Badge Identification

[bucksgted]

Okie Doakie, Marines - - this ole Jarhead needs some help. I was going thru my "goodie box" and came across this badge. I did a Google search, but it is not shown with the shooting badges. I'm thinking it's a Pistol Qual Badge from my early qual days of 1956. I know I was Expert Rifleman, but for the life of me, I don't remember pistol.

Just in case you can't read across the top it says "U.S. MARINE CORPS". The Eagle, Globe & Anchor sets on top of the target and the target is surrounded by a wreath. Here's the pic.

Thanks a million, Marines!

Ed

[devildog21345]

Bucksgted
The Badge In Question Is A Basic Rifle Badge.
Found The Info Some Time Ago Online.

Devildog21345

[bucksgted]

Bucksgted
The Badge In Question Is A Basic Rifle Badge.
Found The Info Some Time Ago Online.

Devildog21345

Thanks, Devildog, but I'm still confused! What in *ell is a Basic Rifle Badge and why would I have one? Where did you find the info on it.

I appreciate your help.

Ed

[bucksgted]

I just did a Google on The Basic Rifle Badge. It implies that I may have done something other than qual Expert, but I have no idea what that might have been - - UNLESS- - I know, I know - - we got them for pulling butts at Mathews instead of doing mess duty. ROTFLMFAO Crap I don't know. My wife has a pic of me in uniform and it is displayed to the left on the Expert Badge. Oh well - - go figure.

Another mystery of old age almost solved; found the what but not the why!

Semper Fidelis, Marines!!

Ed

[devildog21345]

bucksgted
In 1924 the Marine Corps started to use US Army marksmanship badges. The use of these marksmanship badges was ended in in 1937. The basic qualification badge was in use until the 1950's when it wa sreplaced with todays current version.


devildog21345

[devildog21345]

bucksgted
go to MilitaryVetsPX.com

[bucksgted]

OK, Devil Dog, I went to the site and found the same stuff you posted above. Thank you for your help. If I read that correctly, during my time frame ( Feb '56 to Feb '60 ), I was eligible for the Basic Rifle Badge because I showed up and qualified and also my Expert Rifle Badge because I earned it
( I shot 226 ). Isn't the Expert Rifle Badge still the same today as it was back then?

Guess I'm beating a dead horse, but I really do appreciate your help. Someone told me once that the mind is the second thing to go. I forgot what the first one was.

Ed

[Alphaonethree]

Not to be a pain but that sure looks like the pistol qualification badge, And it would be placed to the left of the rifle qual badge. The wreath around the badge is not on the current version of the rifle marksman badge, But it is on the pistol badge.

[OldGrunt24]

Bucksgted--
Hope this doesn't qualify for the "too little, too late award" or the "clear as mud prize," but I came across your question about the USMC Basic Badge by accident and this is what I can tell you about it. It's an old badge, established sometime in the early 1930's, but during the '50s and early '60s it was given to all Marine personnel, active and reserve, who qualified with the following weapons: automatic rifle, sub-machine gun, carbine, and pistol. These were designated by bars inserted between the "U.S. Marine Corps" suspension clasp, kind of like the re-qualification bars used now days on the rifle and pistol badges. For example, say you fired expert with the automatic rifle, then the bar would read "Ex-Auto-Rifle"; if you fired sharpshooter, it would read "SS-Auto-Rifle. There was no marksman bar. If you were in the Reserves when you qualified expert with the auto rifle, then the bar would read "Ex-Auto-Rifle-B", meaning the "B" course for Reservists only. On that note, the Reserves weren't given the Crossed Rifle Expert or Maltese Cross Sharpshooter badges if they qualified initially as reservists. Instead, they wore the Basic Badge with "Ex-Rifle-B" or "SS-Rifle-B" bars. Also, as far as I know, reservists weren't awarded qualification bars for sub machine gun, carbine, or pistol.

As for your Basic Badge, I think it might have been for pistol qualification. I say that because, if my memory serves me right, the Expert-Sharpshooter-Markman badges for the .45 are fairly recent innovations. In think they came along about the time of the rank changes (1957-58), or the gold Recon wings, ie., early 1960s. I could be wrong, but the fact that the Basic Badge had pistol qualification bars leads me to believe that the current pistol badges are fairly new. As a side note, the bars I listed above aren't the only ones you might see. In earlier days, they had Basic Badge qualification bars that read "Tommy Gun," "Bayonet", "Small Bore", Mines", even Sabre." Of course, that's going way back to the Horse Marines... and even I ain't that old! Semper Fi.
Old Grunt 24

[why me]

http://www.pandkmilitaryantiques.com/us.htm

WWII USMC M1937 Sharpshooter's badge, marked H&H, pinback

[sparkie]

Why Me,,,,that is some ugly carpet,,,,,,,,,,,

[OldGrunt24]

That IS some ugly carpet, but thanks for the pic, Why Me!

[Danny C Smith]

The color of that carpet is what we used to call
"horny green". LOL