Man Hunts Down Father's War Rifle

[Feud]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,425678,00.html

DAVISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — As gifts go, Jim Richardson's choice for his father's 79th birthday was a long shot.

Virgil Richardson fondly remembered the .30-caliber M1 Garand rifle he carried during his time as a soldier during the Korean War.

He even still had the weapon's serial number.

Using that number, Jim Richardson went online and found the firearm at a Kentucky gun broker.

"I couldn't even talk when he gave it to me," Virgil Richardson told The Flint Journal. "It didn't even have to be the same gun to be important to me."

About 7 million of the sturdy rifles were produced during the Korean War period, making the odds of finding the right one so long that the broker didn't believe the serial number matched, said Jim Richardson, 54, of Saginaw County's Frankenmuth, about 70 miles northwest of Detroit.

"After the war, the soldiers couldn't bring the rifles back with them," Jim Richardson said. "They stayed in Korea (until the 1980s), when they were able to be imported back to the United States."

He won't say exactly how much he spent, but some collectors have paid as much as $3,000. He gave the Garand to his father last week, although the elder Richardson's birthday isn't until next month.

Virgil Richardson served from 1951-53 as an Army radio operator in the 25th Infantry Division. When he speaks of the war, the General Motors Corp. retiree often mentions the rifle's accuracy and dependability, as well as his own marksmanship.

"My sister lives in the country, and it came up that you could shoot a deer right from the deck of her home," Jim Richardson said. "Dad made a comment that he could hit a silhouette target at 500 yards without a scope. Most people can't see that far without a scope."

Virgil Richardson said he'll wait until his Oct. 26 birthday to shoot the weapon.

"What shocked me the most is how very heavy it is," he said. "I have trouble now holding it up and aiming it. I guess they were made for 20- and 21-year-olds."

Now that is a birthday gift!

 

[30 cal slob]

son tracks down dad's korean war garand

wow.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,425678,00.html

Man Hunts Down Dad's Long-Lost Korean War Rifle

Saturday , September 20, 2008

AP

DAVISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. —

As gifts go, Jim Richardson's choice for his father's 79th birthday was a long shot.

Virgil Richardson fondly remembered the .30-caliber M1 Garand rifle he carried during his time as a soldier during the Korean War.

He even still had the weapon's serial number.

Using that number, Jim Richardson went online and found the firearm at a Kentucky gun broker.

"I couldn't even talk when he gave it to me," Virgil Richardson told The Flint Journal. "It didn't even have to be the same gun to be important to me."

About 7 million of the sturdy rifles were produced during the Korean War period, making the odds of finding the right one so long that the broker didn't believe the serial number matched, said Jim Richardson, 54, of Saginaw County's Frankenmuth, about 70 miles northwest of Detroit.

"After the war, the soldiers couldn't bring the rifles back with them," Jim Richardson said. "They stayed in Korea (until the 1980s), when they were able to be imported back to the United States."

He won't say exactly how much he spent, but some collectors have paid as much as $3,000. He gave the Garand to his father last week, although the elder Richardson's birthday isn't until next month.

Virgil Richardson served from 1951-53 as an Army radio operator in the 25th Infantry Division. When he speaks of the war, the General Motors Corp. retiree often mentions the rifle's accuracy and dependability, as well as his own marksmanship.

"My sister lives in the country, and it came up that you could shoot a deer right from the deck of her home," Jim Richardson said. "Dad made a comment that he could hit a silhouette target at 500 yards without a scope. Most people can't see that far without a scope."

Virgil Richardson said he'll wait until his Oct. 26 birthday to shoot the weapon.

"What shocked me the most is how very heavy it is," he said. "I have trouble now holding it up and aiming it. I guess they were made for 20- and 21-year-olds."

 

[mgregg85]

Thats pretty cool of the son, what a gift.

 

[hankdatank1362]

God bless that old soldier and his son. What an awesome gift!

 

[tpaw]

Great story! What was the research process? It almost seems impossible!

 

[Prophet]

That is so cool! My grandfather tells a lot of stories about how he used to shoot a BAR in the Army. I'm sure he'd love to just be able to see/hold one again, I'm not sure whether he'd be able to fire it.

 

[rcmodel]

Well, that's downright remarkable right there!

Chance's of that happening (finding the exact gun) is about like getting struck by lightening in your basement, I would imagine!

rcmodel

 

[scrat]

Very good story excellent

 

[Lamb of Gun]

That is really, really cool.

 

[Eyesac]

Seriously how on earth would you go about searching by S/n? Never tried...

 

[P90shooter]

That was an awesome story. My Grandfather still talks about his rifle from Korea too so that really struck a nerve. Thanks for the post

 

[CWL]

That's pretty cool. I'd like to do that for my dad, but I don't think I could afford giving him his Destroyer for his birthday!

 

[Old Grump]

Must have been a pretty good father because he raised an excellent son

 

[Boris]

That's pretty cool. I'd like to do that for my dad, but I don't think I could afford giving him his Destroyer for his birthday!

You can always build a model of it. Or pay someone to.

Also, wouldn't the Army 9or whatever branch issued him the gun) be able to help with that? Do they have records of all the rifles delivered to them.

 

[yokel]

Wonderful heartwarming story.

 

[SaxonPig]

I would not have believed it possible.

The odds on finding the exact rifle would be astronomical. I have doubts that it could be done.

I wonder if the story is really true. Maybe he found a similar rifle and somehow the story got reported as it being the very same rifle? You know how reporters like to embellish a good human interest story.

 

[SLR]

Thats amazing! I would like to know a little more of the story of tracking it down!

 

[Wes Janson]

Literally one-in-a-million odds if true...and that would really be the birthday present to end all birthday presents.

 

[NonConformist]

Wow, that was a long shot yet it paid off!

 

[CombatArmsUSAF]

I can only hope my kids grow up to be like this guy's son. That was an awesome birthday present.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Awesome present. I too wonder how on earth you would find it by SN unless you just started calling every gun shop and got extremely lucky, or somehow traced it through the CMP.

 

[highorder]

I think it's great to see stories like this on the front page of Fox news!

 

[Mr White]

Well if anyone ever tracks their father's Garand to me, its gonna cost them considerably more than the $450 that I paid for it to get it back.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Just beyond awesome!

 

[Gunnerpalace]

Amazing story.