February 10, 2025
Yesterday, I drove up the hill to pay my last respects to one of the greats in our world. It's weird but I remember the exact moment I met him. It was at 2:30 p.m. on October 26, 1981 in the O.K. Corral in Tombstone. I didn't see any ads for the centennial of the legendary O.K. Corral gunfight. I didn't even know if any event had been planned, I just knew I needed to be on that sacred spot at the time it came off a century before.
As soon as I arrived in Tombstone and went inside I saw this scene:
on October 26, 1981
At the memorial service yesterday at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2980 Willow Creek Road in Prescott, I encountered a church full of cowboy hats. We were encouraged by his wife, Linda, to please wear your cowboy hats, so we all did.
Phil received a 21 Gun Salute and Color Guard for his military service and Jerry Kurtz, Garrett Roberts and Russell Palmer provided the stories and Jennifer Montalban, Mike and Martha Lee provided the instruments for us to sing him home with Amazing Grace. There was not a dry eye in the house.
"Phil spent his life trying to get it right, to make it historically accurate. It is the least we can do, to honor that."
—Tate, just one of the many re-enactors who showed up in full regalia.
Phil was a great one! He inspired us to start the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. He was always inspiring when you were around him. John Peel CMSA #2 SASS #1885. RIP Rawhide Rawlins.
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