2026 Norman J. Sieger Devil’s Brigade Memorial Championship Results

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On Sunday, March 22, 2026, the Fairfax Rod and Gun Club (FRGC) held the 2026 Norman J. Sieger Devil’s Brigade Memorial Championship in honor of the memory of long-time Fairfax Rod and Gun Club member Norman J. Sieger, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 98 years.  This match also honors the memory of the First Special Service Force, also known as the Devil’s Brigade, of which Norm was a member during his service in World War II.

Norm Sieger and the Devil’s Brigade

Norman joined the Army at eighteen in 1942 and fought as a member of the famous joint USA and Canada First Special Service Force.  Norman served in the Army with distinction for twenty-nine years, after which he settled in Northern Virginia.  His service spanned three wars – WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.  One of his favorite hobbies was pistol shooting, and he enjoyed many years being a part of the US Army pistol team.  He was instrumental in the construction of the pistol range at the Club which is named in his honor.  Norman served as the Club’s pistol match director for many years and was also a past president of the Club.

The First Special Service Force (FSSF) was formed in 1942 as a top-secret unit made up of US and Canadian soldiers. The FSSF spearheaded the Italian Campaign, taking on the impossible task of clearing the Nazis from the mountains of the Winter Line.  The0y entered combat on December 3, 1943 with a strength of 1,800 men and completed their mission on January 17, 1944 with fewer than 500 men.

The Force’s success in clearing the mountain tops was crucial to the control of the main north/south highway to Rome. The FSSF was then moved to the Anzio beachhead, where it was assigned over 8 miles of the right flank with fewer than 1,100 men, facing a full division of 10,000 enemy soldiers.  For 99 days the Force conducted continuous patrols and night raids into enemy territory at a cost of 106 killed or missing and over 300 wounded.  During the Battle of Anzio, the Germans dubbed the First Special Service Force the “Devil’s Brigade” because of their blackened faces and stealth in combat.

The Force was the tip of the spear on the drive to Rome and is credited with being the first Allied patrol to enter the city on June 4, 1944.  Following the liberation of Rome, the Force was given the assignment of leading the landing invasion in southern France – fighting their way to the Franco-Italian border.  In 251 days of combat, the Force suffered 2,314 casualties, 134% of combat strength, captured over 30,000 prisoners, won five US campaign stars, eight Canadian battle honors, and never failed a mission.

The First Special Service Force was arguably the most capable and deadly infantry organization in the Allied forces during WWII.  The modern American and Canadian special operations forces trace their heritage to this unit.  In 2013, the United States Congress passed a bill to award to the First Special Service Force the Congressional Gold Medal.

In cooperation with the Montana Military Museum and the First Special Service Force Association, this match offered a variety of Devil’s Brigade themed awards and prizes as pictured below.

Match Format

This match featured the Civilian marksmanship Program (CMP) 1400 Pistol Aggregate course of fire along with a Service Revolver Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) match.  The CMP 1400 match combines individual matches fired using metallic sights with a 22 rimfire pistol along with a service pistol of a type suitable for use in a general duty scenario (i.e., military or law enforcement).  The 22 Rimfire and Service Pistol EIC matches were included as part of the CMP 1400 Pistol Aggregate championship.

Match Winners

The weather for match day was perfect!  As can be expected, with such ideal weather came some great scores.  Match results are attached (see end of post).

Congratulations to Rich Kang as the Open Winner with a score of 1311-42x!  As the Open Winner, Rich also received a bottle of Willie’s Distillery Devils Brigade Whiskey. This whiskey contains a unique blend consisting of 60% American Bourbon and 40% Canadian Whisky, mirroring the proportion of American and Canadian men assigned to the Devil’s Brigade during WWII.  Just as the Unit carried the V-42 Knife into combat, this spirit also boasts a 42% ABV.

Congratulations also to Ben Lassiter, who as the highest-scoring Virginia resident is the 2026 Virginia CMP Pistol 1400 Aggregate State Champion, with a score of 1224-16x!  Both the Open Winner and State Champion will receive a commemorative plaque.

Other class winners include:

  • First Master:   Ben Lassiter with a score of 1224-16x
  • First Expert:  John Dowell with a score of 1165-8x
  • First Sharpshooter:  Bradford Danho with a score of 986-12x
  • First Marksman:  Russel Tracy with a score of 1195-8x

The Open Winner and all Class Winners names and scores will be engraved on the Norman J. Sieger Devil’s Brigade Memorial Championship plaque.

Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) Matches

For the CMP Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) events, results are as follows:

  • 22 Rimfire EIC (30-Shof Match)
  • 1st Place Overall:  Russell Tracy with a score of 285-4x
  • 2nd Place Overall:  Rich Kang with a score of 278-11x
  • 3rd Place Overall:  Matthew Martinez with a score of 265-3x
  • 1st Non-Distinguished:  Russell Tracy with a score of 285-4x (8 leg points)*
  • 2nd Non-Distinguished:  Matthew Martinez with a score of 265-3x (6 leg points)*

Service Pistol EIC (30-Shof Match)

  • 1st Place Overall:  Rich Kang with a score of 287-14x
  • 2nd Place Overall:  Ben Lassiter with a score of 266-3x
  • 3rd Place Overall:  Matthew Martinez with a score of 236-3x
  • 1st Non-Distinguished:  Matthew Martinez with a score of 236-3x
  • 2nd Non-Distinguished:  Russel Tracy with a score of 236-1x
  • Note:  Per CMP rules, a minimum credit score of 250 is required for service pistol EIC leg points

Service Revolver EIC (40-Shof Match)

  • 1st Place Overall:  Ben Lassiter with a score of 345-4x
  • 2nd Place Overall:  Rich Kang with a score of 340-8x
  • 3rd Place Overall:  Jacob Aldean with a score of 340-6x
  • 1st Non-Distinguished:  Ben Lassiter with a score of 345-4x (8 leg points)*
  •  2nd Non-Distinguished:  Jacob Aldean with a score of 340-6x (6 leg points)*
  • *Leg points awards are pending CMP approval of the EIC match.

Prize Drawing

Congratulations also to the winners of the prize drawing for the following items:

  • Böker Plus V-42 Replica Dagger
  • Willie’s Distillery Devils Brigade Whiskey
  • The Supercommandos: First Special Service Force, 1942-1944 An Illustrated History hardcover book

Volunteers

A special thanks to the volunteers for this match, including John Rickards (CRO), Dave Jordan (Range Setup), Frank Christian (Stats) and line officers Gene Rubin and Dan Gray.  Without them, matches such as these would not be possible.  THANK YOU!!!

Upcoming Matches

Our next 2700 match at the Fairfax Rod and Gun Club is scheduled for April 19th.  Our next EIC event will be held during the Virginia Bullseye Pistol 2700 Championship during the weekend of May 30th and May 31st.  For more information about FRGC Bullseye Pistol, please visit our webpage at https://www.fxrgc.org/pistol/bullseye-pistol/.  To sign up for any of our matches, email [email protected] with your competitor information and requested match dates.

Best Regards,

Viesturs Lenss

FRGC Bullseye Pistol Match Director

[email protected]