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Taps, Present Arms
Robert
W. Lowe
Major (Retired) Robert W. Lowe,
86,
died January 8, 2004,
in Washington, DC.
Bob was born in Washington,
DC, and graduated from Roosevelt High School. While attending
high school and for several years after, he served as an enlisted man
in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Air Reserve Squadron in
Washington, DC.
In 1939, Bob went on active
duty in the USMC Aviation Corps and in 1943, he was
commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the USMC Reserve. At this
time, Bob was ordered to the Central Pacific as a Squadron Ordnance
Officer and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant with a regular USMC
Commission. He returned to the U.S. in 1944 and was assigned to
Vero Beach, Florida, as an Ordnance Officer.
In 1946, Bob's next assignment
was to assist in re-activating the Marine Air Reserve Unit in
Washington, DC. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to North China
and Hawaii, and during this time, he was promoted to Captain,
USMC. Bob returned to Quantico, Virginia, in 1950 as the
Assistant Provost Marshal. This assignment was followed with a
tour in Korea with the First Marine Division.
In 1954, Bob was selected as a
member to the USMC Rifle Team for National Matches. Bob earned
the designation as Distinguished Marksman and Distinguished Pistol Shot.
Bob resigned his commission
from the Marine Corps in 1956 and was re-commissioned as a Captain in
the U.S. Army Reserve at Fort Benning, Georgia. Bob was then
assigned to the U.S. Army Advanced Marksmanship Unit and was a member
of the U.S. Army Rifle Team at the National Matches. He also
earned the U.S.
Army Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge in 1957
and the U.S. Army
Distinguished Rifleman Badge in 1958. Bob is believed
to be the only person to earn these "double" Distinguished
designations in both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army.
Bob retired as a Major in the
U.S. Army in 1959 and was employed by the National Rifle Association
(NRA). Over the next 20 years, he served as Associate Technical
Editor, Museum Curator, and Manager of the Annual Trade Show at the
NRA's yearly convention. He retired from the NRA in 1980.
Historian's
Note: The MMA is grateful for the donations made by Bob Lowe of past
issues of the American Rifleman Magazine (1930-1940 era) for our library. |
