February 2026 - You Will Shoot Your Eye Out

It would interesting to find out what Old Walter did to deserve this!

Walter Summerford

The Electrified Man

By Will Dabbs, MD

This is Walter Summerford. This poor schmuck got struck by lightning four times, once after he was already dead.

It’s an old wives’ tale that lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place. Lightning is completely random. In the US alone, there are an average of 40 million lightning strikes per year. The odds of being hit by lightning in America are about one in a million in a given year. However, those numbers are, curiously, not consistent around the globe.

In the UK, there are only around 300,000 lightning strikes per annum. The United Kingdom is markedly smaller than the US, but its weather is way crappier. As a result, the odds of getting struck over there are closer to 1-in-15,300.

Lightning is some seriously nasty stuff. It’s basically just a big honking spark. Electrostatic energy builds up in the atmosphere and can discharge either from cloud to cloud or from a cloud into the ground. A typical lightning bolt runs about 50,000 degrees F, or five times the temperature of the surface of the sun. They pack millions of joules of energy. That stuff is undeniably pretty to look upon. However, you really don’t want to get any of it on you.

Around the globe, there are roughly 6,000 lightning strikes each and every minute. Nearly a quarter million people are struck by lightning every year. Roughly ten percent of those are killed.

On a certain level, those seem like pretty decent odds. If only one in every million Americans gets struck by lightning every year and, of those, nine out of ten live to tell the tale, that doesn’t sound so bad.

Those are indeed reassuring numbers, unless you happen to be Walter Summerford. Walter Summerford has been described as the unluckiest man in the universe. He was struck by lightning four times. One of those strikes was actually after he was already dead.

Background

Walter Summerford served as a British officer in World War I. In 1918, Major Summerford was riding a horse through a Belgian field when he caught a bolt of lightning.

This massive electrical shock rendered the poor man paralyzed from the waist down. However, he gradually recovered. With the war over and his recovery nearly complete, Summerford was demobilized and sent to Vancouver for further rehabilitation.

Six years later, in 1924, Summerford was enjoying a little quiet time out fishing by a river. A storm came up, so the man took refuge underneath a nearby tree. A bolt of lightning struck the tree and tracked down his body and into the ground. The strike left Summerford almost completely paralyzed on his right side.

After two long years, Summerford finally regained the use of his legs. The man was an inveterate outdoorsman and loved wandering about the wilderness hiking, hunting, and fishing.

However, in 1930, whilst taking a stroll in a public park, he was struck by lightning a third time. This bolt rendered him completely paralyzed. It was also markedly worse than the previous two. Summerford was destined to spend the rest of his natural life in a hospital bed.

Summerford’s physicians were amazed the man had survived this third blow. He fought valiantly for another two years before finally succumbing to the cumulative effects of these three lightning strikes in 1932.

As to whether he enjoyed some kind of unique body chemistry or had somehow offended his Maker, no one will ever know. Regardless, it was undoubtedly the cumulative effect of these three lightning strikes that ultimately did Walter Summerford in.

Four years after he was buried in a public cemetery in Vancouver, Canada, Walther Summerford’s gravestone was itself struck by lightning and split into pieces.

I’m not much into conspiracy theories myself. However, it is tough not to believe that there was something supernatural and spooky going on with that unfortunate guy.

The truly curious bit was that Walther Summerford was struck every six years starting in 1918, just like clockwork. Even after he died, when his six years were up, that’s when lightning struck his tombstone. The cyclical nature of the thing strains credulity, but his tale is well-documented.

The brother of one of the soldiers with whom I served was actually struck three times. Once the poor guy was in the shower. I can only imagine what that might do to somebody’s emotional well-being, not to mention your perspective on general hygiene.

My colleague was from rural Texas. He said that every time it got a little bit stormy out, his brother would retreat to the living room away from the television and read a book. Who can blame him?

Walter Summerford got struck by lightning once after he was already dead. This is his shattered tombstone. Image: Public domain.

Ruminations

As kind of an amateur science guy myself, I always gravitated toward basic physics. I can get my head around the way things move. However, chemistry and electricity always kind of made me itch. I struggled to visualize these disciplines, so they held little fascination for me.

However, I have long appreciated that electricity is best appreciated at a distance. If Walter Summerford has taught me anything, it is that I’d really sooner not get struck by lightning.

What Minneapolis Gun Owners Think of Alex Pretti

First M16 Rifles in the Vietnam War By Robert A. Sadowski

In the late 1950s, there were basically two camps in the U.S. military on what the next service rifle should be — those who thought a service rifle should be made of wood and blued steel and wanted a modified version of the M1 Garand, and those who thought the future of the modern service rifle was with forged aluminum and polymer furniture.

US Navy sailors armed with M16A1 in Vietnam War — The Vietnam War was a pivotal time of change for the U.S. military’s primary rifle. The country moved from big, heavy rifles firing big, heavy bullets to easier-to-carry rifles firing light, fast rounds. Image: U.S. Navy

While the 5.56mm AR-15 today is so common and accepted that it’s viewed as the “standard” in self-loading rifle design, it is easy to forget how revolutionary it was in its day. In the 1950s (and before the AR-15 was introduced), there was the AR-10 battle rifle.

This radical approach to military rifle design used forged aluminum receivers — an upper and a lower — that were mated with a stock made of polymer — essentially plastic. The caliber was 7.62×51 mm NATO, the same as the M14, but it used a gas-operated, straight-line rotating-bolt system, which offered less recoil than the M14. In addition, it employed a direct gas-impingement system. While it might have come from the same era as the M14, it seemed like it was from a different planet in those days. [Read more about the M14 history.]

Pfc Michael Mendoza fires M16A1 in Vietnam War 1967 — Pfc. Michael J. Mendoza uses his M16A1 rifle to recon by fire. Earlier, the company received sniper fire from a valley in the Quang Ngai Province, Republic of Vietnam. Image: NARA

The military bureaucracy was at a stalemate with its heels dug in. A lot was at stake, especially the lucrative government contract. Adding more drama to an already tense and passionate situation, the U.S. military saw the potential benefits of a high-velocity .22-caliber cartridge rather than the more ponderous — but capable — 7.62x51mm round.

To address this, the AR-10 was scaled down to the .223 cartridge and the AR-15 was born. However, the M14 community was still not budging. The M14 had the benefit of a proven design based on the Garand, as well as truly capable, if somewhat traditional, chambering. Despite the fact that the AR-15 and the 5.56×46 mm NATO cartridge had shown great promise in initial testing, the U.S. military’s choice of the M14 over the AR-10 (as well as the FAL) had solidified the wood and steel rifle in the role of primary service rifle for the United States military — for now.

US soldier armed with a M16A1 rifle and AN-PVS-2 starlight scope in 1972 — A U.S. soldier armed with an M16A1 rifle in 1972. Mounted on the rifle is an AN/PVS-2 starlight scope. Image: NARA

However, the “aluminum and plastic” upstart would soon gain the upper hand. As is well known, the AR-15 platform eventually prevailed. So, let’s consider that journey.

In hindsight, it was easy to see that the AR-15 would ultimately prevail. Prior to the AR-15 becoming the M16, other factors shaped the evolution of our approach to warfare and the tools used to fight. Let’s take a 10,000-foot view of defense policy in the post-WWII era.

Cold War, Nuclear War, or Guerrilla Warfare?

After WWII and the first use of nuclear weapons, the role of the infantry soldier was thought to be played out in a nuclear battlefield. The nuclear arms race post-WWII had both sides rethinking what a post-nuclear war landscape would look like.

US Marine on patrol near Da Nang Vietnam carrying M16A1 — Pfc. John R. Hofstrand, armed with an M16A1, follows a trail during a search and clear operation south of the Da Nang airfield. Image: U.S. Marine Corps

Thankfully, the Cold War-era struggle did not take the form of an atomic mushroom cloud. Counterinsurgency was the new strategy in the unique form of warfare that developed with two opponents armed to the teeth with nukes. Since direct combat was not feasible (as it would effectively end our civilizations), proxy warfare became the norm in hotspots worldwide.

America’s approach was to help these countries fight communism by arming, teaching, and supporting our allies in limited wars in their own nations. Hence, rather than atomic stockpiles of weapons, an old-fashioned arsenal of specialized small arms became the focus. Throw in a few advisors for training, and you have a recipe for the Vietnam War.

Project Agile Is Approved

While the Advanced Research Projects Agency (or “ARPA”), tucked under the broader Defense Department umbrella, was originally organized to research ballistic missiles, in 1961, the Kennedy administration — with an interest in supporting our foreign allies in limited wars to stop communist aggression — approved Project Agile.

Lance Cpl Clements rests with M16A1 after a patrol through flooded rice patties south of Da Nang USMC — Lance Cpl. C. Clements rests with his M16A1 after a patrol through flooded rice patties south of Da Nang during the Vietnam War. Image: U.S. Marine Corps

Project Agile was designed to help remote areas of the world with counterinsurgency action against communist insurgents. Two areas, both in Indochina, were identified as under threat to Communist aggression. One was in Bangkok, and the other was in Saigon.

The average height of a Vietnamese soldier was five feet, and he weighed about 90 pounds. The ARPA was convinced by the original manufacturer of the AR-15 that the gun had a great deal of potential as a rifle for Vietnamese fighters since it was lightweight, capable and soft recoiling.

US Marine checks an enemy bunker with his M16A1 — A U.S. Marine cautiously checks an enemy bunker with his M16A1. The Marines encountered the bunker while on patrol south of Da Nang. Image: U.S. Marine Corps

ARPA requested AR-15s for this effort, only to be denied because there were plenty of M2 Carbines in storage that could be issued without spending budget on new guns.

The M2 Carbine was also lightweight and ideal for operators with small statures. The ARPA reintroduced its request and suggested that a limited number of AR-15s be used. They settled on asking for 1,000 rifles to only be used in Vietnam (and not Thailand), and the rifles would be tested against the M2 Carbine.

There were many other subprojects under Project Agile, such as ones that dealt with communications and logistics, as well as planning. However, the ARPA report for the AR-15 was titled “Task 13A” and compared the M2 Carbine to the AR-15 “to determine which is more suitable replacement for other shoulder weapons in selected units of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (RVNAF).”

The Result

I don’t need to tell you the outcome. You already know the AR-15 performed best with the “small stature of the Vietnamese soldier…”. We all know that the taller U.S. advisors liked how the new rifle performed, too. While the test helped ARPA in one of its many projects assist counterinsurgents by confirming the superiority of the AR-15 to the M2 Carbine, it also proved the readiness of the AR-15.

sailor loads M16 magazines on USS Harnett County on Vàm Cỏ Đông River Vietnam War — Sailor Lawrence W. Overton loads M16 magazines using stripper clips aboard the USS *Harnett County* (LST-821) on the Vàm Cỏ Đông in Vietnam. Image: U.S. Navy

Analysis of the AR-15 from both U.S. Advisors and Vietnamese commanders reported the AR-15 as “extremely favorable.” The lethality of the .223 round proved to be extraordinary. Users had a high respect for the AR-15 and preferred it to all other firearms available.

US Marine with M16A1 at Beirut airport Lebanon 1983 — The M16A1 continued to serve the U.S. military for many years. One is shown here in the hands of a Marine at the Beirut International Airport in Lebanon during 1983. Image: NARA

The first AR-15s in country did not have a forward assist, which is how the Air Force (the first adopter of the design) wanted the gun. The Army, however, insisted on a forward assist and originally designated the rifle the XM16E1; after the details were worked out, it was designated the M16A1.

Conclusion

The testing under Project Agile was the first time the rifle was used in Vietnam. In 1964, America’s broader involvement in Vietnam was officially begun with Congress passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized direct U.S. military involvement in the nation. The rest is history.