§ 578.103 - President's Hundred Tab.

(a) The President's Hundred Tab is awarded to soldiers who qualify among the top scoring 100 competitors in the President's Match.

(b) Background. (1) The National Rifle Association's (NRA) President's Match was instituted at the NRA matches of 1878, as the American Military Rifle Championship Match. It was patterned after an event for British Volunteers called the Queen's Match, which the NRA of Great Britain had initiated in 1860. In 1884, the name was changed to the President's Match for the Military Rifle Championship of the United States. It was fired at Creedmor, New York until 1891. In 1895, it was reintroduced at Sea Girt, New Jersey.

(2) The tradition of making a letter from the President of the United States the first prize began in 1904 when President Theodore Roosevelt, at the conclusion of the President's Match, personally wrote a letter of congratulations to the winner, Private Howard Gensch of the 1st Regiment of Infantry of the New Jersey National Guard.

(3) It cannot be ascertained as to when the President's Match was discontinued; however, it is known that it was not fired during World Wars I and II. It appears to have disappeared during the 1930s and during the depression when lack of funds severely curtailed the holding of matches of importance.

(4) The President's Match was reinstated in 1957 at the National Matches as “The President's Hundred.” The top-scoring 100 competitors in the President's Match were singled out for special recognition in a retreat ceremony in which they passed in review before the winner and former winners of this historic match.

(5) On May 27, 1958, the NRA requested the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 approval of a tab for presentation to each member of the “President's Hundred.” The NRA's plan was to award the cloth tab together with a metal tab during the 1958 National Matches. The cloth tab was of high level interest and approved for wear on the Army uniform on March 3, 1958. The first awards were made at Camp Perry, Ohio, in early September 1958. The metal tab was never officially authorized for wear on the uniform by military personnel. However, the NRA issued the metal tab to military personnel for wear on the shooting jacket.

(c) Description. A full-color embroidered tab of yellow 41/4 inches (10.80 cm) in length and 5/8 inch (1.59 cm) in height, with the words “President's Hundred” centered in 1/4 inch (.64 cm) high green letters.