TIME MACHINE….

Here are some items from the past which may take some of us back in time…

Clipping compliments of Maj. Gen. Hartsell (USMCR Ret.)

The first is a newspaper clipping from 1990 listing the names of those Marines who were selected for the Marine Corps Summer Rifle and Pistol Teams.

Next we have the first and last pages of the results for the “PRE- Preliminary WESTERN DIVISION Rifle and Pistol Matches which were held back in May of 1973.

1973 Match Bulletins compliments of  1st Sgt Ray Del Rio (USMC Ret.)

(…Note who signed the last page of each Bulletin.)

We join all in our Nation as we remember, mourn and honor those U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Beautiful weather, beautiful setting and a beautiful opportunity to reconnect….

Many thanks to Leslie Cook and Gene Rucks for providing photos and snapshots of the 2025 Reunion!

All other Photos from Leslie and Gene of our 2025 Reunion are able to be accessed on PhotoBucket.

[To access our albums stored on PhotoBucket, simply click on our “Photos” tab (here, at the top of this website page), and you will be taken to our “Photos” page where you can then select the album you want to view. After you have clicked on the album of your choice, a new window will open up (the PhotoBucket website) where you will be prompted to enter the MarineDSA Membership password which will then grant you access to the Album you want to view.]

Please RSVP by tomorrow, 09 May 2025 if you will be attending the upcoming Reunion on

17 May 2025…

Outstanding chow and opportunities to re-connect with fellow Distinguished Shooters, Shooting Team Armorers and Shooting Team Ammo Techs are all right around the corner — and, planned for this year (besides the cookout catered by Mission Bar-B-Q) will be a silent auction, raffle tickets, door prizes, and a drawing for “Leg Medals: 1 Gold (a $200 gift card), 3 Silver ($100 gift cards) and 6 Bronze ($50 gift cards)” which is open to those Members who

RSVP along with paying the $30 for their ticket by tomorrow, 9 May 2025.

The Marine Corps Championship Awards Ceremony hosted by LtGen Benjamin T. Watson (CG Training & Education Command, Quantico) was held on 18 April and saw SSgt Payton Garcia awarded for his clean sweep of both the Rifle and the Pistol Matches, scoring perfect scores of 100% in each — the only competitor to do so, thereby making him the default recipient of the highly esteemed Lauchheimer Trophy.

The Rifle Match consisted of eight intermediate-range and long-range stages of fire during the day, and five stages conducted at night.

The Pistol Match consisted of six action pistol stages conducted during the day, and four action pistol stages conducted at night.

SSgt Payton Garcia was also the only competitor to make a clean sweep of the Multi-Gun Match (using the M16 and the M18) achieving 100% in a course of fire which requires competitors to move through eight shooting stages while engaging targets in a variety of different positions. In the Multi-Gun Match, targets consist of either paper targets or steel targets, and the targets cover a distance ranging from a few yards away to over 100 yards away. (Missed targets or hitting “no-shoot” targets all incur penalties.)

LtGen Benjamin T. Watson presented an M1 Garand rifle to SSgt Payton Garcia who had been awarded the Lauchheimer Trophy, and SSgt Payton Garcia (wishing to provide and signal an encouragement to all new competitors who may participate in the Marine Corps’ Competition-In-Arms Program)  in turn presented his M1 Garand to the High Tyro, Sgt Kai Byrom.

MajGen Hartsell presented Sgt Kai Byrom with the “Hammer” Hartsell High Tyro Trophy which is awarded each year to the first-year competitor possessing the highest overall aggregate at the Marine Corps Championship.

MajGen Hartsell is himself Distinguished and a member of the Marine Distinguished Shooters Association.

Other members of the Marine DSA who were present included Marine DSA President Danny Burke, as well as Jake DeBerry and Ray Bailey.  …Jake DeBerry and Ray Bailey both took advantage of the “hands-on” opportunities offered by WTBn CO Colonel Cuomo in the invitation which he extended earlier to all members of the Marine Distinguished Shooters Association.

LtGen Benjamin T. Watson, CG of Training & Education Command

*Col Scott Cuomo, CO WTBn Quantico

*LtGen Watson presents an M1 to SSgt Payton Garcia, Lauchheimer Trophy Winner

MajGen James S. Hartsell stands ready to award the High Tyro Trophy

*Sgt Kai Byrom, recipient of the MajGen “Hammer” Hartsell High Tyro Trophy

*SSgt Payton Garcia, MajGen James S. Hartsell, Sgt Kai Byrom, Col Scott Cuomo

Marine DSA members Jake DeBerry and Ray Bailey give the recently-developed courses of fire a go.

To see more photos (including Team Champions), click on the following link:

Marine Corps Championships Award Ceremony

*Pages from the Awards Pamphlet:

*”The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.”

At the most recent meeting of the Board of Governors the subject was broached and concerns were discussed over the fact that there have been some who publicly identify themselves as members of the Marine DSA and then proceed to publicly post on social media their criticisms of recent changes to the Marine Corps Marksmanship Program.

CO WTBn INVITE

 WHEN: 18 April 2025

WHERE: QUANTICO, VA 

Members of the MCDSA have been extended a formal invitation by Colonel Scott A. Cuomo, the Commanding Officer of Weapons Training Battalion Quantico, to attend the Marine Corps Championship Matches and Awards Ceremony on 18 April 2025 which will then be immediately followed by a live fire event at WTBn during which time members of the MCDSA will be provided with:

-a demonstration of the Infantry Marksmanship Assessment (and how the Corps is quantitatively measuring lethality) 

AS WELL AS, 

-the opportunity to themselves engage targets over the new courses of fire and thereby measure their own lethality!

Furthermore, once live fire is concluded, the Battalion will be hosting a barbecue in the Downrange Club for members of the MCDSA and the Marine Corps Shooting Team — an opportunity to break bread together and to build bonds.

THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY…

SEIZE IT!!!

NOTE: Members wanting to engage targets during this phenomenal opportunity will want to wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe footgear.

*****Please advise our MCDSA President Danny Burke if you will be present at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so that he can RSVP the Team.*****

With the 2025 Marine Corps Championships just around the corner, let’s go back in time and take a look at how and where they were held back in 1956.

This copy of the article from Leatherneck Magazine (August 1956) has come our way compliments of our own Ray Del Rio (1st Sgt. USMC Retired) — thank you, Ray!

Reading the pages of the article, it appears that at the time not only were there ONLY TWO “Division Matches,” but the “Marine Corps Match” was held at Parris Island. …Among other points, it’s interesting to read how the qualifying course at the time for the Rifle was modified for the Marine Corps Match so as to parallel the course of fire for the rifle at the matches which would be held in August of 1956 at Camp Perry, Ohio.

 Marine Corps Championships 2025

April 10 – 18

The Marine Corps Championships will take place 10-18 April with the Awards Ceremony occuring on 18 April at 0900 on Range 4.

Following the Awards Ceremony, there will be a live-fire event for members to fire some of the newer courses of fire and acquaint themselves with evaluations being implemented — and there will also be a BBQ in the Downrange Club.

BE THERE!

2025 MCDSA Reunion

Saturday  —  17 May 2025

We will be holding our 2025 Reunion/Cookout at Randy Allen’s Bittersweet Farm in Unionville, VA (near Lake Anna). This will be the 3rd year that Randy has hosted our event.  Recently he and Leslie built a large pavilion capable of seating everyone (see pictures below). No more tents to set up and tear down!

Our Reunion will again be catered by Mission Bar-B-Q. (We took note of the chow that went fast last year, and have adjusted the quantities to suit our appetites.)  When making your plans, please keep in mind that we need to provide the final numbers to Mission Bar-B-Q  NLT 9 May 2025.

The cost of entry to this year’s event will be $30.00 for Life Members and Annual Members (in good standing).  Please send your RSVP for the Reunion and your check to:   MCDSA, P.O. Box 134, Quantico, VA 22134.

***Please respond early enough so that we have your RSVP in time to meet the 9 May deadline for ordering our chow.***

A lot of preparations have already started, and now all you have to do is add the weekend of 17 May 2025 to your calendar. We will still have the silent auction if you have any items to donate to the Association, and there will be Door Prizes and 50/50 Raffle Tickets. We will also have copies of the “Red Book” Vol. I and Vol. II available for purchase (…get them autographed while at the Reunion!) and Fraternal Items will also be available.

If you plan on bringing an RV or Camper, please coordinate with Leslie or Randy (their #s are listed in our Membership Directory) — this reunion will be a great opportunity to hang out for a few days!

Commercial lodging is available in Culpepper which is about 20 to 22 miles away from the Reunion/Cookout site.

And, for those who might be interested, Randy will set up his grill Friday evening for anyone wanting to bring their own grub to throw on the Bar-B (with maybe a side to share?) and we’ll sit by the bonfire and tell war stories.

Oooorah!