Land
I typically try to leave my friends out of any posts, but I mentioned Jim Land was a friend when I presented him as the owner of Sgt. LaValley's scope and case. My veracity was immediately impugned as to my knowing Jim Land. I don't know why that would have anything to do with these discussions, and I realized I was paying a price for violating my practice. After much thought, I realized there is nothing wrong with being a friend and admirer of Maj. Jim Land. He is an impressive person, and very entertaining. Although Jim is now a widower, I was just as impressed with his wife, Elly. She was a most interesting woman.
I first met Jim Land when I posted a thread that he had not started the first Marine sniper school, as two had preceded his and Culver's. He came down, and we went to a NC shooting club where he had business to complete. It was Jim that told me about LaValley's diary being at Quantico. I drove up to visit him, and we proceeded to QMB to examine the LaValley material. I subsequently located LaValley's family, who lived relatively close to me. I became friends with Jim LaValley, Leslie's son(now deceased). Jim LaValley was a minister and an author of pirate tales, and one fine fellow. Jim Land learned that LaValley's named scope and case were coming up for sale at an up-and-coming Richmond gun show, and wanted to know if there was a way to verify them as the scope and case Jim LaValley had sold several years previously. Jim LaValley had taken pictures of all the stuff of his dad's that he had sold. Armed with the photos, I met Jim Land at his home, and we proceeded to the Richmond gun show. The scope and case proved to be the ones Jim LaValley had sold, and Jim Land became the new proud owner of Sgt. Leslie LaValley's scope and case, the scope being a Marine Mount with Niedner type taper base receptacles.
The picture below is of me, Jim, and Gunny Flores, and was taken on 11 Aug 2011 at one of Jim's annual visits to the Marine Sniper School at Stoney Point, where Jim provides Scout-Sniper students access to his vast collection of military sniper rifles. Jim invited me to bring my meager collection, and the Scout-Sniper students had a field day shooting them. My personal favorite was the Unertl '03, but a chaplain was intrigued by my Warner-Swasey '03, and he and I got into a little shooting contest at 350 yards, utilizing the Warner-Swasey '03. That rifle would suck your eyeball out on every shot. Despite that, there was only one miss during the entire match, and it was my last shot. I lost to a chaplain!
Enough of the stories. Meet Maj. Jim Land, Gunny Flores of the 2011 Marine Sniper School, and me.
Land - Annotated.jpg
And last year's Christmas card from Jim.
Land Christmas Card - Annotated.jpg
Maj. Jim Land is a friend of mine, and he always will be.
Reply With Quote
