RIP Sidewinder Pete

[Ethan Cord]

I have not forgotten one of our own SASS brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice while saving the lives of others. The twisted followers of Islam brought an ongoing war to American soil on 9/11/2001 and thousands of our fellow citizens died. Amoung them was Lt. Peter Martin from NYFD, Rescue 2 and other members of his team who gave their lives so that others could live.

 

When Pete was on the range, he became Sidewinder Pete, a member of our SASS family. In memory of Lt. Peter Martin  

 

Never forget! 

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Thank you Pete .

RIP Sr.

[Waimea]

Thank you, Sidewinder Pete for paying the ultimate price for our Freedom.

 

Thank you, Ethan Cord for remembering.

 

Waimea

[Moose Wesson]

Amen.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Thanks for posting this 'remembrance'.

 

RIP Pete.

 

..........Widder

 

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

Thanks for remembering

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Thank you for posting this, Ethan!

[Sheriff A B Dupree, SASS #17690]

Sidewinder Pete

“Lest we forget”

 

On Sept. 11, 2001, the East End Regulators, the Hole In The Wall Gang and all of S.A.S.S. lost a friend and fellow shooter “Sidewinder Pete” Martin, SASS #6585, killed in the cowardly attack on the World Trade Center. Pete was a NY Fireman, doing his duty, heading up to help civilians get out. He was a casualty of the attack, not a victim. Never call him a victim. He would have hated that. He wouldn’t even have wanted to be called a hero, but he was. Pete would have called it no big deal, just doing his job.

Pete was one of the best cowboy shooters on Long Island, and certainly the most modest of the good shooters, always shooting black powder whether there was a category or not. He didn’t always win. Sometimes he fell to third or fourth, but you could never tell from his attitude. After a match he would be at his truck, cleaning his guns, exchanging small talk with that quiet little grin of his. I’d ask him how he did and he would always just say all right. He would then listen to my blather, shaking his head and smiling.

Unlike many top shooters, he didn’t mind what posse he shot with. He treated everyone, top gun or greenhorn with the same respect, giving help or tips to those who wanted them. I messed him up once on a stage, when I was R.O. He didn’t gripe, protest or demand a reshoot. All he said was “Don’t worry about it Doc” when I came over to apologize.

When emergencies happened, though, he just naturally took charge. At the match last summer when a shooter was injured, Pete, a paramedic, treated the injury and directed others to clear the range to allow access of the ambulance, while, at the same time, reassuring the shooter and keeping his morale up. He didn’t think that there was anything special in that.

Pete couldn’t talk his wife Alice into shooting. Maybe it was the goofy aliases he suggested. She told us that he always said we were a great bunch of guys (and women) though. He was looking forward to getting his oldest son, Daniel into Junior Shooting and his other sons, James and John in a few more years. They are all being stalwart, but are praying for closure.

In the big picture, it really doesn’t matter that Sidewinder Pete was a very good shooter. He was a good person, a family man and a true gentleman. I never heard him say a mean word to or about anyone. If he sounds like Owen Wister’s “The Virginian”, well, he was really like that. Though more than a cowboy, he personified “The Cowboy Way”.

I will always be proud that I knew him and that he considered me a friend.

 

Doc Bogan, SASS #18304