Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt and Marksmanship
From the May 1958 issue of The American Rifleman
The year 1958 marks the centennial of the birth of Theodore Roosevelt. He probably was more active with the rifle than any other President
of the United States, and certainly expressed himself more forcibly on the value of rifle shooting and rifle marksmanship than most men in public life.
This attention to shooting undoubtedly stemmed from his purposeful efforts in early rears to lead a 'strenuous life' in order to build up his frail body. Also, it reflects interests developed in his three years as a rancher in western Dakota. It was during this period that he expressed his belief that “The rifle is the free man's weapon. The man who uses it well in the chase shows that he can at need use it also in war . . . .” His experience in the Spanish-American war strengthened his belief in the value of accurate rifle shooting as a most important aspect of a soldier’s training, an aspect that should be given greater emphasis.
We find many references to rifle shooting and rifle training among his State papers. In his first annual message as Governor of New York in 1899, he spoke strongly in favor of the adoption of the Krag rifle with its smokeless powder ammunition as the standard arm for the New York National Guard, stating that the National Guards of the various states ought to be armed with the same rifle and cartridge as the regular Armed Forces of the Nation. In his second annual message, he stated:
“…It is very much to be wished that means could be taken to provide the most ample facilities for rifle practice. The United States must depend upon its citizen soldiery in the event of a great war. It would be a good thing if there were a rifle range in every village of this State. Moreover, it should be remembered that target practice proper is the alphabet of the soldier's marksmanship. In a battle the only bullets that count are those that hit.”
In three of the annual messages to Congress delivered while President, Roosevelt spoke strongly in favor of marksmanship training. In his second annual message of 1902, he said, “The marksmanship of the men must receive special attention.” During his first term of office the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice was created and the Congress provided funds for National Trophies to be awarded in annual competition. In his annual message to Congress of 1906 Roosevelt had this to say:
“The Congress has most wisely provided for a national board for the promotion of rifle practice. Excellent results have already come from this law, but it does not go far enough. Our Regular Army is so small that in any great war we would have to trust mainly to volunteers, and in such event these volunteers should already know how to shoot; for if a soldier has the fighting edge, and ability to care for himself in the open, his efficiency on the line of battle is almost directly proportionate to excellence in marksmanship. We should establish shooting galleries in all the large public and military schools, should maintain national target ranges in different parts of the country, and should in every way encourage the formation of rifle clubs throughout all parts of the land.”
This statement was amplified and extended in his eighth annual message to Congress in 1908 as follows:
“There should be legislation to provide a complete plan for organizing the great body of volunteers behind the Regular Army and National Guard when war has come. Congressional assistance should be given those who are endeavoring to promote rifle practice so that our men, in the Services and out of them, may know how to use the rifle. While teams representing the United States won the Rifle and Revolver Championships of the World against all comers in England this year it is unfortunately true that the great body of our citizens shoot less and less as time goes on. To meet this we should encourage rifle practice among schoolboys, and indeed among all classes, as well as in the military services, by every means in our power. Thus, and not otherwise, may we be able to assist in preserving the peace of the world. Fit to hold our own against the strong nations of the earth, our voice for peace will carry to the ends of the earth. Unprepared, and therefore unfit, we must sit dumb and helpless to defend ourselves, protect others, or preserve peace. The first step‑in the direction of preparation to avert war if possible, and to be fit for war if it should come, is to teach our men to shoot.”
In 1904, President Roosevelt instituted the practice, which extends to this day, of writing a letter of congratulation to the winner of the President's Watch at the National Matches. In each of the letters he continuously stressed the point that “A soldier who cannot shoot is a soldier who counts for very little in battle.”
In 1907 he became a Life Member of the National Rifle Association of America.
Great trends are established by men with the courage and strength to make decisions, the will to implement them, and the wisdom to select leadership to develop them. Theodore Roosevelt was such a man and we can be thankful for his dynamic leadership in the movement for civilian marksmanship training.
[From the May 1958 issue of The American Rifleman]
White House biography: Theodore Roosevelt
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/tr26.html
With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the youngest President in the Nation's history. He brought new excitement and power to the Presidency, as
he vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy.
He took the view that the President as a "steward of the people" should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the Constitution." I did not usurp power," he wrote, "but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power."
Roosevelt's youth differed sharply from that of the log cabin Presidents. He was born in New York City in 1858 into a wealthy family, but he too struggled--against ill health--and in his triumph became an advocate of the strenuous life.
In 1884 his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt, and his mother died on the same day. Roosevelt spent much of the next two years on his ranch in the Badlands of Dakota Territory. There he mastered his sorrow as he lived in the saddle, driving cattle, hunting big game--he even captured an outlaw. On a visit to London, he married Edith Carow in December 1886.
During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt was lieutenant colonel of the Rough Rider Regiment, which he led on a charge at the battle of San Juan. He was one of the most conspicuous heroes of the war.
Boss Tom Platt, needing a hero to draw attention away from scandals in New York State, accepted Roosevelt as the Republican candidate for Governor in 1898. Roosevelt won and served with distinction.
As President, Roosevelt held the ideal that the Government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the Nation, especially between capital and labor, guaranteeing justice to each and dispensing favors to none.
Roosevelt emerged spectacularly as a "trust buster" by forcing the dissolution of a great railroad combination in the Northwest. Other antitrust suits under the Sherman Act followed.
Roosevelt steered the United States more actively into world politics. He liked to quote a favorite proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick. . . . "
Aware of the strategic need for a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific, Roosevelt ensured the construction of the Panama Canal. His corollary to the Monroe Doctrine prevented the establishment of foreign bases in the Caribbean and arrogated the sole right of intervention in Latin America to the United States.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, reached a Gentleman's Agreement on immigration with Japan, and sent the Great White Fleet on a goodwill tour of the world.
Some of Theodore Roosevelt's most effective achievements were in conservation. He added enormously to the national forests in the West, reserved lands for public use, and fostered great irrigation projects.
He crusaded endlessly on matters big and small, exciting audiences with his high-pitched voice, jutting jaw, and pounding fist. "The life of strenuous endeavor" was a must for those around him, as he romped with his five younger children and led ambassadors on hikes through Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.
Leaving the Presidency in 1909, Roosevelt went on an African safari, then jumped back into politics. In 1912 he ran for President on a Progressive ticket. To reporters he once remarked that he felt as fit as a bull moose, the name of his new party.
While campaigning in Milwaukee, he was shot in the chest by a fanatic. Roosevelt soon recovered, but his words at that time would have been applicable at the time of his death in 1919: “No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way.”
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