Smith hosts sporting clays competition for WWR

Military combat veterans who were wounded during military service came to Lamar Smith’s farm on the old Collins Road to participate in a sporting clay shooting competition on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Contestants arrived by 9 a.m. and registered, and Lamar Smith welcomed the group before turning over the compulsory safety meeting to Ray James, who operated the range, and William (Bill) Jones, who is a certified weapons and gun safety instructor and a member of VFW 7764. It must be noted that participants handled their weapons with focus on safety rules without exception. Target practice began about 9:20 a.m., and since many were unfamiliar with the competition, Ray and Bill provided fundamental instruction and tips.

Wounded warriors and members of VFW 7764 participated in the practice rounds, and it became apparent that consistently hitting those fast-moving bright orange clay discs is a little more challenging than it looks. But there were some fast learners. All the warrior shooters have prior training with rifles and pistols and quickly picked up on the little tricks that helped their scores. Although she was not in the competition, Richard Driggers’ 15-year-old granddaughter, Abby Barratta, who first fired a 20-gauge gun in January 2025, filled in, and, with a little coaching along the way, she shot well.

VFW 7764 members Gene Williams and Trace Simmons grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for the noon meal, and shooters were able to take a break. After the meal, the traditional devotional was provided by Pastor Robert Farrell of Providence Baptist Church. Then shooters began to shoot in earnest, with nice prizes awarded for the top contenders. First place went to Eli Manning, who won a Ruger Wrangler 22 caliber pistol. Second place went to Chris Castle, who took home an Igloo cooler. Jody McCarty finished third and won a trail camera. Jason Durrence finished fourth, and Jerry Cowart was fifth.

After the competition was completed, Wounded Warrior Retreat (WWR) President Terry Reynolds convened a board meeting and updated plans for a WWR lodge to be constructed in Swainsboro, which will allow warriors and their families to share accommodations with other warriors while hunting or fishing at Wounded Warrior events. Since Come Away Plantation at Norwood, Georgia, was sold in 2023 and the new owners denied access to WWR, there has not been sufficient space for warriors to bring their families on deer, turkey, pheasant, and quail hunts. The new lodge is planned to alleviate that issue.

WWR Board Member Danny Dickey has served three years, and it was time for him to rotate off of the board. Tison Manning of Glennville, GA, and Greg Williams of Arnoldsville, GA, were nominated, and after a tie vote by board members, it was decided to elect both to serve, since the bylaws did not specify a number, and an uneven number of members would eliminate tied votes.

It was a good day, and immediately upon learning that he had been elected to the board, Tyson Manning suggested that the clay tournament should be an annual event. Tyson was simply voicing the opinion of all present.

The Wounded Warrior Retreat Board would like to thank Lamar Smith for the use of his shooting house, Ray James for a full day of supervising operations, VFW 7764 member and certified weapons safety instructor Bill Jones for his coaching and safety monitoring, Gene Williams and Trace Simmons for cooking the noon meal, and VFW 7764 members who did whatever was necessary to carry out the mission.

Additionally, Wounded Warrior Retreat would like to thank the following sponsors of the event. Clark Sporting Goods, Claxton; Claxton Hardware, Claxton; Castle Barns, Claxton; Trinity Arms, Claxton; Ace Hardware, Claxton; Long Creek Firearms, Claxton; Ace Hardware, Reidsville; The Supply Company, Glennville; Maire Taxidermy, Glennville.