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At the age of 71, Bill Fairless of Vienna, Illinois, finally earned his Distinguished Rifleman badge after decades of tracking it down.
Fairless’s journey to a Distinguished Rifleman badge began in the mid-1980s when he heard it was possible to own an M1 Garand.
In order to receive one, he had to shoot qualifying matches at a local club, which didn’t deter Fairless one bit.
“I wanted one just because I thought it’d be neat to have one—and then once I got to shooting—well, I love shooting it,” he said with a laugh. “It’s my favorite gun to shoot. I don't know why. I just like them.”
His father carried an M1 Garand during World War II and decided that he, too, wanted to get qualified. He earned a M1 Garand of his own alongside Fairless and though he didn’t continue competing, he always kept the rifle as well as a can of ammo in his home. The Garand became more than just a gun—it was a special bond between father and son.
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Fairless’s journey to a Distinguished Rifleman badge began in the mid-1980s when he heard it was possible to own an M1 Garand.
In order to receive one, he had to shoot qualifying matches at a local club, which didn’t deter Fairless one bit.
“I wanted one just because I thought it’d be neat to have one—and then once I got to shooting—well, I love shooting it,” he said with a laugh. “It’s my favorite gun to shoot. I don't know why. I just like them.”
His father carried an M1 Garand during World War II and decided that he, too, wanted to get qualified. He earned a M1 Garand of his own alongside Fairless and though he didn’t continue competing, he always kept the rifle as well as a can of ammo in his home. The Garand became more than just a gun—it was a special bond between father and son.
An NRA Shooting Sports Journal | Fairless Captures Distinguished Rifleman Badge With M1 Garand: ‘It Gave Me A Chance’
Bill Fairless earns Distinguished Rifleman badge with vintage M1 Garand after more than three decades.
