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Built as temporary structures to house POW's during World War II, many of the Camp Perry huts are still in use


An Update on the Camp Perry
National Match Hut Endurance Award


In November, The First Shot ran "The Camp Perry National Match Hut Endurance Award." Since that time, we've received a number of interesting responses

I don`t know what it might take to be high on the Endurance list, but I might be close. I don`t have the slightest idea of how many nites I have spent in the huts, but my first year was 1963. Since then I have been to Perry every year except `68. I have been lucky enough to get a Module about 5 times, which would put me in a Hut about 34 years. I have shot the Pistol phase, along with the SAFS every year. So the nites are adding up. I have lived through the heat, cold, misquitoes, water, loss of electricity, and all the other normal problems. One year we even carpeted or floor wall to wall. This will be my 40th year at Perry--looking forward to it.

Brent Larson
Bloomington, MN

These huts, like many WW II structures (barracks, mess halls, etc) were built on many military bases across the country. Real cookie cutter real estate development.

I clearly remember, during the Vietnam era, being billeted in "temporary" structures from WW II.

Locally, at Camp San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo CA), a 20 000 acre National Guard Base, hundreds of these huts were built, looking just like the one shown for Camp Perry. And, like Camp Perry, they were sided w/asbestos-cement shingles. Ours were heated w/oil stoves, fed by a central tank and above ground fuel lines. They were located in a company configuration w/a company mess hall and central latrine building.

In addition to military use (National Guard), we have used these for Search & Rescue (SAR) mission and training housing, fire camp (for large wildland fires), and housing law enforcement personnel for major civil disturbance events.

In the past few years blocks of huts have been removed and replaced w/modern barracks. Recently, the entire remaining inventory have been removed. This was a major undertaking due to the hazardous waste issues related to the siding and the contaminated soil, etc. from the fuel oil spills. A few huts have been kept as "historical record" buildings.

George Brown
San Luis Obispo County CA
Office of Emergency Services

Mine was only for the pistol phase from '63 till '78, a total of 15 years and possibly 5-6 days stay each year, but if you're really interested, I have a "Camp Perry" LIST of things that were a "MUST BRING", and if I can find it I will send it on.

Phil Mahony

I've only been to Camp Perry once so far, so I obviously cannot be serious competition. However, I have a slightly unique perspective on my stay in the huts. For three weeks prior to the matches, I had been camping with the Girl Scouts in the forests of western North Carolina. The huts, with floors and electricity, seemed positively luxurious to me!

Lisa Last
Great Neck, NY

We're still looking for more responses. If you are a dedicated National Match competitor who has stayed in the huts (even well after you could afford to do otherwise), write to us at CMP, Attn: Hut Contest, P.O. Box 576, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452, or e-mail us at competitions@odcmp.com. Keep in mind, a good hut story may enhance your standing in the contest.


The Camp Perry National Match Hut Endurance Award (Nov., 2002)