Holder of Purple Heart; Once Rifle Team Captain, Won State Championship

SAW ACTION AT MALTA

By Nat Frankel

A former Far Rockaway student, who was the captain and an outstanding member of the Rifle Team {while at school, has put his marksmanship to good use in the Tunisian Campaign. Lieutenant MacArthur Robert Powers is the youthful member of the 57th Fighting Group who was cited by the War Department as having shot down, five German planes during an air battle over the Mediterranean Sea in April.

Lieutenant Powers had been previously credited with destruction of two enemy aircraft. In his most recent encounter he bagged four Junker 52's and one Messerschmitt 109. His score of seven, enemy planes entitles him to the coveted title of ace.

Enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force shortly after war was declared, Lieutenant Powers was transferred to the U. S. Army Air Corps last January. He took to flying as eagerly as he had formerly taken to marksmanship, for, after receiving his training in Canada, the Rockaway Ace broke all records by soloing two and one half hours after receiving flying instructions.

The twenty-seven year old lieutenant has during the past year seen action over Malta, the Gold Coast, Egypt and Tunisia. He has had several close calls from death. Last September his plane was shot down by an enemy craft, and he was forced to bail out in hostile territory. With twenty-four pieces of shrapnel in his body, he crawled towards his own lines for four days before he was picked up by an Allied tank patrol. For this achievement in endurance he was recently awarded the Purple Heart, It is almost a certainty that he will be decorated for his most recent achievement.

While at high school "Mac" hung up an impressive record. An excellent student, he was able to give enough time to the Rifle Team to become its captain. His expert marksmanship was an important factor in the team's third place position in the National Rifle Championship of 1933. After graduation he remained interested in riflery, and, as a member of a well-known gun club, participated in many shooting matches. In 1939 he won the small-bore rifle championship for New York State at Camp Perry, Ohio.

Lieutenant Powers is but one of the many outstanding service men who gained their first experience in marksmanship on the Rifle Team that was begun under the guidance of Richie Sierer, who is still showing the boys how to shoot straight and true.