Doug Bowser
member
A STRANGE HAPPENING AT CAMP PERRY
By Doug Bowser
In 1984, the Southwest Gun Club fielded a shooting team to the US Army Matches at Camp Perry. Jack Withers and I were assigned to the same hutment and had the same firing point for the individual matches. We were about to finish firing at the 600 yard line on the Vaile Range and a tall fellow came up and spoke to us. He wanted to know if I remembered him.
It was difficult for me to forget him. He was John Antesavage. John was a New York State Trooper. I met John in a peculiar way. In 1968, I was going to work South of Norwich, NY and I was passing by the airport. A Lockheed Loadstar was taking off and the landing strut on the rear of the plane got fouled in a power line. The plane was slowed down enough to stall and it crashed into the garage of the State Trooper Barracks, just as I was driving by. The pilot was professional enough to cut all power and fuel, so there was no fire.
John was working on his truck in the garage and had opened the rear door of the garage. When the plane hit, it nailed his truck dead center. The impact drove him and the truck to the rear of the garage. Luckily he had the door open. He was launched 30 feet into the back yard and landed in about 4 feet of soft snow.
I stopped and ran up to the airplane. The pilots were already exiting the plane. They were beat up but not badly injured. I looked out the rear door and saw John lying in the snow. He was unconscious and going into shock. I removed my jacket and put over him. I retrieved a cardboard box and elevated his feet. He was scratched but not badly cut. I could not see any limbs that were broken. In a short time, he regained consciousness and he asked me what the Hell had happened. I told him, he was struck by an airplane.
The Ambulance arrived and took him to the Hospital. That was the last time I saw John until 1984. I was happy I had excellent training in a Red Cross First Aid Program.
Photo of Lockheed Loadstar
By Doug Bowser
In 1984, the Southwest Gun Club fielded a shooting team to the US Army Matches at Camp Perry. Jack Withers and I were assigned to the same hutment and had the same firing point for the individual matches. We were about to finish firing at the 600 yard line on the Vaile Range and a tall fellow came up and spoke to us. He wanted to know if I remembered him.
It was difficult for me to forget him. He was John Antesavage. John was a New York State Trooper. I met John in a peculiar way. In 1968, I was going to work South of Norwich, NY and I was passing by the airport. A Lockheed Loadstar was taking off and the landing strut on the rear of the plane got fouled in a power line. The plane was slowed down enough to stall and it crashed into the garage of the State Trooper Barracks, just as I was driving by. The pilot was professional enough to cut all power and fuel, so there was no fire.
John was working on his truck in the garage and had opened the rear door of the garage. When the plane hit, it nailed his truck dead center. The impact drove him and the truck to the rear of the garage. Luckily he had the door open. He was launched 30 feet into the back yard and landed in about 4 feet of soft snow.
I stopped and ran up to the airplane. The pilots were already exiting the plane. They were beat up but not badly injured. I looked out the rear door and saw John lying in the snow. He was unconscious and going into shock. I removed my jacket and put over him. I retrieved a cardboard box and elevated his feet. He was scratched but not badly cut. I could not see any limbs that were broken. In a short time, he regained consciousness and he asked me what the Hell had happened. I told him, he was struck by an airplane.
The Ambulance arrived and took him to the Hospital. That was the last time I saw John until 1984. I was happy I had excellent training in a Red Cross First Aid Program.
Photo of Lockheed Loadstar
That is so improbable that I would have thought came out of a comedy show: "plane hits truck, truck hits man, man knocked out of garage. 
What are the probabilities that it would happen, the guy would survive, and that you would meet him again at Camp Perry? 
