U.S. Marine gun expert in town
Brandt
James M. Brandt, former U.S. Marine captain and an expert 45 caliber pistol shooter is in town. In 1972, he was the champion in a United Nations shooting competition. As a guest of Rev. Dr. Ben Barredo III and Mrs. Catherine G. Barredo at Alta Tierra, Jaro, this city, he says he enjoys Filipino hospitality.
CEO Brandt had been connected with George C. Brandt, a U.S. Chemical distribution company of 110 years in existence since 1894. Mr. Brandt is also an expert in M-14 rifle and M-16 rifle shooting. In 1972, the Confederation of International Reserved Officers held a military athletic competition at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA. Contingents were sent from NATO countries and the officers competed in three-man teams. There were four events: marksmanship, running obstacle course, swimming obstacle course and orienteering. When a team completed in markmanship, one officer would shoot the 45-caliber pistol, another the automatic rifle and another the rifle, slow fire. Capt. Brandt was the person on his team who shot the pistol for score. Each three-man team ran together on the running obstacle course, and swam together on the swimming obstacle course, for time. Orienteering is a sports whereby a contour map and compass are used by the competitors to navigate a course over several kilometers of terrain. The course is run for time and must be run accurately finding check points along the way. The competition lasted for three days and Capt. Brandt's team earned second place.
A graduate of the University of Kansas, he finished his Bachelor of Arts, major in Geography, and contour mapping was his forte. He hails from St. Louise, Missouri, USA and his city is well-known for the legendary Robinhood-bandit, Jessie James. To Kansas City residents, Jessie James was a sort of a "hero" as the money he took from banks and rich businessmen were given to poor people.
Mr. Brandt arrived in Iloilo City on January 2, 2006 and loves to talk to people and play with children in Tinori-an, Barotac Nuevo; Buenavista, Guimaras; and Sitio Nagpana, Barotac Viejo where he enjoyed exchanging pleasantries with the aetas. He loves to eat Ilonggo delicacies like Pancit Molo, talaba, bangos, crabs, prawns and dried fish like "uga" and "pinakas". He enjoys seeing bangus in the fishponds of Barotac Nuevo and gloats over the hospitality of the Tinori-an folks.
Last January 5, CEO Btandt preached at God's Power fellowship at the YMCA Forum Hall where he showed his keen memory in memorizing verses in the Bible. He also preached morning of January 8 at a fully packed believers at the Messiah Bible Church, Fine Rock Hotel. He is scheduled to speak at the evangelistic meeting at Tabuc Suba, Jaro, on Saturday afternoon together with Evangelist Ben Barredo III. He plans to stay in Iloilo City till end of January where he will preach God's Word in San Dionisio and other towns of Iloilo. Mr. Brandt is pursuing a pastoral ministry at the Covenant Seminary in Missouri, USA. The state of Missouri is the gateway to the West and home of famous American freedom fighters of the Continental War, World War I and Wrold War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War. Brandt met his beautiful wife, Susan, certified planner, in South Carolina where her father was a Navy Chaplain. They have three wonderful children, one girl and two boys.