Crossed Rifles

In reply to Brown Side Out, Green Side Out.

When I went into the Marines (Sept. 1959) the new rank structure was just getting started.

We had the M1 and BAR, hence the crossed rifles on the new chevrons. Since then we have gone through the M14 (I was on the Troop Test Program for this), the M16 (that got a lot of Marines killed in Vietnam), and a lot of new shooting irons since then that I can't keep up with. And there will be more to come.

When the Marines went from the M1903 Springfield rifle to the M1, the Rifle Expert Badge was changed to depict the M1, which is still in use.

In talking to some of the new generation of Marines, when asked what rifles are depicted on the chevrons? They don't know, (some few do).

I would like to suggest to the Uniform Board a change to the Rank Chevrons. Instead of the M1, replace it with our first Musket and phase it in over a three to five year period.

When I was designing the logo for the Marine Corps Tankers Association. When the tankers all wanted to be the tank of their era, like the M4 of WW II, or the M26 of Korea, or the M48 of Vietnam. I proposed the Renault 6 Ton of the 1920's as that was the first tank used by Marines. This ideal was accepted.

See Iron Horse Marine at: http://home.earthlink.net/~reynoldslg/ihmhist01.html

Lloyd G. "pappy" Reynolds
1959-1963 and 1966-1970
Infantry and Tanks