Our second week at Edson Range is when we got our chance to put the Primary Marksmanship Instructor’s teaching and coaching into action. We would be issued 7.62 mm full metal jacket live rounds. The M14 rifle was basically a 30.06 high powered rifle effective up to 500 yards. We would shoot from 100 yards in a standing position, from 200 yards in a seated position, and from 500 yards in a prone position.

Through out the entire qualification week of actual shooting  live ammunition, we got intense coaching. First, we stretched and warmed-up so we could get into the optimal shooting positions. Then we started from the 100-yard line and started very controlled shooting, recording each and every shot. With our instructor’s help, we made subtle adjustments in our sites. We were dialing in both our rifle and precisely how we aimed.

Marines are some of the deadliest snipers in the world. Right here on the range is where the Marine Corps finds those exceptional shots. It was on a range like Edson Range that the USMC found Marine scout sniper Chuck Mawhinney. During the Vietnam War on February 14, 1969, Mawhinney shot and killed 16 NVA soldiers in one day. He ultimately shot and killed 103 enemy soldiers during his Marine career and became the greatest sniper in Marine Corps history. He originally qualified with the same M14 rifle and the same 7.62mm full metal jacket bullets we were shooting all week.

One of my best friends in the Marine Corps was a Marine sniper. He had 12 confirmed kills during his tour in Vietnam. Several of his confirmed kills were over 1,000 yards. This guy could shoot. He later became the head men’s swimming coach at Stanford University. I spoke to his teams many times during his 33 years as head coach at Stanford. He also won 7 NCAA Division One Team Championships and coached multiple Olympic Gold Medal winning swimmers. Skip Kenney was a great coach, an outstanding Marine, and one hell of a guy. You could not have a better friend.

Shooting slowly and methodically all day, every day with intensive coaching, we steadily improved. We learned how to lock-in our rifle in each of the 3 positions so our rifle was stable as a rock. We deliberately lined up our sites. We got so relaxed that our breathing was calm and steady. We slowly and gently pulled the trigger so each shot surprised us. Then we looked for the confirmation of our bull’s eye from the butts. As Qualification Week progressed, I became more confident. I began to believe that I was learning to shoot with a high degree of accuracy.

I was keyed up and excited the night before Friday, the actual qualification day. It reminded me of how I used to have trouble sleeping the night before my swim meets in high school and college.

Friday dawned clear and windless. A perfect shooting day. I was in a zone as I stretched and warmed-up before we actually began to shoot. When my turn came at the 100-yard mark, I stepped up to my position. I adjusted my shooting jacket and my sling and cinched my self into a stable platform for my best shooting. Now I was on my own. No coach. I took a few deep breaths. I felt strong yet relaxed. My first shot was a bull’s eye. As my success began to build, my confidence grew. All bull’s eyes except for 2. A solid start from the 100-yard line.

I felt relaxed as I waited for my turn from the 200-yard line. When my turn came, I hunkered down in the sitting position. I tightened my sling. As I sighted in, I was a little bothered that I could not see the target quite as clearly as from the 100-yard line. My eyes were good but not great.  20-20 but not 20-15 or even 20-10 like the very best shooters. But I still shot well enough to have a chance to qualify as an Expert Marksman if I had some luck from the 500-yard line. I kept drinking water to keep my eyes wet and clear.

It seemed a long wait until my turn at the 500-yard line. I breathed as relaxed as I could to calm my nerves. My turn arrived. I got down on the ground in the prone position. My front site seemed huge compared to the tiny target. It was disconcerting how tiny the target appeared. But I had an excellent position and my rifle was steady. I reminded myself to relax and take my time. I got a couple of bull’s eyes. Then I got a little excited about making expert and missed a couple. But I settled back down. With a bull’s eye on my last shot, I made expert with 3 points to spare. I felt both ecstatic and relieved.

When all the scores were in for our 65-man platoon, only 5 of us made expert. It was one of the prouder moments in my life. I was on my own. You can’t fake it. The Marine Corps standards are absolute. There was a quantum leap between me and a Marine sniper. But I had earned the right to wear an Expert’s Badge on my dress uniform at graduation at the end of boot camp. I had qualified as an expert swimmer but I had been pretty confident about that. I felt I had had a chance to qualify as an Expert Marksman but I was no Sergeant York, that’s for sure. Jerry Anderson, my best friend in boot camp, our Right Guide, also made Expert. He congratulated me. We shook hands. That meant a lot.

Get a protein bull’s eye every day

As I have shared a number of times, your protein goal is one gram of high quality animal protein (JDD protein, organic pasture raised eggs, or boneless skinless chicken breasts for example) per pound of body weight, per day. Two JDD shakes a day will give you a big leg-up toward hitting your goal. Each 2-scoop JDD shake gives you 48-50 grams of the highest quality protein per shake. Your body will thank you. And your kids (or grand kids) will thrive. The quality of your protein makes all the “Difference.”

Joe

Start your day with a JDD protein shake — click for recipe!