Edward James Land

Edward James Land, Jr. or Jim Land (1935) is a retired Marine Corps Officer who was instrumental in starting the Marine Scout Sniper program.

United States Marine Corps
Land was born in Lincoln Nebraska in 1935.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17 in 1953. Land went on to become a Staff Sergeant and a Drill Instructor before attending Officer Candidate School in 1959. Upon graduating OCS, Land was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 4th Marine Regiment. As an officer, Land demonstrated an aptitude for competitive shooting and was selected for the Marine Corps Rifle Team.

In 1961 Land founded the first modern Sniper Course for the Marine Corps.

In Vietnam, Land was the Commanding Officer of Carlos Hathcock, whom he had trained in one of his early Sniper Courses.

After Vietnam, Land served as the USMC Marksmanship coordinator.

After military service
Land retired from the Marine Corps as a Major in 1977.

Land was elected as Secretary of the National Rifle Association in 1994.