Description

Group photo of the Arizona Civilian Rifle Team, which includes Bill Stewart, at the National Marches in Camp Perry, Ohio.

William "Bill" F. Stewart was born in Marion, Indiana on January, 19, 1890. He served in the Navy during World War I. After the war he was a fireman at the Whipple Veterans Hospital in Prescott, Arizona. Bill, as he was usually called, was well known in Prescott as an expert rifleman and was active in teaching young people in the community about safety in the handling of firearms. He was awarded for his marksmanship during his lifetime. He participated in the matches of the Civilian Marksmanship Program at Camp Perry, Ohio.  Bill died on July 6, 1968 and is buried in Holcomb-Union Cemetery, Jackson County, Kentucky.

Camp Perry was the primary training center for the Ohio National Guard for much of the twentieth century. Camp Perry is located near Port Clinton, Ohio, and was established in 1907, the camp was named for Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812. The principal reason for why the training grounds were located at Camp Perry was to allow the Ohio National Guard to practice rifle and artillery usage by firing these weapons into Lake Erie. While originally intended for National Guard use, during World War I, the United States Army used the site to train officers and marksmen.  In addition to its military usage, Camp Perry has also been the site of the "World Series of the Shooting Sports" since 1907.

Sources: Findagrave.com, US WW II Draft Registration Card, 1944, US Census 1940 Yavapai, Arizona and the Ohio History Connection website, Ohio History Central: https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Camp_Perry