"Lieutenant Visconage's monograph touches on a subject close to the Marine Corps mystique — proficiency at arms as evidenced by recognition of skills through award and mandatory wearing of marksmanship badges. The Marine Corps entered serious marksmanship training and competition late in the game, in the opening years of the 20th century However, the Corps quickly caught up with and in many respects passed others in this field, winning more than its share of competitions and requiring higher standards — more training time, longer ranges, and higher scores — for qualification. The addition of $5 a month to the Marine's pay — 25 per cent of a private's pay — for qualification as an expert rifleman meant serious individual application on the range and in preliminary marksmanship training. The proud wearing of the badge marked a trained warrior whose skills could be counted on by his fellow Marines and his leaders. Thus we see in company photographs taken during World War I nearly every Marine with a qualification badge on his chest. In World War II as well as today the same observation can be made. The deadliness of Marine small arms fire in four major wars and numerous smaller conflicts attests to the excellence of Marine Corps marksmanship training and the emphasis placed upon it. Mike Visconage's study recounts the story of the changing patterns of Marine Corps marksmanship badges from 1912 to the present and identifies the various badges for museologists and collectors."

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