In 1960 I reported to Quantico for Officer's training and was issued an M1. I had never handled one before, but I managed to qualify as Expert with it. When I reported back to Quantico for Officer's Basic School, I was again issued an M1 and shot Expert with it again. When I arrived in Okinawa, I ended up in Headquarters Battalion, where I volunteered for the battalion rifle team and was made Officer in Charge. I shot well enough in the team match to be picked to compete in the individual Division Matches and was issued a National Match M1.

With it I shot the match, which consisted of twice over the Marine Corps Match Course, 80 shots X 2, fired in two days on the old 5-V target. The first day, I lost five points standing and five points at 600 yards, for a total of 390. The second day I dropped six standing and five at 600, for a total of 389 and a two day total of 779 out of a possible 800 points, which was good enough to earn me a bronze medal and my first leg on Distinguished. It took me 17 years to accumulate enough points for the Distinguished badge, three gold medals in my case, but I finally made it, all fired with the M1.

When I was selected for the All Marine Reserve Rifle Team, we were issued National Match M14's, but I found them to be muzzle light and continued to shoot my NM M1. Eventually the NM M14's were equipped with heavier barrels and I reluctantly switched over, resolving the ammunition problem.

I still have a NM M1, built by the armorers at the Advanced Marksmanship Unit at Quantico. I would like to be buried with it.