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First there was the Army Distinguished Pistol Shot medal he received in 1964. Then the United States Distinguished International Shooter award, followed by medals from the Pan-America Games and World Olympics. There were also many national titles.
But on Oct. 23, the 74-year-old Sparta man reached the top when he was inducted into the Military Shooting Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, Ga., for pistol shooting. The retired Army master sergeant was voted into the hall of fame by his peers, many of whom he shot with and against in competition.
"It's out of this world. The honor is unbelievable," Whitacre said. "I was privileged to shoot with and against some of the best soldiers in the world.".
The October induction was actually Whitacre's second induction into the hall of fame. His first was in 1995 for service pistol competition, and was a prerequisite for the pistol shooting or the "big one," he said.
Whitacre's pistol shooting days began when he joined the Army. As a soldier, he shot a .45.
His original goal was to be proficient with his weapon. After that, he wanted to be the best — part of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, which was formed in 1956 by President Eisenhower to improve marksmanship.
Whitacre said the way to become a member of the unit is similar to that of a professional baseball or basketball player: "You have to shoot your way onto the team and work your way up."
From 1962 to 1972, Whitacre was a "serious shooter" with the USAMU, with the exception of 1970 when he was a sniper instructor in Vietnam.
"I got tired of getting beat," Whitacre said as to why he got to be such a good shot.
"I practiced a lot and had determination," he said. "Everyone says there's a knack to it and everyone hasn't been able to do it."
During his career, Whitacre competed against teams from the various military branches and around the world. The national record is 2,680 out of a possible 2,700. Whitacre's record, which he has gotten twice, is a 2,670.
"That's only 10 points off," he said.
His record entered him into the elusive 2,670 club. When Whitacre retired in 1972, there were only three people in the club — now there are 13.
During his career, Whitacre shot on 11 record-setting teams and set five national individual records. He was the .22 caliber national champion in 1964, and the .45 caliber national champion in 1966 and 1968. During three consecutive years in the mid to late 1960s, he was the national indoor pistol champion. Whitacre and his teammates earned a gold medal at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Columbia.
Whitacre served in the Army for 23 years before retiring in 1972 as a Master Sergeant. After retirement from the military, he worked for Mathy Construction until 1992.
Once he was inducted into the hall of fame, Whitacre was then able to wear his black USAMU hat, something that gets him a lot of looks.
"You're darn right I wear it," he said. "It feels good. It feels great."
To show he still has it, Whitacre and some ex-Army buddies entered the National Rifle and Pistol Championships in 2001 as the "Over the Hill Gang."
The team placed first in the pistol competition in their category. Whitacre came in sixth in the country in the civilian category for the .22 caliber, scoring 880 points out of a possible 900.
"There are senior events, but we're trying to get a super senior event so we don't have to go against the 55-year-old guys," he said with a smile.
Autumn Grooms can be reached at (608) 782-9710, ext. 357, or agrooms@lacrossetribune.com.
