title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The level at which one qualifies is dependent on the weapon, firing range, and the course of fire. For example, to earn an Army Marksmanship Qualification Badge for Pistol at the Combat Pistol Qualification Course, one must have a combined hit count of 26 out of 30 for expert, 21 out of 30 for sharpshooter, and 16 out of 30 for marksman on firing tables one through five. Regardless of the soldier's overall score, everyone must have a minimum hit count of three out of five while wearing a gas mask for the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear firing table and two out of four while shooting at night for the night firing table. Each of these firing tables test the shooter on different aspects of combat pistol shooting (shooting from a concealed position, speed loading, shooting on the move, etc.) while engaging human silhouettes at varying distances within an allotted time.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Army Marksmanship Qualification Badges are not permanent awards. When a soldier re-qualifies with their weapon at a different level, the soldier replaces their qualification badge with a new badge that reflects their current level. Only three Army Marksmanship Qualification Badges are authorized for wear on U.S. Army service uniforms and each may have no more than three Army Weapon Qualification Clasps. Although these badges are awarded to both officers and enlisted soldiers alike, as a matter of U.S. Army tradition, only non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers are expected to wear these badges on their service uniforms in most units, although policy is set by the commander of each unit.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Army began using marksmanship qualification badges in 1881 starting with the Marksman Button. That led to a variety of different U.S. Army branch specific marksmanship badges until 1897 when the Rifle Marksmanship Badges were implemented Army wide. The U.S. Army's Pistol Marksmanship Badges were implemented ten years later in 1907. Clasps were added to the Sharpshooter Marksmanship Badge and Expert Marksmanship Badge to indicate the year(s) a soldier requalified as a sharpshooter or expert. Up to three years were denoted on a single clasp. Upon earning the badge a fourth time, another clasp was added and that new clasp was used to denote up to three additional years of requalification; there was no limit to the number of clasps that could be hung from these badges. In 1915, the U.S. Army changed the design of the Expert Pistol Qualification Badge's pendant by replacing the revolvers with M1911s; this pendant lives on in today's Marine Corps Expert Pistol Qualification Badge. Additionally, the U.S. Army had a short-lived series of from 1891 through 1913. In 1921, the pistol and artillery badges were combined into today's Army Marksmanship Qualification Badges through the addition of the Pistol Clasp and Field Artillery Clasp. Prior to 1951, the names of the qualification levels for the current Army Marksmanship Qualification Badges were known as (highest to lowest) expert, sharpshooter or first-class gunner, and marksman or second-class gunner. Also, prior to 1972, the Army Marksmanship Qualification Badges had many different types of weapon qualification clasps. According to The Institute of Heraldry, the following is a list of previously awarded Army Weapon Qualification Clasps:


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The U.S. Marine Corps award two types of Marine Corps Marksmanship Qualification Badges, one for the service rifle and one for the service pistol, to all Marines who qualify at three different qualification levels (highest to lowest): expert, sharpshooter, and marksman. These qualification badges are suspended beneath a brooch which bears the name of the type of weapon (rifle or pistol) and the qualification level earned. Some of these badges are different in appearance, depending on the type of weapon and qualification level.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: For a Marine to earn a marksmanship qualification badge, they must obtain a passing score at an annual weapons qualification event. To earn a Marine Corps Rifle Qualification Badge, a Marine must successfully complete multiple tables of fire to include the Fundamental Rifle Marksmanship Table, the Basic Combat Rifle Marksmanship Table, the Intermediate Combat Rifle Marksmanship Table, and the Advanced Combat Rifle Marksmanship Table. These tables require a Marine to engage human silhouettes at varying distances, positions, and scenarios within an allotted time. To earn a Marine Corps Pistol Qualification Badge, a Marine must successfully complete four phases of fire which include weapons handling, operator maintenance, stationary target engagement, and scenario based target engagements. Similar to the rifle tables, the pistol phases require a Marine to engage human silhouettes at varying distances and scenarios within an allotted time. After qualifying, a Marine will receive a marksmanship badge commensurate with the score they obtained. For annual qualification with the service rifle, scores range from 305 to 350 for expert, 280–304 for sharpshooter, and 250–279 for marksman. For annual qualification with the service pistol, the scores range from 364 to 400 for expert, 324–363 for sharpshooter, and 264–323 for marksman.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: U.S. Marine Corps Marksmanship Qualification Badges may be worn on U.S. Marine Corps dress and service uniforms for the remainder of a Marine's military career, or until a different level of qualification (higher or lower) is achieved. Typically, all Marines qualify with the rifle on an annual basis. The most recent qualification score determines the badge that is worn. If a Marine achieves the qualification of expert multiple times, a clasp is hung between the brooch and the pendant of the appropriate badge denoting the number of subsequent awards.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: According to the Marine Corps History Division, the Marine Corps used to award three different styles/types of marksmanship qualification badges. Starting in 1912, the Marine Corps began awarding the Army Rifle Marksmanship Badges to Marines who qualified with the service rifle. As with the U.S. Army, the Marine Corps awarded these rifle badges at three qualification levels (highest to lowest): expert, sharpshooter, and marksman. Just like the U.S. Army, year clasps were added to the Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge and Sharpshooter Rifle Marksmanship Badge to indicate the year(s) a Marine requalified at that level. The former Army Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge is almost identical to the current version of the Marine Corps Expert Rifle Qualification Badge, but uses crossed M1903 Springfield Rifles vs. M1 Garands with slings. In 1924, the Marine Corps replaced these badges with the Army Marksmanship Qualification Badges, which are still in use by the U.S. Army. However, the Marine Corps decided to bring back the older Army Rifle Marksmanship Badges in 1937. That same year, the Marine Corps introduced the Marine Corps Basic Badge for marksmanship qualifications with other weapon systems. Clasps were hung from the Marine Corps Basic Badge's brooch indicating the type of weapon and level of qualification. The clasps indicated the degree of proficiency by using the letters "SS" for sharpshooter or "EX" for expert, followed by the name of the weapon. The exception to this rule was a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve clasps for the .30 Caliber Rifle Course D ("RIFLE-D") which included "MM" for marksman. Much like the Army Weapon Qualification Clasps, the clasps of the Marine Corps Basic Badge fluctuated with additions and deletions in 1949 and again in 1954. The following clasps were authorized for wear on the Marine Corps Basic Badge under the 1937 Marine Corps Uniform Regulation:


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Army Rifle Marksmanship Badges were replaced by the current Marine Corps Rifle Marksmanship Qualification Badges in 1958. That same year, the U.S. Marine Corps adopted the U.S. Army's 1915 design of the Army Expert Pistol Qualification Badge and created its own Marine Corps Pistol Qualification Badges, which is still in use today. The Marine Corps Basic Badge remained in use until 1968 when it was declared obsolete.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: For a decade, from 1910 to 1920, the U.S. Navy awarded a marksmanship badge, called the Navy Sharpshooter's Badge, to sailors who qualified with the service rifle and/or service pistol. Today, sailors are awarded marksmanship ribbons and medals to denote service weapon qualification.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Navy Sharpshooter's Badge was awarded at two qualification levels, expert (highest qualification level) and sharpshooter. Despite this, the 1913 Uniform Regulations for the U.S. Navy stated that the Navy Sharpshooter's Badge outranked all other marksmanship badges on the U.S. Navy uniform, including marksmanship competition badges.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Navy Sharpshooter's Badge was made of antique bronze with a rectangular brooch that had the word "SHARPSHOOTER" embossed in its center with circling serpent bookends. Below the brooch hung two types of clasps, an Expert Qualification Clasp and a Qualification Year Clasp. From those clasps hung the badge's pendant. The Expert Qualification Clasp is identical in design to the brooch but with the word(s) "EXPERT," for the service rifle, or "EXPERT PISTOL SHOT," for the service pistol. Each time a shooter requalified as expert, another Expert Qualification Clasp was hung from the badge. If no Expert Qualification Clasp was suspended from the badge, then the shooter qualified as a sharpshooter with the service rifle and/or service pistol. The Qualification Year Clasp is different in design from the brooch which incorporated three ovals along its access for the placement of Year Disks. The Year Disk was made of silver and embossed with the year the shooter qualified/requalified. On the fourth requalification year, another Qualification Year Clasp was hung from the badge with a fourth Year Disk embossed with the year of requalification. There was no limit to the number of clasps that could be hung from the badge. Hanging from the clasp(s) was the badge's pendant, which was the design basis for today's U.S. Navy marksmanship medals. The only difference between the pendant of the Navy Sharpshooter's Badge and the Navy Expert Rifleman Medal or Expert Pistol Shot Medal is the metal color (from antique bronze to gold), the deletion of the crossed rifles from behind a replica of a rifle target, and the addition of the words "EXPERT RIFLEMAN" or "EXPERT PISTOL SHOT" embossed above the rifle target.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Starting in 1920, U.S. Navy marksmanship ribbons replaced the Navy Sharpshooter's Badge. There are two types of U.S. Navy marksmanship ribbons, one for the service rifle ( ) and one for the service pistol ( ). Each can be embellished with a marksmanship device to denote the shooter's qualification level. A silver "E" Device ( ) is awarded to those who qualify as an expert (the highest qualification level) while a bronze "S" Device ( ) is awarded to those who qualify as a sharpshooter (second highest qualification). If no marksmanship device is displayed, the shooter qualified as a marksman (lowest qualification level). For an unknown period of time, a bronze "E" Device was awarded to those who initially qualified as expert; after three consecutive expert qualifications, the device turned to silver with a permanent award status. Starting in 1969, the and were introduced and are awarded to sailors who qualify as expert along with the appropriate U.S. Navy marksmanship ribbon with silver "E" Device. Sailors who qualify on a small arms qualification course with another military services may wear the appropriate Navy ribbon or medal corresponding to that service qualification.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) and the CMP have established a JROTC Rifle Marksmanship Training and Award Program to increase a cadet's knowledge and skill in handling rifles safely and proficiently. JROTC cadets who participate in rifle marksmanship training are eligible to earn a JROTC Rifle Qualification Badge, representative of one of three qualification levels (in ascending order): Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert. These badges signify that the cadets who wear them, have demonstrated the knowledge and skill necessary to handle rifles safely, and to achieve their required scores in the relevant qualification firing tests.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The CMP have set standards that apply to the conduct of weapon qualification events. All qualification events must be done with sporter-class air rifles, such as the Daisy M853/9753/953 pneumatic rifles or Daisy M887/888 rifles, that were awarded through the military supply system. Qualification tests must be conducted at a distance of ten meters (33 feet). Qualification tests may be done on either the basic marksmanship course (BMC) targets or AR-1 competition targets. During qualification tests, a sling, glove, and kneeling roll may be used. To receive a qualification badge, cadets must attain the following scores that is supervised or observed by a qualified instructor:


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: JROTC cadets are authorized to wear the JROTC Air Rifle Marksmanship Qualification Badge, as well as other CMP or NRA awarded badges, on their service uniforms. Cadets may earn more than one badge, but may only wear the highest-ranking badge earned for a given weapon.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Each U.S. law enforcement organization, such as the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), New York City Police Department (NYPD), have established various law enforcement marksmanship qualification badges for their officers to highlight their proficiency with their service firearms and encourage their peers to strive for excellence with their sidearm.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Some organizations, such as the LAPD, follow the NRA's marksmanship guidelines and award unique LAPD Marksmanship Badges to their officers at four distinct levels: (from lowest to highest) Marksman, Sharpshooter, Expert, and Distinguished Expert. To earn the LAPD Marksman Marksmanship Badge, an officer must score 300–339 out of 400 points at the voluntary bonus qualification shoot. For the LAPD Sharpshooter Marksmanship Badge, an officer must score 340–379 and 380–400 for the LAPD Expert Marksmanship Badge. To earn the LAPD Distinguished Expert Marksmanship Badge, an officer must score 2,310 out of 2,400 points in a consecutive six‑month period.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Other organizations, such as the NYPD, award only two marksmanship badges, known as the NYPD Firearms Proficiency Bars, to their officers who certify or recertify as either a (lowest to highest) Pistol Shot or Pistol Expert with their service weapon.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The NRA's Explorer Service Handgun Qualification Program is designed exclusively for the Law Enforcement Exploring program and is used as a development tool to help potential law enforcement officers (called Explorers) establish safe shooting habits and increase their shooting proficiency with a handgun. Performance is measured against established par scores and any Explorer who meets or exceeds those scores can be awarded the appropriate badge by the law enforcement post to which the Explorer belongs. These Explorer Service Handgun Qualification Bars are awarded in five levels (lowest to highest): pro-marksman, marksman, sharpshooter, expert, and distinguished expert.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Prior to participating in NRA's Explorer Service Handgun Qualification Program, Explorer's are required to complete an eight-hour firearm safety course. Only a law enforcement service handgun, authorized by the sponsoring law enforcement agency, is to be used against standard NRA B-8 targets. The courses of fire are conducted from either a benchrest or standing position, from ranges of 5 to 25 yards, with 20 to 30 shots, and has 2 or 3 phases of fire (slow fire, timed fire, and rapid fire). A course of fire must be completed in the same session and must be witnessed by the range supervisor or the officer-in-charge of the law enforcement explorer post in order to qualify. The following courses of fire must be achieved to be awarded the corresponding Explorer Service Handgun Qualification Badge:


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: These Explorer Service Handgun Qualification Badges are authorized for wear on the Law Enforcement Explorer uniform.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Although the CMP awards Army Marksmanship Qualification Badges to qualified U.S. civilians, there are different organizations throughout the U.S. that have established marksmanship programs and awards to encourage marksmanship amongst their members. The NRA is one organization that has national level programs that are recognized and used by various U.S. entities. One such program is the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program which is designed to encourage firearms safety and develop civilian marksmanship through the awarding of Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Badges. The program is also designed to help marksmanship instructors and coaches train their shooters through a published set of guidelines that apply to both juniors and adults. Despite its similarities, the NRA's marksmanship program does not compete with the CMP. The NRA awards marksmanship qualification badges for air rifle, light rifle, rifle, high-power rifle, air pistol, pistol, and shotgun. Performance is measured against established par scores and any shooters who meet or exceed those scores are entitled to a corresponding marksmanship qualification badge. The courses of fire in the qualification program are designed to take shooters from beginning skill levels (pro-marksman and marksman) through intermediate levels (marksman first-class, sharpshooter, and expert) up to a nationally recognized skill level (distinguished expert). Qualification tests can be conducted anywhere and is based on the honor system. However, to earn the NRA Distinguished Expert Badge, an NRA Certified Instructor or Coach must witness and officially record the course of fire. Those who participate in formal competition can use the tournament results bulletin as validation for the NRA Distinguished Expert Badge. Each skill level requires that a shooter achieve a score more than once to earn a specific marksmanship qualification badge. However, they do not have to be fired consecutively or in the same session.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: When the shooter reaches marksman first-class, a rectangular clasp embossed with the words "FIRST CLASS" is added to the NRA Marksman Badge, suspended between the brooch and the pendant. When the shooter reaches sharpshooter, the shooter will begin to earn gold rectangular clasps that represent different courses of fire that are suspended between the brooch and the pendant of the NRA Sharpshooter Badge. Between one and nine small black vertical rectangles are etched onto the gold clasps representing a specific course of fire successfully completed by the shooter. Likewise, the NRA Distinguished Expert Badge uses gold rectangular weapon clasps which are suspended in the same manner as the marksman first-class and sharpshooter clasps to identify the type of firearm for which the badge has been earned. Each firearm clasp is black with raised gold trim; in the center of the clasps are raised gold capital letters spelling rifle, shotgun, or pistol. If the shooter has earned the NRA Distinguished Expert Badge for more than one type of firearm, multiple clasps denoting each firearm are suspended between the badge's brooch and its pendant.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program was established in 1926 when the Winchester Junior Rifle Corps and the NRA Junior Marksmanship Program were combined. American youth remained the target audience focusing on firearm safety and marksmanship. The newly combined program used the original Winchester Junior Rifle Corps qualification levels until 2002 when the NRA added the marksman first-class qualification, increasing the number of qualification levels to six. In the early 21st century, the pendant of the original NRA marksmanship qualification badges changed from a circular wreathed pendant to a unique shield design with the words "Junior Division" removed from the pendant; the same was done with the original design of the NRA Distinguished Expert Badge but both the brooch and pendant were completely redesigned. These changes likely occurred when the NRA revamped the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program to be more inclusive; the program now includes 11 different courses of fire for both youths and adults.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The 1996 U.S. federal law established the CPRPFS with the authority to promote practice and safety in the use of firearms through the conduct of competitions and the awarding of prizes, trophies, badges, and other insignia to high performing competitors, which it carries out through the CMP. This authorization carries with it the responsibility to administer the CPRPFS's distinguished marksmanship programs. The CMP maintains records of points earned by shooters and presents appropriate prizes to those who earn them while the U.S. armed forces award service specific competition marksmanship badges to serviceman based on the CMP's records for points earned.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The CMP has a point system that competitors use to work their way towards "distinguished status." Starting in 2015, the CMP began awarding achievement pins based on the score one earns at a given match. For example, to earn a bronze, silver, or gold CMP .22 Rimfire Pistol Achievement Pin, one must achieve a score of 235–249, 250–264, or 265+ respectively in the authorized excellence category of competition. Also in 2015, the CMP established minimum cut scores that must be achieved for a given weapon in the authorized excellence category of competition before one can earn credit points (also referred to as "leg points") towards a distinguished marksmanship badge. Once the minimum cut score has been achieved or exceeded (260-300 for .22 rimfire pistol, 250-300 for service pistol, and 455-500 for service rifle), the shooter becomes eligible to earn leg points. The number of leg points that can be earned are based on the number of competitors, one's score, one's ranking, and you must fall within the top 10% of all match shooters regardless of your minimum cut score. Typically, the highest one-sixth of the top 10% earn ten leg points, the next highest two-sixths earn eight, and the remaining three-sixths earn six. Depending on the awarding organization, competitors must earn between one and six leg points to be awarded their first excellence-in-competition (EIC) badge. Everyone must earn at least 30 leg points to reach "distinguished status" and be awarded one of the distinguished marksmanship badges. Leg points accumulate throughout a competitor's lifetime until "distinguished status" is attained. Thus, leg points earned as a member of the U.S. armed forces will transfer toward "distinguished status" as a civilian, and vice versa.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Similarly, the NRA has like programs which use similar ranking systems as the CPRPFS's distinguished marksmanship programs where a shooter must work their way up to "distinguished status" by demonstrating repeated excellence in marksmanship. The NRA's distinguished marksmanship programs focus on areas not covered by the CPRPF. However, the NRA's newest program, the NRA Distinguished Air Gun Program, is in competition with the CPRPFS's Junior Distinguished Program as they both focus on air gun proficiency among American youth.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: In addition to the CMP's leg point driven system of marksmanship awards, the U.S. military and certain states award marksmanship tabs, brassards, and badges for high placement in official marksmanship competitions, such as the President's Pistol and Rifle Matches, the National Guard Small Arms Championships, the Army Interservice Competition Badges, the U.S. Marine Corps's trophy matches, and some state marksmanship competitions, just to name a few.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The U.S. armed forces award EIC badges to their members based on the CMP's records of leg points earned at a rifle and/or pistol match and in accordance with that member's service regulation(s). For example, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps awards their Bronze EIC Badges when a sailor/Marine earns six leg points when competing in an authorized excellence category of competition, their Silver EIC Badges when eight leg points have been earned, and their Gold EIC Badges when ten leg points are earned. The U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard award their Bronze EIC Badges when a soldier/Coast Guardsman earns their first leg points when competing in an authorized excellence category of competition. However, the Army Silver EIC Badges and Coast Guard Silver EIC Badges are awarded differently; the U.S. Army will award their Silver EIC Badges when 20 leg points have been earned and the U.S. Coast Guard will award their Silver EIC Badges when a Coast Guardsman has earned their second set of leg points regardless of the number of points earned. The U.S. Air Force awards Bronze EIC Badges (without wreath) to airman who rank in the top 10% of competitors at a U.S. Air Force-approved competition; these competitions do not have to be CMP sanctioned. The Air Force Bronze EIC Badges with Wreath are awarded when six leg points have been earned in an authorized excellence category of competition and their Silver EIC Badges with Wreath when 20 leg points have been earned.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Within the armed forces, there are three levels of EIC competition, installation or unit level competitions (level 1), region or command level competitions (level 2), and service, interservice, or national competitions (level 3). All five of the military services have uniquely designed EIC badges that are awarded to their members. EIC badges awarded at these different levels of competition are the same with a few exceptions. For EIC badges awarded at national competitions, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard emboss the word "NATIONAL" at the top or bottom of their EIC badges respectively to distinguish them from other U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard EIC badges. Also, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps award slightly modified EIC badges at U.S. Navy Fleet or U.S. Marine Corps Division level (level 1) EIC matches. For example, U.S. Navy emboss the word "FLEET" at the top of their U.S. Navy EIC badges while the eagle, globe, and anchor on the Marine Corps EIC badges are replaced with the word "DIVISION" to distinguished these EIC badges from those earned and higher level competitions.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Just like the U.S. armed forces, the NRA has an EIC badge which is awarded to law enforcement officers that have earned their first leg point(s) toward NRA's "distinguished status" with the revolver or semi-automatic pistol. Law enforcement officers can only earn these leg points during NRA police pistol combat tournaments or during the NRA National Police Shooting Championship. Since the NRA Law Enforcement EIC Badge is awarded at only one level (silver), letters are presented to competitors indicating the total number of leg points they have earned as they work towards "distinguished status."


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The CMP's civilian EIC badges are awarded to adult civilian competitors who achieve sufficient points in a CMP authorized excellence category of rifle and/or pistol competition. The CMP's bronze EIC badges are awarded with six leg points have been earned and the CMP's silver EIC badges are awarded when 20 leg points have been achieved. The CPRPFS's Junior Air Rifle Program leg point system is identical to its rifle and pistol program; however the CMP will award their bronze Junior EIC Air Rifle Badge when junior competitors earn three leg points when competing in an authorized excellence category of competition and their silver Junior EIC Air Rifle Badge when 15 leg points have been earned.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The following is a list of current EIC badges that are awarded by the CMP and the U.S. armed forces to their members; these EIC badges are listed in order of precedence by organization:


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: These badges are onetime decorations and the military EIC badges may be worn on U.S. armed forces' service uniforms for the remainder of an individual's career. These badges may be worn simultaneously with the U.S. Army's and U.S. Marine Corps's Marksmanship qualification badges, and other authorized marksmanship competition badges, on service uniforms not to exceed a total of three badges. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps authorize the wearing of up to two EIC badges for a given weapon while the other military services authorize the wearing of only the highest ranking EIC badge for a given weapon on their service uniforms. Subdued versions of these badges are not authorized. With the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard, miniature versions of these badges are also not authorized. The U.S. Coast Guard has authorized the wear of special marksmanship devices on top of their marksmanship ribbons ( ) to denote the awarding of an EIC badge and is used when wearing the badge is not desired.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: From 1903 to 1958, the U.S. Army EIC badges were known as Team Marksmanship Badges. Prior to that, the Army awarded a variety of large unique that went by a variety of names from 1880 to 1903. were awarded in gold, silver, and bronze consisting of oval pendants with enameled targets in the center that were superimposed over crossed rifles with bayonets, crossed carbines with slings, a heavy machine gun, or placed between two revolvers. Above the enameled target was the letters "U.S."; but for a short time, the word "INFANTRY" or "CAVALRY" (unit dependent) appeared above the target while the letters U.S. were embossed beneath the target. The pendant hung from two different brooch designs. From 1903 to 1906 the brooch had rounded arrowhead ends (seen today in the U.S. Marine Corps's EIC badges) bearing the name "ARMY," "DEPARTMENT," or "DIVISION" reflecting the level of competition for which the badge was earned. In 1906 the brooch was redesigned with swallow-tail ends bearing the name of the Army corps marksmanship team flanked by the words "ARMY," on the left, and "TEAM," on the right. In 1923, the Army updated the Team Marksmanship Badges with a new three piece design which was awarded in three grades; gold, silver, and bronze for pistol, rifle, and automatic rifle. There were four components to this new badge; the brooch, clasp, Team Disk, and pendant. A plain brooch with a circular center device was used to identify an Army corps or department level award. A wreath laden brooch was used to identify a national or Army level award. A gold, silver, or bronze (score dependent) replica of either crossed Flintlock Pistols, Muskets, or M1918 Browning Automatic Rifles (BARs) hung from the brooch which supported the badge's bronze pendant. The pendant had a bow with two crossed arrows at its center surrounded by a ring of 13 stars which was encircled by an oak wreath. For national and Army level awards, an enameled ring, known as the Team Disk, was placed behind the pendant's ring of 13 stars and was colored to match the branch of service color of the awarded team. Today's Army EIC badges, which began in 1958, are almost identical to the Team Marksmanship Badges with the following exceptions: only one version of the brooch exists and bears the name "U.S. ARMY;" the crossed BARs, Team Disks, and gold version of the crossed weapons have been deleted. Also, the entire EIC badge is now cast in either bronze or silver, vise having just the crossed weapons being cast in the medal earned by the shooter.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: When the U.S. Marine Corps authorized their first Marine Corps marksmanship competition badges in 1908, they used the pendant of the U.S. Army's 1907 designed Team Marksmanship Badges; however, the Marines used a unique brooch that had the name "MARINE CORPS" etch within it to help set it apart from the U.S. Army's 1907 version. Slowly, the Marine Corps's marksmanship competition badges took on their own distinctive characteristics. Between 1910 and 1930, the pendants started to be modified with the word "DIVISION" or the eagle, globe, and anchor replacing the letters "U.S." to signify winners of unit or service/national level competitions respectively. These marksmanship competition badges live on as the Marine Corps's EIC badges.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The U.S. Air Force used to award and to its competition shooters. The EIC badges without wreaths were originally known as `non-national EIC badges' while those with wreaths were known as `national EIC badges'. With changes in U.S. Air Force instructions (AFI), the term non-national was replaced with elementary. In today's AFI, the elementary EIC badges are formally known as Bronze EIC Badges while the national EIC badges are formally known as either Bronze or Silver EIC Badges with Wreath. However, U.S. Air Force competitors still refer to these badges using their old designations (Elementary and National).


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: In 1884, the United States Secretary of War authorized the establishment of the "distinguished class" of marksman. In 1887, the Secretary authorized the first Distinguished Marksman Badge to recognize the shooters who achieved this distinguished class of marksman with the rifle, carbine, revolver, or any combination of the three. This continued until the establishment of the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge in 1903 and the Distinguished Rifleman Badge in 1959. However, the Distinguished Marksman Badge is still awarded to distinguished rifle shooters of the sea services (U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard). These two badges were the U.S. armed forces' highest awards for rifle and pistol marksmanship until 1962 when the CMP established the Distinguished International Shooter Badge. In 2001, the Junior Distinguished Badge was established for junior air rifle competitors while the CMP's newest distinguished program, the .22 Rimfire Pistol Distinguished Badge (authorized in 2015), has been established for adult and junior shooters alike. Today, the Distinguished International Shooter Badge is the highest award for marksmanship within the U.S. followed by the Distinguished Rifleman/Marksman Badge, the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge, the .22 Rimfire Pistol Distinguished Badge, and the Junior Distinguished Badge.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: As with all distinguished badges, a shooter must earn 30 leg points to be awarded the Distinguished International Shooter Badge. However the means by which one earns these leg points is very different. International leg points are awarded based on a shooter's placement at international marksmanship competitions; specifically the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the World Clay Target Championships, the World Cup Finals, the World Cup, the Pan American Games, the Championship of the Americas, the World Junior Championships, and the Americas Junior Championships. Depending on where a shooter places in these games, individually or as a team, will dictate the number of international leg points earned.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Distinguished International Shooter Badge consists of a gold brooch that is 1.8 inches in length inscribed with the words "United States;" perched above the words is a small modified shield from the Great Seal of the United States flanked by oak leaves. The pendant that hangs from this brooch is a gold disk 1.5 inches in diameter with a relief of the Earth, centered on the Western Hemisphere. Laurel leaves inscribed with the words "Distinguished International Shooter" surround the globe.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Each of the U.S. armed forces' and the CMP's distinguished Rifleman/Marksman and Pistol Shot Badges hangs from a service specific brooch. As with the Distinguished International Shooter Badge, the civilian brooch incorporates a modified shield from the Great Seal of the United States but has the letters "US" embossed on its face. The also incorporates this modified shield but has it perched above the words "U.S. ARMY" in the same manner as the Distinguished International Shooter Badge. The other military services have a plain rectangular brooch embossed with the name of their service. The rifle badge pendant of the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and civilians is a gold shield inches in height and 1 13/32 inches in width, in the center of which is an enameled replica of a rifle target. Around the target are the words "DISTINGUISHED" and "RIFLEMAN," which is arched above and stretched below the target respectively. The displays the word "MARKSMAN" vs. RIFLEMAN underneath the target. The is similar in design to the rifle pendant but is inches in height and 1 3/64 inches in width and has the words "PISTOL SHOT" stretched below an enameled replica of a pistol target. The exception to this rule is the , which is identical to the rifle badge pendant but with the words "PISTOL SHOT" stretched under the enameled replica of a rifle target. This larger pistol pendant was also awarded to U.S. Coast Guard shooters between 1993 and 1996, but was rescinded in favor of the more traditional pistol pendant.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: These badges are onetime decorations and may be worn on U.S. Armed Forces' service uniforms for the remainder of an individual's career. These badges may be worn simultaneously with the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps marksmanship qualification badges as well as other authorized marksmanship competition badges not to exceed a total of three badges. However once a Distinguished Rifleman/Marksman or Pistol Shot Badge has been awarded, the EIC badge for that weapon is no longer worn on military service uniforms. Subdued versions of these badges are not authorized. With the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard, miniature versions of these badges are also not authorized. The U.S. Coast Guard has authorized the wear of special marksmanship devices on top of their marksmanship ribbons ( ) to denote the awarding of a Distinguished Marksman or Pistol Shot Badge and is used when wearing of badges is not desired.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The NRA's Distinguished Smallbore Rifleman Badge (Prone) and Distinguished Smallbore Rifleman Badge (Position) were established in 1965 while the Double Distinguished Smallbore Rifleman Badge was established in 2009. The distinguished smallbore awards are considered more difficult to earn than the CMP's equivalent badge because shooters who have already achieved NRA's "distinguished status" are allowed to compete agents those that have not yet achieve the award, thus raising the bar for the would-be smallbore distinguished rifleman. Four step certificates must be earned in order to be awarded one of these badges. A step certificate is earned by placing in the top ten percent at an Open Regional or National Championship, and only two step certificates per year will count towards "distinguished status." At least one step must be earned at the National Outdoor Championship. Therefore, it takes a minimum of two years to earn one of the distinguished smallbore rifleman badges.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: NRA's newest distinguished program is their Distinguished Air Gun Program which was established in 2010. This program mirrors the NRA Distinguished Smallbore Rifle Program where four step certificates must be earned in order to be awarded the Three Position Precision Air Rifle Badge or the Three Position Sporter Air Rifle Badge. The Double Distinguished Air Rifle Badge is awarded when a shooter has earned four step certificates in both precision and sporter matches.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The NRA established the Law Enforcement Distinguished Marksmanship Program in 1973 with the introduction of the Law Enforcement Distinguished Revolver Badge. In 1990, the NRA amended the program by introducing the Law Enforcement Distinguished Semi-Automatic Pistol Badge. The Distinguished Action Pistol Badge and Conventional Pistol Distinguished Badge were established for U.S. civilian competitors in 1985 and 2005 respectively. Just like the CPRPFS programs, a 30 leg point system is used to earn these NRA distinguished badges and similar rules apply for how leg points are earned.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: According to articles from American Rifleman Magazine and the U.S. Navy's Firing Regulations for Small Arms from the early 1900s, the U.S. Navy use to award an to U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps personnel who qualified as expert rifleman numerous times and excelled in official rifle marksmanship competitions. The badge was designed "to encourage team competitions and to distinguish a class of officers and men who have shown superior skill in team competitions." To earn the Expert Team Rifleman Badge, a shooter must have qualified as expert with the service rifle four times and have high placement at three official rifle marksmanship competitions. In the U.S. Marine Corps's uniform regulation of 1922, the Navy Expert Team Rifleman Badge ranked between the Distinguished Marksman Badge and the Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge in precedence. It is not known when this badge was retired, but the badge did appear in the October 1943 edition of National Geographic Magazine, suggesting it was still an authorized decoration during World War II.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: From 1930 through the late 1940s, the U.S. Army awarded the Distinguished Automatic Rifleman Badge to those who had earned the U.S. Army's Team Marksmanship Badge for BAR with sufficient points to qualify for "distinguished status." When marksmanship competitions resumed after World War II, the U.S. Army limited competitions to the rifle and pistol. Thus, the Distinguished Automatic Rifleman Badge was retired, along with the U.S. Army's Automatic Rifle Team Marksmanship Badge.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The President's Hundred Tab and/or Brassard are presented to the 100 top-scoring U.S. military and U.S. civilian shooters at the President's Pistol Match and President's Rifle Match. The President's hundred award started in 1878 by the NRA at the American Military Rifle Championship Match, which was patterned after an event for British volunteers called The Queen's Match. In 1977, the event was turned over to the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, which later became the CPRPFS, and is managed by the CMP. All U.S. military and U.S. civilian personnel who earn this award are presented with a bronze metallic President's Hundred Brassard. However, only the U.S. Navy has authorized the wear of the metallic brassard, on the upper-left sleeve of enlisted service uniforms, as a permanent award. A cloth tab, with the words "President's Hundred," is worn by soldiers, airmen, and enlisted Coast Guardsman who have earned the brassard. An is worn on the upper-left sleeve of the U.S. Army combat uniform and airman battle uniform while a black and white version of the tab is worn on the upper-left sleeve of U.S. Coast Guard enlisted uniforms as a permanent award. A smaller gold metal replica of the tab, with green lettering, is worn on the left breast of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force service uniforms above or below ribbons and above medals.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: When the U.S. Marine Corps began its marksmanship qualification program in the early 20th century, it also establish a marksmanship competition program to help further advance the skills of its expert shooters. In the summer of 1908, the U.S. Marine Corps instituted the Distinguished Marksman Badge to recognition winners at the national marksmanship matches. That same year, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps authorized the first U.S. Marine Corps-wide match by providing for four division matches. As a result of these early matches, the U.S. Marine Corps began to award competition specific marksmanship badges. Today, these badges are awarded alongside trophies and other prizes that are presented to the top performing Marines at U.S. Marine Corps competitions. The following are U.S. Marine Corps competition badges not associated with the CMP:


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Of the 24 Marine Corps competition badges (not counting metal color/level), seven are part of the CMP while the 17 listed above are awarded for high placement at Marine Corps specific competitions. Of those 17 badges, one is truly unique as it is not solely focused on marksmanship but on a Marine Corps rifle squad's proficiency by demonstrating their capability for employment in combat. The Annual Rifle Squad Combat Practice Competition Badge is awarded to the top performing rifle squads within each Marine Corps infantry regiment or division. Each rifle squad is evaluated on their offensive tactics, defensive tactics, patrolling, marksmanship, and physical fitness. Each rifle squad can be accompanied by a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, making this badge awardable to U.S. Navy personnel.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: These badges are onetime decorations and may be worn on service uniforms for the remainder of a Marine's or sailor's military career. These badges may be worn simultaneously with Marine Corps marksmanship qualification badges as well as other authorized marksmanship competition badges not to exceed a total of three badges. Subdued and miniature versions are not authorized.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Unlike the other marksmanship competition badges, unique Army Interservice Competition Badges are awarded to soldiers and U.S. Army marksmanship teams that place in the top three positions of an interservice match. These badges are separate awards from the CPRPFS's distinguished marksmanship programs, where a competitor earns leg points towards "distinguished status." The pentagon shaped multicolored pendant centerpiece of the Army Interservice Competition Badge incorporates the emblems of the five military services which surround a modified shield from the Great Seal of the United States flanked by gold stars on a white enameled background. This pendent centerpiece is placed in a pentagon shaped decorative metal frame. This elaborate two piece pendant hangs from an equally elaborate brooch made of the same metal as the pendant's frame and bears the name of the event (in the top arch), the match (in the bottom bar), and the competitor's or team's ranking at that match (in the center half-circle). The brooch, the pendant's frame, and each of the service's emblems are cast in either gold (for 1st place), silver (for 2nd place), or bronze (for 3rd place).


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Army Interservice Competition Badges are onetime decorations and may be worn on U.S. Army service uniforms for the remainder of a soldier's military career. These badges may be worn simultaneously with the Army Marksmanship Qualification Badges as well as other authorized marksmanship competition badges not to exceed a total of three badges. However, only one Army Interservice Competition Badge can be worn at a time. Subdued and miniature versions are not authorized.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Once a year, thousands of U.S. Army and U.S. Air National Guard shooters (champion marksmanship teams from each state) compete against each other at the Winston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Championships (a.k.a. the National Guard Small Arms Championships or the WPW Matches), held at the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas. Guardsman compete as teams and/or individuals with combat rifles, combat pistols, machine guns, and sniper rifles for top honors within the National Guard. At the conclusion of the WPW Matches, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau awards the Chief's Fifty Marksmanship Badge to the top twenty-one combat rifle, top twenty-one combat pistol, top two machine gun teams, and top two sniper teams.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Chief's Fifty Marksmanship Badge is a gold-plated circular medal, 1 1/8th inches in diameter suspended from a gold-plated multi-tiered rectangular brooch embossed with the words "NATIONAL GUARD." The medal is embossed with the words "Winston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Championships," the National Guard Bureau Branch Insignia, and the Minuteman on its face. At the base of the medal is a gold scroll embossed with the words "CHIEF"S 50." The Chief's Fifty Marksmanship Badge was made official in 1978 and made retroactive to 1971.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Guardsmen are authorized to wear the Chief's Fifty Marksmanship Badge as a permanent decoration on service uniforms, to the left of federal marksmanship badges and awards, when operating under Title 32 (state control) status. When federalized (Title 10), Guardsman cannot wear the badge on U.S. Army or U.S. Air Force service uniforms until they return to Title 32 status.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The NRA sponsors a Law Enforcement Governor's Twenty Badge which is designed to recognize the top Twenty law enforcement officers from each state for excellence in police combat pistol competition. Each state's program is administered by their respective league or association. Typically, the top three scores of each officer is averaged and the top twenty officers are recognized with the Governor's Twenty Badge. Although sponsored by the NRA, each state's badge has its own unique design.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Some states have marksmanship badges that are awarded by their State Adjutant General, such as the Missouri National Guard Adjutant General's Twenty Combat Badge. This circular badge is awarded to those guardsmen who place in the top twenty competitors at the state's annual combat matches for the rifle/pistol championships. Some 100 shooters compete in the annual state matches and participants compete against other Guardsman who have already received the award; thus there might only be one or two new recipients of the badge each year.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The Missouri Adjutant General's Twenty Combat Badge was created in the 1980s to recognize the top eight rifle, eight pistol, two machine gun, and two sniper shooters at the state's annual combat matches. As those matches changed, the award shifted to the top twenty competitors at the state's rifle/pistol championships.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The badge is worn centered on the right breast pocket of the U.S. Army combat uniform and airman battle uniform. Also, recipients of this badge are awarded the Missouri Adjutant General's Twenty Ribbon ( ) for wear on U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force service uniforms. Just like the Chief's Fifty and Governor's Twenty awards, the Adjutant General's Twenty Combat Badge and Ribbon are state-level awards and can only be worn on U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force uniforms when operating under Title 32 of the U.S. Code.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: Starting in 1926, the U.S. Army Air Corps began awarding distinguished aerial badges. The Air Corps held three gunnery matches; one for pursuit pilots, one for observation and attack pilots, and one for observers. They also held two bombing matches, one for heavier-than-air craft and one for balloons. Winners of these matches received either the Distinguished Aerial Gunner Badge or the Distinguished Aerial Bomber Badge. These matches were suspended in 1932; thus, it's assumed these badges were retired sometime after that date.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: In 1903, the 57th U.S. Congress created the National Marksmanship Competition Matches which provided for the creation of the National Match (Dogs of War) Trophy. Winners of the National Match (Dogs of War) Trophy were also awarded an antique bronze National Trophy Match (Dogs of War) Badge along with the top 15% of the teams that competed in these matches.


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: The pendant of the National Trophy Match (Dogs of War) Badge replicated the bronze shield of the national trophy which had the names of the four military services, at that time, (the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and National Guard) embossed on small rectangles below a small replica of the Great Seal of the United States on the left side of the badge's pendant. To the right of this was a prominent design of an ancient warrior with four dogs on leashes (the dogs of war). To the right of the warrior was the following embossed phrase: "National Trophy Presented by the Congress of the United States for Excellence in Team Marksmanship." Below the leashed dogs, at the base of the pendant, is a short embossed statement reflecting why the badge was awarded. This pendant hung from a plain rectangular brooch embossed with the words "THE NATIONAL MATCH TEAM," with the exception of the 1913 badge which was embossed with "NATIONAL TEAM MATCH 1913."


title: Marksmanship badges (United States)

text: As with today's Army Interservice Competition Badges, the awarding of the National Trophy Match (Dogs of War) Badge was separate from the leg points used towered "distinguished status," but did count towards a now defunct requirement whereby an individual must earn a certain number of marksmanship awards, in addition to the required 30 leg points, to achieve "distinguished status." In 1919 this badge gave way to National Trophy Match (Dogs of War) Medals. Although this historic badge is still authorized for wear on U.S. Army service uniforms, today teams that win this prestigious trophy are presented with a National Trophy Match (Dogs of War) Plaque.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: Brad Williams (born January 13, 1984) is an American stand-up comedian and actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows. He was born with achondroplasia.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: Williams was born with achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism. His condition plays a large part in the bits in both his stand-up comedy and television roles. He was a student at Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, California and after graduation, he attended the University of Southern California but dropped out to pursue his acting and comedy career.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: Williams got his start by attending a Carlos Mencia live comedy show. While he was in the crowd, Mencia made jokes about dwarves. The people sitting close to Williams were scared to laugh. Mencia noticed this, then noticed Williams and he asked him to join him on stage. Williams cracked a few jokes and impressed Mencia. Mencia then asked Williams to try stand-up and be his opening act on the road. Williams has been Mencia's opening act ever since, opening up shows on both the Mind of Mencia tour and the popular Punisher Tour.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: Williams appeared on "Mind of Mencia", playing several roles, including playing a dwarf whore ("whorf"), the leader of an all dwarf basketball team, joining Mencia at a Renaissance faire, and giving a speech about his hatred of podiums. For St. Patrick's Day 2008, Brad, dressed as a leprechaun, made an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". For Halloween 2008, Brad dressed up as "Child's Play" character Chucky for a skit on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: On April 14, 2014, Williams started hosting the "About Last Night" podcast with comedian/actor Adam Ray.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: Williams had his first one-hour comedy special, "Brad Williams: Fun Size", on May 8, 2015, on Showtime. His second one-hour comedy special, "Brad Williams: Daddy Issues", aired on May 20, 2016, on Showtime.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: Williams is a frequent guest and "friend of the show" to "The Kevin and Bean Show", broadcast weekday mornings on KROQ 106.7FM, Los Angeles, California. He appeared on "Kevin and Bean"s "April Foolishness" comedy show in 2012, 2013 and 2015 alongside such comedians as Bob Saget, Jay Mohr, Jim Jeffries, Bill Burr, and Eddie Izzard. Williams was the only comic who received a standing ovation on those shows, literally everyone was clapping.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: Williams has been confused with Jason "Wee Man" Acuña from "Jackass" because of their similar appearance.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: In 2017, Williams married Tae Kwon Do instructor Jasmine Gong. In January 2020, the couple had a daughter, who also is an achondroplastic dwarf.


title: Brad Williams (comedian)

text: In 2014, Williams made comments on the podcast "Getting Doug with High" during which he admitted to and described committing rape by deception. The episode was subsequently taken down, although clips of the episode reappeared on YouTube in 2019, prompting social media discussion about consent and widespread criticism of Williams’ actions. On January 14, 2020, Williams tweeted an apology on Twitter where he stated that the story was fabricated and intended as a "joke".


title: 2001 NFL season

text: The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL), and the first season of the 21st century. The league permanently moved the first week of the regular season to the weekend following Labor Day. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the NFL's week 2 games (September 16 and 17) were postponed and rescheduled to the weekend of January 6 and 7, 2002. To retain the full playoff format, all playoff games, including Super Bowl XXXVI, were rescheduled one week later. The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl, defeating the St. Louis Rams 20–17 at the Louisiana Superdome.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: This is the last season with 31 teams as the Houston Texans were introduced as an expansion team the following season.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: The 2001 NFL Draft was held from April 21 to 22, 2001 at New York City's Theater at Madison Square Garden. With the first pick, the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Vick from Virginia Tech.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: Mike Pereira became the league's director of officiating, succeeding Jerry Seeman, who had served the role since 1991.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: Bill Leavy and Terry McAulay were promoted to referee. Phil Luckett returned to back judge, while another officiating crew was added in 2001 in preparation for the Houston Texans expansion team, the league's 32nd franchise, in 2002.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: Due to labor dispute, the regular NFL officials were locked out prior to the final week of the preseason. Replacement officials who had worked in college football or the Arena Football League officiated NFL games during the last preseason week and the first week of the regular season. A deal was eventually reached before play resumed after the September 11 attacks.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day. With Super Bowls XXXVI–XXXVII already scheduled for fixed dates, the league initially decided to eliminate the Super Bowl bye weeks for 2001 and 2002 to adjust.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the games originally scheduled for September 16 and 17 were postponed and rescheduled to the weekend of January 6 and 7. To retain the full playoff format, all playoff games, including the Super Bowl, were rescheduled one week later. The season-ending Pro Bowl was also moved to one week later. This was the last season in which each conference had three divisions, as the conferences would be realigned to four divisions for the 2002 NFL season.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: Canceling the games scheduled for September 16 and 17 was considered and rejected since it would have canceled a home game for about half the teams (15 of 31). It would have also resulted in an unequal number of games played: September 16 and 17 was to have been a bye for the San Diego Chargers, so that team would still have played 16 games that season and each of the other teams would have played only 15 games (the Chargers ultimately finished 5–11, making any competitive advantages to playing an extra game irrelevant).


title: 2001 NFL season

text: As a result of rescheduling Week 2 as Week 17, the Pittsburgh Steelers ended up not playing a home game for the entire month of September (their only home game during that month was originally scheduled for September 16). The ESPN Sunday Night Football game for that week was also changed. It was originally scheduled to be Cleveland at Pittsburgh, but it was replaced with Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, which was seen as a more interesting matchup. Ironically, the Eagles and Buccaneers would both rest their starters that night, and would meet one week later in the playoffs. In recognition of this, when NBC began airing Sunday Night Football in , there would be no game initially scheduled for Weeks 11 to 17 – a game initially scheduled in the afternoon would be moved to the primetime slot, without stripping any teams of a primetime appearance. This way of "flexible scheduling" would not be used at all in 2007, and since 2008, it is only used in the final week, except for the 2017 season, when no primetime game was scheduled for Week 17 due to that Sunday falling on New Year's Eve.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: The games that eventually made up Week 17 marked the latest regular season games to be played during what is traditionally defined as the "NFL season" (under the format at the time, the regular season could not end later than January 3 in any given year; this changed in 2021, as the NFL expanded to 17 games with the end of the regular season pushed back one week as a result; the 2021 regular season will end on January 9, and under the new format, the latest the regular season could end is January 10).


title: 2001 NFL season

text: Another scheduling change took place in October, when the Dallas at Oakland game was moved from October 21 to 7 to accommodate a possible Oakland Athletics home playoff game on October 21. The rescheduling ended up being unnecessary as the Athletics would not make it past the Division Series round.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: In addition, the AstroTurf at Veterans Stadium was replaced with NexTurf after a preseason game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens was canceled for poor field conditions.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: Following 9/11, every jersey had a patch to remember those who died on that day, while the New York Jets and New York Giants wore a patch to remember the firefighters who died.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: This was the fourth year under the league's eight-year broadcast contracts with ABC, CBS, Fox, and ESPN to televise "Monday Night Football", the AFC package, the NFC package, and "Sunday Night Football", respectively.


title: 2001 NFL season

text: Pat Summerall announced that this would be his last season as a full-time NFL broadcaster. This would also be John Madden's last year of commentating on Fox, ending the 21-season Summerall–Madden pairing that dated back since 1981 on CBS. With Matt Millen leaving Fox to become the general manager of the Detroit Lions, the network tapped Daryl Johnston from CBS and the then-recently retired quarterback Troy Aikman to join Dick Stockton as Fox's No. 2 team.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: Pyrus pyrifolia is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, papple, naspati and sand pear. Along with cultivars of "P". × "bretschneideri" and "P. ussuriensis", the fruit is also called the nashi pear. Cultivars derived from "Pyrus pyrifolia" are grown throughout East Asia, and in other countries such as India, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States (e.g., California). Traditionally in East Asia the tree's flowers are a popular symbol of early spring, and it is a common sight in gardens and the countryside.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: The fruits are not generally baked in pies or made into jams because they have a high water content and a crisp, grainy texture, very different from the European varieties. They are commonly served raw and peeled. The fruit tends to be quite large and fragrant, and when carefully wrapped (it has a tendency to bruise because of its juiciness), it can last for several weeks or more in a cold, dry place.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: Due to their relatively high price and the large size of the fruit of cultivars, the pears tend to be served to guests, given as gifts, or eaten together in a family setting.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: In cooking, ground pears are used in vinegar- or soy sauce-based sauces as a sweetener, instead of sugar. They are also used when marinating meat, especially beef, with a notable example being in the Korean dish bulgogi, due to the presence of enzymes to tenderize the proteins in the meat.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: In Japan, fruit is harvested in Chiba, Ibaraki, Tottori, Fukushima, Tochigi, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama and other prefectures, except Okinawa. "Nashi" () may be used as a late Autumn "kigo", or "season word", when writing haiku. "Nashi no hana" (, pear flower) is also used as a "kigo" of spring. At least one city (Kamagaya-Shi, Chiba Prefecture) has the flowers of this tree as an official city flower.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: In Nepal (Nepali: "Naspati" नस्पाती) and the Himalayan states of India, they are cultivated as a cash crop in the Middle Hills between about in elevation, where the climate is suitable. The fruit are carried to nearby markets by human porters or, increasingly, by truck, but not for long distances because they bruise easily.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: In Taiwan, pears harvested in Japan have become luxurious presents since 1997 and their consumption has jumped.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: In China, the term "sharing a pear" () is a homophone of "separate" (), as a result, sharing a pear with a loved one can be read as a desire to separate from them.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: In Korea, the fruit is known as (), and it is grown and consumed in great quantity. In the South Korean city of Naju, there is a museum called The Naju Pear Museum and Pear Orchard for Tourists ().


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: In Cyprus, the pears were introduced in 2010 after initially being investigated as a new fruit crop for the island in the early 1990s. They are currently grown in Kyperounta.


title: Pyrus pyrifolia

text: Cultivars are classified in two groups. Most of the cultivars belong to the "Akanashi" ('Russet pears') group, and have yellowish-brown rinds. The "Aonashi" ('Green pears') have yellow-green rinds.


title: Denial of Peter

text: The Denial of Peter (or Peter's Denial) refers to three acts of denial of Jesus by the Apostle Peter as described in all four Gospels of the New Testament.


title: Denial of Peter

text: All four Canonical Gospels state that during Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples, he predicted that Peter would deny knowledge of him, stating that Peter would disown him before the rooster crowed the next morning. Following the arrest of Jesus, Peter denied knowing him three times, but after the third denial, he heard the rooster crow and recalled the prediction as Jesus turned to look at him. Peter then began to cry bitterly. This final incident is known as the Repentance of Peter.


title: Denial of Peter

text: The turbulent emotions behind Peter's denial and later repentance have been the subject of major works of art for centuries. Examples include Caravaggio's "Denial of Saint Peter", which is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The incidents have also inspired segments in various films related to the life and death of Jesus Christ (for instance, when Francesco De Vito performed as Peter in "The Passion of the Christ") as well as references in musical works, both religious and secular.


title: Denial of Peter

text: The prediction, made by Jesus during the Last Supper that Peter would deny and disown him, appears in the Gospel of Matthew , the Gospel of Mark , the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John . The denial accounts in the Gospels differ from each other.


title: Denial of Peter

text: Following the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of John narrates how Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved him, pointing to the rehabilitation of Peter following his repentance.


title: Denial of Peter

text: For much of the period of three years that Jesus spent in ministry, gathering and teaching disciples, he had been observed, criticised and harassed by scholars and priests. His teachings were sometimes seen as heretical and his actions in gathering a group of disciples as possibly having political motivation. Jesus' capture and trials were the culmination of this antipathy.


title: Denial of Peter

text: Peter was one of the twelve disciples most closely associated with Jesus. His denials are made in the face of accusation that he was "with Jesus", the term indicating the bond of discipleship. The Gospel of Matthew states that Peter denied Jesus "in front of everyone", thus making a public witness, affirming this with an oath. Throughout his Gospel, Matthew stresses the importance of public witness as an essential element of discipleship, stating in : "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." Peter's denial is in direct conflict with the nature of discipleship, as described by Matthew. Matthew has also previously reported Jesus' teaching forbidding the use of an oath:


title: Denial of Peter

text: The New Testament descriptions of Peter's denial depict the drama of the incident. Peter's antagonists in the discussion of his discipleship progress from a maid, to a maid plus a bystander, to a whole crowd. His denial progresses from a plea of ignorance, to a denial plus an oath and then to cursing and swearing with a total denial that he ever knew Jesus. The significance of "three" denials lies in its superlative force; it underscores the disciple's resolve to deny Jesus (see Biblical numerology). The sound of the rooster then brings a shock to Peter that Jesus had predicted the three denials.


title: Denial of Peter

text: This episode has been seen as an incident that sheds light on the unique role of Peter and sets him apart from the other disciples, just as in the Gospel of Mark in which the angel tells the women to "go and tell his disciples and Peter" about the resurrection of Jesus. In this episode, as often elsewhere in the Gospel of Mark, Peter acts as the focus of the apostles, and an essential Christological image is presented: the denials of Peter contrast with the frank confessions of Jesus in his trial by the Sanhedrin, portraying his faithfulness as prophet, Son and Messiah.


title: Denial of Peter

text: The triple denial of Peter is the impetus for the three repetitive questions made by Jesus to Peter at the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection, "Simon, son of John, Do you love me?" Although originally interpreted by Peter as a rebuke for his three denials (also due to the use by Jesus of his old name "Simon"), this event became later viewed as a redemptive act by Jesus, allowing Peter to publicly declare in front of his fellow disciples that he truly did love his Lord and thus become fully restored to his faith community.


title: Denial of Peter

text: The three 'denials' are also present in a Gnostic source, the Apocalypse of Peter from the Nag Hammadi library, but the roles are reversed in the context of meditation and seeing inner vision of the Master. In the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter, Jesus denies Peter "three times in this night" as not ready for inner sight, 72,5. Both details of "three times" denied and "in this night" being present suggests a relationship to the canonical portrayal of the Denial of Peter.


title: Denial of Peter

text: Referring to the tears shed by Peter during his repentance in the context of the Sacrament of Penance, Saint Ambrose said that "in the Church, there are water and tears: the water of Baptism and the tears of repentance". Traditionally, "tears of repentance", as exemplified by Peter, have become a symbol both of mourning and comfort and a sign at once of sins repented and forgiveness sought.


title: Denial of Peter

text: In the Scriptural Way of the Cross, introduced in 1991 by Pope John Paul II as a version of the Stations of the Cross and performed each Good Friday at the Colosseum in Rome, the fourth station is the "Denial of Peter".


title: Denial of Peter

text: During Holy Week in Jerusalem, vigils at times stop at a location traditionally considered the location for the "Repentance of Peter", not far from the house of the High Priest of Israel Caiaphas, involved in the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus.


title: Denial of Peter

text: The causes of Peter's fall were these: 1. He did not avoid the proximate occasions of sin; for at the time of his fall he was associating with the enemies of Christ. If he had left their company even after his first denial, he would not have fallen so low. “He that loves danger shall perish in it” (Ecclus. 3:27). 2. He had paid too little attention to our Lord’s warning words: “Satan hath desired to sift you as wheat . . . This night thou shalt deny Me thrice”; and he trusted too much in himself: “Though all shall be scandalized, yet not I. I will lay down my life for Thee!” When he said those words he meant them, for Peter had a very firm faith in our Lord, and an ardent love for Him; but he ought not to have forgotten that he was a weak man, and that without God’s grace he could not remain faithful. Our Lord had said to him but a very short time before, as they were walking up the Mount of Olives: “Without Me you can do nothing!” 3. He fell, therefore, through over self-confidence, and by neglecting our Lord’s exhortation: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation!”


title: Denial of Peter

text: A few hours before Peter had said, 'Though I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee;' but now, alas! at the first word of a woman, from shame and fear he denies that he ever knew Him. How many are there now in existence who, not from any humility, but from mere apprehension of what the world will say, are afraid to own any Christian or virtuous action and to profess themselves followers of Christ!


title: Denial of Peter

text: The episode has been the subject of works of art for centuries. It has also been dramatized in musical settings of the Passion story. It has been depicted in a varieties of mediums and methods, ranging from 6th century mosaic at the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo to Russian icons and oil paintings by many old masters. The subject was sometimes included in cycles of the "Life of Christ" or the "Passion", often as the only scene not to include the figure of Christ.


title: Denial of Peter

text: In Rembrandt's 1660 depiction of "The Denial of Saint Peter", now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, influenced by engravings of the c.1623 version by Gerard Seghers, he presents the servant girl who recognizes Peter with a candle, illuminating Peter's face. Two soldiers look with suspicion as Peter speaks, while Jesus is shown in the distance, his hands bound behind him, turning to look at Peter. Peter's faces away from Jesus, and he gestures with his left hand, although his expression is free of defiance.


title: Denial of Peter

text: Caravaggio's 1610 "Denial of Saint Peter" is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Author George Weatherhead admires Caravaggio's depiction, the way Peter exhibits a wavering trepidation in his unsteady features, conscious of the unworthy falsehood he was telling. His lips quiver and his eyes seek, yet can not find the firmness of truth. In this painting, Caravaggio portrayed the servant girl using the same head of the woman that he used in his depiction of "The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist".


title: Denial of Peter

text: A related subject, the Repentance of Peter, showing the end of the episode, was not often seen before Catholic Counter-Reformation art, where it became popular as an assertion of the sacrament of Confession against Protestant attacks. This followed an influential book by the Jesuit Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621). The image typically shows Peter in tears, as a half-length portrait with no other figures, often with hands clasped as at right, and sometimes the cock in the background; it was often coupled with a repentant Mary Magdalen, another exemplar from Bellarmine's book.


title: Denial of Peter

text: The Passion story has been set in music by numerous composers. The episode of Peter's denial is conveyed with great poignancy by J.S. Bach in both the "St Matthew Passion" and the "St John Passion". says "Inevitably we suffer with Peter; but the uncomfortable question Bach asks us to consider is, would any of us have emerged from his ordeal with greater credit?.


title: Ascot tie

text: An ascot tie or ascot is a neckband with wide pointed wings, traditionally made of pale grey patterned silk. This wide tie is usually patterned, folded over, and fastened with a tie pin or tie clip. It is usually reserved for formal wear with morning dress for daytime weddings and worn with a cutaway morning coat and striped grey formal trousers. This type of dress cravat is made of a thicker, woven type of silk similar to a modern tie and is traditionally either grey or black. A more casual form of ascot is in British English called a cravat, or sometimes as a day cravat to distinguish it from the formal ascot or dress cravat. The casual form is made from a thinner woven silk that is more comfortable when worn against the skin, often with ornate and colourful printed patterns.


title: Ascot tie

text: The ascot is descended from the earlier type of cravat widespread in the early 19th century, most notably during the age of Beau Brummell, made of heavily starched linen and elaborately tied around the neck. Later in the 1880s, amongst the upper-middle-class in Europe men began to wear a more loosely tied version for formal daytime events with daytime full dress in frock coats or with morning coats. It remains a feature of morning dress for weddings today. The Royal Ascot race meeting at the Ascot Racecourse gave the ascot its name, although such dress cravats were no longer worn with morning dress at the Royal Ascot races by the Edwardian era. The ascot was still commonly worn for business with morning dress in the late 19th and very early 20th centuries.


title: Ascot tie

text: Students at the United States Army Officer Candidate School wear ascots as part of their uniform, black for basic officer candidates, blue for intermediate candidates, and white for senior officer candidates. Pararescue trainees (upon completion of extended training day) are given a blue ascot. In the United States Navy the ascot is now worn for ceremonial purposes with Enlisted Full Dress Whites and Enlisted Full Dress Blue in the Ceremonial Guard.


title: Ascot tie

text: In the Dutch Army, it is a part of the uniform, for barrack use, the ascot is often in the weapon colors, and with a logo, and when in combat uniform, a DPM or desert version is used. Likewise the Royal Danish Army employs an ascot for the ceremonial version of the barrack dress, its colors vary between each company.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: The death of Edgar Allan Poe on October 7, 1849, has remained mysterious. The circumstances leading up to the final days of Edgar Allan Poe are uncertain, and the cause of death is disputed. On October 3, the American author was found delirious in Baltimore, Maryland, "in great distress, and ... in need of immediate assistance", according to the man who found him, Joseph W. Walker. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died at 5 a.m. on Sunday, October 7. He was 40 years old. Poe was never able to explain how he came to be in this condition.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Much of the extant information about the last few days of Poe's life comes from his attending physician, John Joseph Moran, though his credibility is questionable. Poe was buried after a small funeral at the back of Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, but his remains were moved to a new grave with a larger monument in 1875. The newer monument also marks the burial place of Poe's wife, Virginia, and his mother-in-law, Maria. Theories as to what caused Poe's death include suicide, murder, cholera, hypoglycemia, rabies, syphilis, influenza, and that Poe was a victim of cooping. Evidence of the influence of alcohol is strongly disputed.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: After Poe's death, Rufus Wilmot Griswold wrote his obituary under the pseudonym "Ludwig". Griswold, who became the literary executor of Poe's estate, was actually a rival of Poe and later published his first full biography, depicting him as a depraved, drunk, drug-addled madman. Much of the evidence for this image of Poe is believed to have been forged by Griswold, and though friends of Poe denounced it, this interpretation had lasting impact.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: On September 27, 1849, Poe left Richmond, Virginia, on his way home to New York City. No reliable evidence exists about his whereabouts until a week later on October 3, when he was found delirious in Baltimore at Ryan's Tavern (sometimes referred to as Gunner's Hall). A printer named Joseph W. Walker sent a letter requesting help to Joseph E. Snodgrass, an acquaintance of Poe. His letter reads as follows:


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Snodgrass's first-hand account describes Poe's appearance as "repulsive", with unkempt hair, a haggard, unwashed face and "lusterless and vacant" eyes. His clothing, Snodgrass said, which included a dirty shirt but no vest and unpolished shoes, was worn and did not fit well. John Joseph Moran, who was Poe's attending physician, gives his own detailed account of Poe's appearance that day: "a stained faded, old bombazine coat, pantaloons of a similar character, a pair of worn-out shoes run down at the heels, and an old straw hat". Poe was never coherent long enough to explain how he came to be in this condition, and it is believed the clothes he was wearing were not his own, not least because wearing shabby clothes was out of character for him.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Moran cared for Poe at Washington College Hospital on Broadway and Fayette Street. He was denied any visitors and was confined in a prison-like room with barred windows in a section of the building reserved for drunk people.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Poe is said to have repeatedly called out the name "Reynolds" on the night before his death, though no one has ever been able to identify the person to whom he referred. One possibility is that he was recalling an encounter with Jeremiah N. Reynolds, a newspaper editor and explorer who may have inspired the novel "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket". Another possibility is Henry R. Reynolds, one of the judges overseeing the Fourth Ward Polls at Ryan's Tavern, who may have met Poe on Election Day. Poe may have instead been calling for "Herring", as the author had an uncle-in-law in Baltimore named Henry Herring. In later testimonies, Moran avoided reference to Reynolds but mentioned a visit by a "Misses Herring". He also claimed he attempted to cheer up Poe during one of the few times he was awake. When Moran told his patient that he would soon be enjoying the company of friends, Poe allegedly replied that, "The best thing his friend could do would be to blow out his brains with a pistol".


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: In Poe's distressed state, he made reference to a wife in Richmond. He may have been delusional, thinking that his wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, was still alive, or he may have been referring to Sarah Elmira Royster, to whom he had recently proposed. He did not know what had happened to his trunk of belongings which, it transpired, had been left behind at the Swan Tavern in Richmond. Moran reported that Poe's final words were, "Lord, help my poor soul" before dying on October 7, 1849.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Because Poe did not have visitors, Moran was probably the only person to see the author in his last days. Even so, his credibility has been questioned repeatedly, if not considered altogether untrustworthy. Throughout the years after Poe's death, his story changed as he wrote and lectured on the topic. He claimed (in 1875 and again in 1885, for example) that he had immediately contacted Poe's aunt and mother-in-law, Maria Clemm, to let her know about Poe's death; in fact, he wrote to her only after she had requested it on November 9, almost a full month after the event. He also claimed that Poe had said, quite poetically, as he prepared to draw his last breath: "The arched heavens encompass me, and God has his decree legibly written upon the frontlets of every created human being, and demons incarnate, their goal will be the seething waves of blank despair." The editor of the "New York Herald", which published this version of Moran's story, admitted, "We cannot imagine Poe, even if delirious, constructing [such sentences]." Poe biographer William Bittner attributes Moran's claim to a convention of assigning pious last words to console mourners.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Moran's accounts even altered dates. At different points, he claimed Poe was brought to the hospital on October 3 at 5 p.m., on October 6 at 9 a.m., or on October 7 (the day he died) at "10 o'clock in the afternoon". For each published account, he claimed to have the hospital records as reference. A search for hospital records a century later, specifically an official death certificate, found nothing. Some critics say Moran's inconsistencies and errors were due only to a lapse of memory, an innocent desire to romanticize, or even to senility. At the time he wrote and published his last account in 1885, Moran was 65.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: All medical records and documents, including Poe's death certificate, have been lost, if they ever existed. The precise cause of Poe's death is disputed, but many theories exist. Many biographers have addressed the issue and reached different conclusions, ranging from Jeffrey Meyers' assertion that it was hypoglycemia to John Evangelist Walsh's conspiratorial murder plot theory. It has also been suggested that Poe's death might have resulted from suicide related to depression. In 1848, he nearly died from an overdose of laudanum, readily available as a tranquilizer and pain killer. Though it is unclear if this was a true suicide attempt or just a miscalculation on Poe's part, it did not lead to Poe's death a year later. In 2020, a psychological analysis of Poe's language theorized that he was suffering from a major depressive episode near the end of his life and that suicide could not be ruled out. However, the evidence for suicide was not consistently present in Poe's professional writings, leading the researchers to conclude that depression may have played a role in his death, but suicide seemed unlikely.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Snodgrass was convinced that Poe died from alcoholism and did a great deal to popularize this idea. He was a supporter of the temperance movement and found Poe a useful example in his temperance work. However, Snodgrass's writings on the topic have been proven untrustworthy. Moran contradicted Snodgrass by stating in his own 1885 account that Poe did not die under the effect of any intoxicant. Moran claimed that Poe "had not the slightest odor of liquor upon his breath or person". Even so, some newspapers at the time reported Poe's death as "congestion of the brain" or "cerebral inflammation", euphemisms for deaths from disgraceful causes such as alcoholism. In a study of Poe, a psychologist suggested that Poe had dipsomania.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Poe's characterization as an uncontrollable alcoholic is disputed. His drinking companion for a time, Thomas Mayne Reid, admitted that the two engaged in wild "frolics" but that Poe "never went beyond the innocent mirth in which we all indulge ... While acknowledging this as one of Poe's failings, I can speak truly of its not being habitual". Some believe Poe had a severe susceptibility to alcohol and became drunk after one glass of wine. He only drank during difficult periods of his life and sometimes went several months at a time without alcohol. Adding further confusion about the frequency of Poe's use of alcohol was his membership in the Sons of Temperance at the time of his death. William Glenn, who administered Poe's pledge, wrote years later that the temperance community had no reason to believe Poe had violated his pledge while in Richmond. Suggestions of a drug overdose have also been proven to be untrue, though it is still often reported. Thomas Dunn English, an admitted enemy of Poe and a trained physician, insisted that Poe was not a drug user. He wrote: "Had Poe the opium habit when I knew him (before 1846) I should both as a physician and a man of observation, have discovered it during his frequent visits to my rooms, my visits at his house, and our meetings elsewhere – I saw no signs of it and believe the charge to be a baseless slander."


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Numerous other causes of death have been proposed over the years, including several forms of rare brain disease or a brain tumor, diabetes, various types of enzyme deficiency, syphilis, apoplexy, delirium tremens, epilepsy and meningeal inflammation. A doctor named John W. Francis examined Poe in May 1848 and believed he had heart disease, which Poe later denied. A 2006 test of a sample of Poe's hair provides evidence against the possibility of lead poisoning, mercury poisoning, and similar toxic heavy-metal exposures. Cholera has also been suggested. Poe had passed through Philadelphia in early 1849 during a cholera epidemic. He got sick during his time in the city and wrote a letter to his aunt, Maria Clemm, saying that he may "have had the cholera, or spasms quite as bad".


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Because Poe was found on the day of an election, it was suggested as early as 1872 that he was the victim of cooping. This was a ballot-box-stuffing scam in which victims were abducted off the street by local "election gangs", imprisoned in a small room called "the coop", drugged and/or forced with alcohol to get them to comply or face beatings. The cooping victims were then used as pawns to vote for a political party at multiple locations. Often their clothing would be changed to fool voting officials and vote multiple times, and/or they would be given disguises such as wigs, fake beards, or mustaches. Cooping had become the standard explanation for Poe's death in most of his biographies for several decades which would also explain the dirty and disheveled clothes that he was wearing when he was found, though his status in Baltimore may have made him too recognizable for this scam to have worked. More recently, analysis has been presented suggesting that Poe's death resulted from rabies, possibly contracted from rat bites during his cooping days of captivity.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Poe's funeral was a simple one, held at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 8, 1849, in Baltimore. Few people attended the ceremony. Poe's uncle, Henry Herring, provided a simple mahogany coffin, and a cousin, Neilson Poe, supplied the hearse. Moran's wife made his shroud. The funeral was presided over by the Reverend W. T. D. Clemm, cousin of Poe's wife Virginia. Also in attendance were Snodgrass, Baltimore lawyer and former University of Virginia classmate Zaccheus Collins Lee, Poe's first cousin Elizabeth Herring and her husband, and former schoolmaster Joseph Clarke. The entire ceremony lasted only three minutes in the cold, damp weather. Reverend Clemm decided not to bother with a sermon because the crowd was too small. Sexton George W. Spence wrote of the weather: "It was a dark and gloomy day, not raining but just kind of raw and threatening." Poe was buried at Westminster Presbyterian churchyard, in Baltimore, in a cheap coffin that lacked handles, a nameplate, cloth lining, or a cushion for his head.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: On October 10, 2009, Poe received a second funeral in Baltimore. Actors portrayed Poe's contemporaries and other long-dead writers and artists. Each paid their respects and read eulogies adapted from their writings about Poe. The funeral included a replica of Poe's casket and wax cadaver.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Poe is buried on the grounds of Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, now part of the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore. Even after his death, he created controversy and mystery.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Poe was originally buried without a headstone towards the rear corner of the churchyard near his grandfather, David Poe, Sr. A headstone of white Italian marble, paid for by Neilson Poe, was destroyed before it reached the grave when a train derailed and plowed through the monument yard where it was being kept. Instead, it was marked with a sandstone block that read "No. 80". In 1873, Southern poet Paul Hamilton Hayne visited Poe's grave and published a newspaper article describing its poor condition and suggesting a more appropriate monument. Sara Sigourney Rice, a Baltimore schoolteacher, took advantage of renewed interest in Poe's grave site and personally solicited for funds. She even had some of her elocution students give public performances to raise money. Many in Baltimore and throughout the U.S. contributed; the final $650 came from Philadelphia publisher and philanthropist George William Childs. The new monument was designed by architect George A. Frederick and built by Colonel Hugh Sisson, and included a medallion of Poe by artist Adalbert Volck. All three men were from Baltimore. The total cost of the monument, with the medallion, amounted to slightly more than $1,500. ($31,600 in 2014 dollars)


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Poe was reburied on October 1, 1875, at a new location close to the front of the church. A celebration was held at the dedication of the new tomb on November 17. His original burial spot was marked with a large stone donated by Orin C. Painter, though it was originally placed in the wrong spot. Attendees included Neilson Poe, who gave a speech and called his cousin "one of the best hearted men that ever lived", as well as Snodgrass, Nathan C. Brooks and John Hill Hewitt. Though several leading poets were invited to the ceremony, Walt Whitman was the only one to attend. Alfred Tennyson contributed a poem which was read at the ceremony:


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: Probably unknown to the reburial crew, the headstones on all the graves, previously facing to the east, had been turned to face the West Gate in 1864. The crew digging up Poe's remains had difficulty finding the right body: they first exhumed a 19-year-old Maryland militiaman, Philip Mosher, Jr. When they correctly located Poe, they opened his coffin and one witness noted: "The skull was in excellent condition—the shape of the forehead, one of Poe's striking features, was easily discerned."


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: A few years later, the remains of Poe's wife, Virginia, were moved to this spot as well. In 1875, the cemetery in which she lay was destroyed, and she had no kin to claim her remains. William Gill, an early Poe biographer, gathered her bones and stored them in a box he hid under his bed. Virginia's remains were finally buried with her husband's on January 19, 1885, the 76th anniversary of her husband's birth and nearly ten years after his present monument was erected. Spence, the man who served as sexton during Poe's original burial as well as his exhumation and reburial, attended the rites that brought his body to rest with Virginia and her mother, Maria Clemm.


title: Death of Edgar Allan Poe

text: On October 9, the day of Poe's burial, an obituary appeared in the "New York Tribune". Signed only "Ludwig", the obituary floridly alternated between praising the dead author's abilities and eloquence and damning his temperament and ambition. "Ludwig" said that "literary art lost one of its most brilliant, but erratic stars" but also claimed Poe was known for walking the streets in delirium, muttering to himself and that he was excessively arrogant, assumed all men were villains, and was quick to anger. "Ludwig" was later revealed to be Rufus Wilmot Griswold, a former colleague and acquaintance of Poe. Even while Poe was still alive, Griswold had engaged in character assassination. Much of his characterization in the obituary was lifted almost verbatim from that of the fictitious Francis Vivian in "The Caxtons" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. The obituary quickly became the standard characterization of Poe.