"Triple Distinguished"
Distinguished Marksman and Distinguished Pistol Shot
The Marine Corps instituted the award of Distinguished Marksman in 1908. At that time the badge was given to a few Marines who had previously fulfilled the qualifications. The requirements, with exception noted below, have remained virtually the same form 1908 to the present. Currently, to be classified as a Distinguished Marksman a Marine must have won a medal in a Division Rifle Match and two other awards from the following competitive matches; Division Rifle, Marine Corps Rifle; National Individual Rifle; firing member of winning Marine Corps Team at the National Trophy Rifle Team Match.
Marines who competed prior to 1920 were allowed to count as one of three medals for Distinguished Marksman the Expert Team Rifleman, U.S. Navy award. In addition those who had been Team Captain, Coach or alternate of the highest team representing the Marine Corps in the National Trophy Rifle Team Match were given medal credit for each time they so acted. However, the basic provision of earning a Division Rifle Match medal still prevailed.
In 1940 the regulations were changed to require, in addition to a Division medal, that one of the three medals must be other than a Division bronze medal. This ruling, continued through 1950, prevented Marines who had only won three Division Bronze Medals from being classified as a Distinguished Marksman. Until 1940, firing members of the high Marine Corps Team in the National Trophy Rifle Team Match received credit toward Distinguished Marksman. Since then only those firing on a winning team are so credited.
The requirements for Distinguished Pistol Shot parallel those of Distinguished Marksman. The Gold Badge was first awarded to Marines in 1920, although they had been eligible for the badge since 1908.
The History of Marine Corps Competitive Marksmanship by Major Robert E. Barde, USMC
| Year | Event | Rank/Place | Score | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Eastern Division Match | 7 | 541 | Gold |
| 1949 | Marine Corps Match | 34 | 526 | Bronze |
| 1950 | Eastern Division Match | 7 | 549 | Silver |
Distinguished Pistol Shot
Awarded June 16, 1950
Image Courtesy of The National Firearms Museum
| Year | Event | Rank/Place | Score | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Eastern Division Match | 22 | 555 | Bronze |
| 1950 | Marine Corps Match | 33 | 562 | Bronze |
| 1954 | South Eastern Division Match | 14 | 550 | Silver |
Distinguished Marksman
Awarded June 3, 1954
Image Courtesy of The National Firearms Museum
INT'L BADGE
Int'l match winners eligible for new award
In 1962, the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP) authorized a Distinguished International Shooter Badge to be awarded to those members of U.S. teams who win a first-place gold, second-place silver, or third-place bronze medal in individual or team events in International Shooting Union competitions.
At a meeting of the NBPRP on August 18, 1963, at Camp Perry, Ohio, members voted approval of a retroactive award of the Badge to those marksmen who had won medals in previous International shooting events.
Awards will be made to qualified individuals upon written request to the Director of Civilian Marksmanship, Dept. of the Army, Washington 25, D. C., and submission of evidence of eligibility. Upon request, retroactive awards in certificate form, in lieu of badges, may be awarded to the next of kin of now-deceased medal winners.
American Rifleman, Vol. 111 No. 12, December 1963
| Year | Event | Rank/Place | Score | Medal | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 38th World Shooting Championships Firing Member 25m Rapid Fire Pistol |
2 | 2327 | Silver | 15 |
| 1962 | 38th World Shooting Championships Firing Member 25m Center Fire Pistol |
2 | 2341 | Silver | 15 |
| 1962 | 38th World Shooting Championships Individual 25m Center Fire Pistol |
5 | 587 | N/A | 15 |
| Total Points: | 45 | ||||
Distinguished International Shooter Badge
Awarded May 23, 1963
Image Courtesy of The National Firearms Museum
INTERNATIONAL SHOOTING AWARD — Captain William W. McMillan, Jr., Weapons Training Battalion, Quantico, Virginia, is presented the United States Distinguished International Shooter Badge by General David M. Shoup, Commandant of the Marine Corps, at Headquarters Marine Corps May 23, 1963. Captain McMillan and Warrant Officer James E. Hill, also assigned to Quantico's Weapons Training Battalion, are the first Marines to be so honored since the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice recently established the International award. Captain McMillan was presented the medal for his handgun prowess as a member of the United States' Team which placed second in the Center Fire Pistol Match during the International Shooting Union Competitions held in October, 1962, at Cairo, Egypt. Warrant Officer Hill, who was presented a similar shooting badge by General Shoup during the same ceremonies, was cited for his individual shooting with the small bore rifle in the Cairo competition.