Camp Perry is the home of the “World Series” of shooting sports. Located at the National Guard training facility on the shore of Lake Erie near Port Clinton, Ohio, Camp Perry has been the host of the National Pistol and Rifle Matches since 1907. Camp Perry is the largest outdoor rifle and pistol range in the world. Beginning in July each year, the National Matches attracts shooting sports competitors worldwide.
Camp Perry was named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the American naval commander who won the Battle of Put-in-Bay, Lake Erie, during the War of 1812. Originally, tents were erected for use by competitors in the National Matches. During World War I, Camp Perry served as a training center for Army officers and marksmanship instructors. During the Second World War, Camp Perry served as a POW camp for German and Italian prisoners. After the war, prisoner quarters were converted back to use by transient personnel who were at Perry for training. The camp was used extensively for several years after World War II, but use slowed somewhat during the 1960s. On June 24, 1998 a tornado damaged several buildings on the grounds.
At present, Camp Perry is the home of the 213th Ordnance Company (Missile Support, Corps), the 372d Missile Maintenance Company, the 200th RED HORSE Civil Engineering Squadron (Ohio Air National Guard), U.S. Coast Guard Port Security and the Ohio Naval Militia (the naval arm of the State of Ohio’s National Guard) and the Ohio Military Reserve.