Land instructs a student at the USMC’s Quantico Scout Sniper school on the use of a World War I ’03 with Warner & Swasey sight.Īt times, during his lectures to scout-sniper classes, “The Major” brings his collection of pristine sniper rifles and optics used by Marines over the course of the last century. Land, who today serves as Secretary of NRA, is widely recognized as the father of modern Marine Corps sniping, having created and commanded the Corps’ highly successful tactical field program in Vietnam and helped shape its formal progress over the ensuing years. “Jim” Land (USMC-Ret.) lectures at his former command, the Marine Weapons Training Battalion at Quantico, Va., the young Marines-Scout Sniper instructors and students alike-regard him with deference and respect. Land and Fees’ son Fred are restoring the rifle to its original USMC livery. When he returned stateside, Fees had the rifle sporterized in. According to Jim Land, that rifle-a USMC M1941 National Match M1903 Springfield with an 8X “USMC Sniper” Unertl scope-had been captured by the North Koreans, then recaptured by the Marines before it was liberated by Lt. Fred Fees, who had been a forward air controller, but became a sniper after picking up his rifle in the field. The Marine in the famous Korean War photograph is 1st Lt.
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