Thinking Man's Corner

Article by: William G. 

4 July 2026

617: HQ, 617 10-23, on scene. 

HQ: Copy

617: HQ, Range is hot. 

Shots fired……

HQ: Copy, shots fired. 623, be en-route for backup, you’re cleared hot for 10-18……..

Today, is the celebration of the formation of the single greatest nation to ever exist. The United States of America was born in the hearts, minds, and souls of men many years before. It was earned at the great personal cost of lives lost, blood shed, personal fortunes vanished in the blink of an eye, suffering, heartache, and many uncertain moments that felt like an eternity. Our forefathers endured, persevered, gritted their teeth, and risk everything to fight tyranny and create something powerful, and grand, and beautiful that has endured a two and a half centuries. 

I have had the great-good fortune to have known many fine, brave, and dangerous gentlemen. Their ethos and aura embodied the founding fathers who had the vision to give us our home. One such man was Chief James A. Green (RIP) of the Americus Police Department. James (he was APD 617 before he was APD 600. 617 was a retired call sign until he gave it to his adopted son….) left us too soon, but what a life he lived, that touched so many more lives, even to this day, and for many more decades to come. He is survived by Sgt. Allison Green (Retired-She was, and will always be, APD 623) of the same agency. James was a mentor, role model, teacher to me, and my best friend. Allison, who was much more dangerous than James with all his training, has been like an adopted mother to me. 

I was recently at James’s private range, where I shot literally hundreds of thousands of rounds over many decades. Allison is moving, and that day saw the last rounds fired by me on that great refuge I have had the fortune to spend so much time on. It is fitting, in its way. A final salute to James, and for Allison. And end of a physical era, as everything is eventual, but in our hearts and minds, the lives that were lived there will remember.

Now at my main range, today on the 4th, I have  chosen some specific guns to fire the final salute, in remembrance and honor of James, and to celebrate this hallowed day of our nation. Col. Jeff Cooper’s last personal 1911 (what better than the Yankee Fist of the Guru himself? Side note: James and I drove cross country to attend Gunsite together), James’s Scattergun Technologies fighting 870 (while the shotgun is not an American invention, the use of it for combat is uniquely American, and traces its roots to the frontier law dawgs of the old west and the Devil Dogs of the United States Marine Corp in the Great War, what’s more American than a Marine? Don’t say a Green Beret, Claude…), and a Colt M4 Carbine (because that is the current service long arm of our Military, and is what the founding fathers meant when they said “A Well Regulated Militia”).

(Old School pencil barrel Colt with an actual Vietnam era pistol grip, an Aimpoint Micro T1 on a QD throw lever mount, and a Surefire Scout in a Haley Strategic mount, on a Magpul forend…. Judge Me. )

Along with those, I brought a few accoutrements. A Ka-Bar given to me by Maj. Bill Maughn (lied about his age to go to war for our country-beacasue that was what men did back then, original Marine Raider, clandestine operative, Chief of Police, and Gunsite instructor), an Emerson folder (made by Ernie Emerson the former SEAL legend, and carried by and given to me by my long passed old friend Cmndr. Mario Martinez, another Marine and The SWAT Guru), a Surefire Tactician (given to me by Capt. Richard McLarin, the legendary third generation metro Atlanta lawman and SWAT Commander, and GALEFI plank owner), and a JC Newman “The American” 250th cigar (I got that one myself, but it’s the only premium All American made cigar, and quite tasty to boot, it fits well with today).

James brought in Capt. McLarin to do some training in 2004, where I first met and became friends with Richard. The good Captain, like James, has mentored and shaped me as a peace officer, instructor, and been an inspiration of what a good Christian man should be. He also picked up the Colonel from the airport the year he was the keynote speaker at the GALEFI ATC. On the way there they stopped at Stone Mountain. Get Richard to tell you the story if you meet him in person.

James met Maj. Maughan at Gunsite with me, and Bill taught me a few things about actual empty hand and knife work against a dedicated enemy. Not the kind of fluff built around theory, a few minor altercations, or simulated garbage – life or death in the middle of hell. 

(Maj. Maughan at Gunsite. The Ka-Bar is one he gave me, though not the one he carried into the Pacific theatre. He felt I should have the best fighting knife ever made, for when my 1911 ran dry.)

James brought in Mario Martinez to train his SWAT team, and Mario did some additional private training with me on James’s personal range. I also had the pleasure of working with Mario on some special projects, which I would not have unless James had introduced us.  Mario was a force of nature and the most proficient tactician and operator I ever had the privilege to know, train under, and work with. 

(A Surefire from McClarin, an Emerson from Mario, a JC Newman American 250. I am not a big challenge coming guy. One is from the only batch GALEFI ever made, and one is from Mario. These two are very special.)

So, you see how all of these things: Liberty, the essence of the soul of the idea that our nation was birthed from, Col. Jeff Cooper, Gunsite, Maj. Bill Maughn, Capt. Richard McClarin, GALEFI, James and his range – they all interconnect, they all represent the best of human nature, the love of an idea greater than ourselves. 

When I say GALEFI, I take for granted that everyone knows how much Leo Hathaway (Leo H.) has had to do with GAELFI. Leo is GALEFI, and GALEFI is Leo. He doesn’t like the attention, and will down play his role across the many decades of this wonderful organization, but it would not exist (then or now) without Leo. Leo has done more for the law enforcement firearms training in Georgia than everyone else I know combined, and that is simply fact with no fluff added. He just doesn’t run his mouth about it. Many will never know the extent he has shaped things, and we may never know how many lives he has saved over the decades. If it were not for James Green, I would not have heard of GALEFI, and I would not have met my very good friend, Leo.

There is no way I can do justice with my layman’s ability to weave words into a story, but I do greatly appreciate you all in indulging me this precious time to reminisce about my friends, and something so very important to me; and I hope all of you. 

Not a single other nation on earth could ever produce men like these that I have just written of. Men of legend, men of faith, men of conviction; who love freedom, liberty, justice, family, community, and who would shed blood, tears, and lay down their lives for their brothers and even people they don’t know. Men who sacrifice for those they love, defend the weak, give a voice to those who others refuse to hear. Yes, similar men exist other places, but none as strong or as righteous as those who possess the American Soul. No other country has the courage to foster what ours has. 

I rarely talk about my personal life, but will mention my grandfather “Wild Buck.” He served in the US Army during WWII. He was involved with clandestine services with both the OSS and RAF. He was in the European theatre, and took me to England as a child. He showed me the Cabinet War Rooms, where he had served a stint with Churchill. He took care of his mother until she died. He raised my father, and when he found out my mother was pregnant with me, he retired so he could be there to help my father raise me. Somewhere I have a photo of him and Rex Applegate together, that I couldn’t find in time for this article. In honor of him, and the Greatest Generation, I put together the below picture. The OSS files on close in fighting, knucks (newer), a commando dagger (newer remake), a “jack” (one I had made, though my grandfather was quite fond of them as well), the real deal WWII 1911a1 and a 1910-often favored by the spies of the era, and a picture of my grandfather, and another of him with my grandmother. They were together 71 years. He died exactly one year from the date (to the exact day, within hours) of my grandmother’s death, from a broken heart. I had his tombstone engraved “A Prince that walked among mere men. This world is unworthy of his greatness.”

May God guide and protect this great nation. Long live the United States of America, and the extraordinary men She has produced. All my love and respect to you Chief, and to you, Allison. 

(In 2007, multiple tornados did tremendous damage to Americus. Enough to justify an in person visit from the sitting President at the time, George W. Bush. This is James briefing W on the recovery efforts. Sorry for the grainy resolution.)

617: HQ, the range is cold. 

Repeat. 

Range is cold. 

617 , 623, and the memory of 600 are 10-8. 

The range is 10-7. 

HQ: Good copy. 

Happy Birthday, America. God bless you all. 

(The past is Another Country. They do things differently there.)