duo?
	COL Arch Arnold, AMU Commander
	Mike Anti, Gary Anderson
	Bill's daughter Kathy Nickerson and granddaughter Laura, who is quite an air rifle competitor herself
	Ken Johnson, Troy Bassham
	Bob Mitchell, Bob Aylward
	Let's shake on this trade, okay?
	Bob Aylward, AMU Executive Director
	Bill with Sam Jin Lee, retired General and former Chief of Staff from South Korea
	The Korean officer interpeting for Sam Jin Lee
	Bill and CPT Tom Odderstol
	Bill and his former Korean War commander, CPT Tom Odderstol, wearing 50 year anniversary hats
	Ruth Anne wants to know if that's dessert coming
	The JROTC color guard from the local high school, that Bill helps coach, and that his granddaughter Laura (not in uniform) attends
	David Kimes, Lanny Bassham
	Nancy Johnson and Laura Nickerson share a laugh
	Troy Bassham, Congressional Medal of Honor winner MAJ Gordon Roberts (notice the blue ribbon under the tie), Lanny Bassham
	Edie Reynolds with Brian Osborne
	Sheri LeGate, with her husband
	Bob Mitchell with Bruce Meredith, CMP Board Director
	Tim Conrad and JP O'Connor
	Paula Pagan, AMU photographer, camera in hand
	Have you seen any of these faces at your local Post Office?
	Soldiers for Freedom, all
	Bill with the Distinguished Service Cross
	Bill with your humble photographer, Scott Pilkington
	Dessert was good too

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