Marine sniper made the longest range kills so far in iraq. The war in the jungles of vietnam was dangerous enough. In march, army sniper robert bales, thirtyeight, a veteran of three tours in iraq before his. The book is an interesting biography and treatise on what it takes to be. Marines scout sniper 0317 is a secondary military occupational specialty mos open to marines with certain qualifications. Mar 05, 2017 a marine student undergoing the 2nd marine division combat skills center prescout sniper course looks through an m40a5 sniper rifle at camp lejeune, n. He aims his advice at veterans of the wars in vietnam, iraq, and afghanistan. As a sniper your goal is to completely demoralize the enemy, said the corporal, who played football and ran track in high school and dreams of becoming a high school coach. In a new book, mr kyle recalls how his first kill from long range was a woman. Mar 19, 2017 a former marine who survived a sniper shot to the head in iraq has been featured in a new book by former president george w. This marine sniper left vietnam with 103 confirmed kills military times. American combat snipers, vietnam through operation iraqi freedom by.
The vietnam wars most famous sniper, marine gunnery sergeant carlos. The former marine, justin constantine, who received a purple. In marine sniper, the truelife missions of united states marine corps sniper carlos hathcock were revealed in explosive detail. The book is well written and outlines hathcocks shooting career and then his subsequent deployment to vietnam where he carries out the most audacious sniper. May 11, 2018 the marine corps confirmed in early april that its snipers would get the mk mod 7 sniper rifle to replace the m40 rifle, versions of which the corps snipers have been carrying since the early. With their unparalleled skill, freedom of movement, and deadly accurate longrange remington 700 bolt rifles, the scout snipers were sought after by every marine unitand so feared by the enemy that the vc bounty on the scout snipers was higher than on any.
He repeats the i could care less thought several times throughout the book. Marine snipers set records in iraq outside the beltway. Here, the finished trophy dedicated to marine marksman carlos hathcock ii sits in the. Time to hunt by stephen hunter, point of impact by stephen hunter, sniper one. Mitchell dusted off his herringbone utility uniform and reported to camp pendleton in february 1967 for direct transfer to vietnam to head the newly founded 1st marine division sniper school at the happy valley range outside da nang. After serving in vietnam hathcock established the marine corps scout sniper school at quantico, virginia. The true story of carlos hathcock, a marine sniper in vietnam with probably over 300 kills.
Carlos hathcock, the subject of the biography, was born in 1942 and died in 1999. Marines are already calling their first new sniper rifle. The runaway success of a snipers gruesome memoir speaks. With time, certain weaknesses, primarily warping of the. Hathcocks record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the u. Marines got all the press and the glory, but an army guy was the top sniper shot of the vietnam war. Charles hendersons marine sniper is a dramatized account of the life of a vietnam war sniper. He served with the 5th marines in the 1st marine division on the dmz in 1968. From the winter of 2006 through the spring of 2007, twohundredfifty marines from echo company, second battalion, fourth marine regiment fought daily in the dangerous, dense city streets of ramadi, iraq during the multinational forces surge ordered by president george w. Marine scout snipers were among the most highly trained soldiers in vietnam.
He had a bad attitude, some much disregard for his fellow marine and simply could not make the marine corps a career. In his book, ward listed his close friends confirmed kill count as 101, a number. Tells the exciting true story of sergeant carlos hathcock, a legendary marine sniper in the vietnam war. The marine corps is unique in its consolidation of reconnaissance and sniper duties for a single marine. He is a record setting marine sniper in the vietnam war. At the request of the commandant of the marine corps, gunnery sergeant vernon d. A very informative and interesting interview with steve can be found in chapter four of the book conversations with vietnam heroes, written by the podcaster. This page is in no way intended to glorify the amount of people these soldiers have killed, it is intended to recognize the manner in which these soldiers excelled at accomplishing the misson assigned to them in a time of war. Waldron had served in the united states navy for 12 years before going to civilian life.
Marine snipers demoralize insurgents in fallujah socnet. Eric hillenburg, also 21, was killed by sniper fire on his way to help clear the house. As an american military convoy rumbled along a dusty street in habbaniyah, iraq, 50 miles west of baghdad, a silver van eased to the curb. Includes marines from 17, 34, 35, 37, 1st tanks, and other units that were attached to the 1st marine division. Watch this to feel what marines felt fighting in vietnam. Another 216 kills were listed only as probables because it was too risky to. In 16 months as a marine corps sniper in vietnam in 1968 and 1969, he killed 103 of the enemy.
Jan 22, 2000 in 16 months as a marine corps sniper in vietnam in 1968 and 1969, he killed 103 of the enemy. He is the author of the critically acclaimed military classics marine sniper and silent warrior, which first chronicled the exploits of usmc sniper carlos hathcock. Firefights of the mind by ed kugler vietnam veterans of america. Marine corps scout sniper mos 0317 the balance careers. The garand was a great infantry rifle, but it didnt do as well for sniping. You cant get into this sniper unit if you havent read it, said sergeant barrett, who has been a marine sniper for six years. He was a united states marine corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills and hundreds of probable kills during the vietnam war. A former marine who survived a sniper shot to the head in iraq has been featured in a new book by former president george w. Chris kyle, 37, blew away the previous us record of 109 kills, set by an army rifleman during the vietnam war. That all changed when a friend and fellow marine sniper, joseph ward, published a book in 1991 that briefly mentioned the surgical. You can try sniper on the easter front by albrecht wacker about sepp alleberger, a crack german sniper on ww2 credited with 257 kills and possibly responsible for 5x more. He deployed in 1966 as a military policeman, but immediately volunteered for combat and was soon transferred to the 1st marine division sniper platoon, stationed at hill 55, south of da nang.
Charles henderson is a veteran of more than twentythree years in the united states marine corps, with a distinguished career spanning from vietnam to the gulf war, after which he retired as a chief warrant officer. A marine student undergoing the 2nd marine division combat skills center prescout sniper course looks through an m40a5 sniper rifle at camp lejeune, n. United states marine corps vietnam war 68 69 gunnery sergeant carlos n. Im reading the book marine sniper, its about carlos hathcock in vietnam. Voir plus didees sur le theme guerre du vietnam, vietnam et guerre. Marines in vietnam, 19701971, vietnamization and redeployment, 1986 u. The devil of ramadi named americas deadliest sniper telegraph. This marine sniper left vietnam with 103 confirmed kills. Most had a redfield 39 power accurange variable scope mounted. Beyond combat, hathcock was a championship shooter and a respected instructor in marksmanship and sniper skills.
Anthony swoffords experiences as an sta sniper are recounted in his book, jarhead, and the 2005 film of the same name. The book is well written and outlines hathcocks shooting career and then his subsequent deployment to vietnam where he carries out the most audacious sniper missions to become not only a legendary sniper but a legendary marine. After testing several possibilities, they ordered seven hundred remington model 40x rifles targetvarmint version of the model 700 boltaction rifle, and gave them the m40 designation. Nov 14, 2018 as many of my subscribers know, i produced a 6 part tv series on the 1960s that included an entire episode on vietnam. By comparison, the top marine corps sniper in vietnam had 103 confirmed kills in 16 months. See more ideas about vietnam, vietnam war photos and vietnam war.
Culbertson, a former 5th marine sniper himself, presents the riveting true stories of young americans who fought with bolt rifles and bounties on their heads during the fiercest combat of the war, from 1967 through the desperate tet battle for hue in early 68. The 5 most legendary snipers of all time americas military. List of snipers by confirmed kills the worlds military. The only book snipers all seem familiar with other than the bible is marine sniper. Long before chris kyle penned american sniper, carlos hathcock was already a legend. Prior to 1966, marines in vietnam used the winchester model 70 rifle in. And yet it was another sniper, charles chuck mawhinney, who quietly supplanted hathcock as the marine corps deadliest sniper in the services storied history. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of open. Includes most of the major battles and very detailed information about our marines experiences. This film, made by the government to train marines, shocked me for its reality. Written in the viewpoint of marines and other armed forces, learn about the afghanistan history, culture, and conflicts. Swafford was a marine that is not to be looked upon with admiration. He served with the 9th infantry division of the united states army. I served in vietnam in my thirties, well beyond the impressionable teen years.
Army, separate the reconnaissance soldier or scout from the sniper. These 3 snipers had more kills than carlos hathcock in vietnam. The former marine, justin constantine, who received a. Woodruff man featured in book on marine snipers news.
Us marine corps archives mawhinney left his sniper rifle at the base and moved forward with an m14 semiautomatic rifle and a starlight scope, an early nightvision device. From the streets of iraq to the rescue of captain richard phillips in the indian ocean. Americas top sniper of the vietnam war wasnt a marine. Based on the life and times of sergeant carlos hathcock an american soldier who apparently eventually became the posterboy of the marine sniper program the book seemed an interesting prospect at first. He had a bad attitude, some much disregard for his fellow marine and simply could not. He missed the marine corps, however, and returned to vietnam in 1969, where he took command of a platoon of snipers. Tom casey and his 5th marine regimental sniper platoon, and living.
Reading this book, is gripping and the reader almost feels what the author sees hears. Most other conventional armed forces, including the u. When workman and his marines made it out, they were devastated, kent said. Great book about carlos hathcock with images books. As with all secondary mos, you cant enter directly from boot camp into this job, but the marine corps has considered changing scout sniper to a primary mos due to declining enrollment. Now, the incredible story of a remarkable marine continueswith harrowing, neverbeforepublished accounts of courage and perseverance. The list of war time snipers contained on this page is in no way intended to glorify the amount of people these soldiers have killed, it is intended to recognize the manner in which these soldiers excelled at accomplishing the mission assigned to them in a time of war. My vietnam by ed kugler vietnam veterans of america. The ongoing conflict between the terrorist group the islamic state in iraq and.
Mar 15, 2003 the war in the jungles of vietnam was dangerous enough. Marines in vietnam, 19711973, the war that would not end, 199 1 u. Five of the best snipers of all time business insider. This marine was the american sniper of the vietnam war. As many of my subscribers know, i produced a 6 part tv series on the 1960s that included an entire episode on vietnam. Vietnam, laos, campuchea, iraq, afghanistan, lybia, syria etc etc and soon iran. More than 155,000 of them have served in iraq since 2003four times the number of women sent to desert storm in 1991and more than 430 have been wounded and over 70 killed, almost twice the number of u. Army, the 19d mos, cavalry scout is the primary special reconnaissance and surveillance soldier and. A marines chronicle of the gulf war and other battles 2003 by anthony swofford out of the 1991 war against iraq comes anthony swofford, a marine sniper, to say in his book that he had a ball. Carlos norman hathcock ii may 20, 1942 february 22, 1999 was a united states marine corps usmc sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of. I believe this is a musthave book for anyone interested in the role of. During the vietnam war, the marine corps decided they needed a standard sniper rifle. A navy seal sniper has been named americas deadliest marksman after racking up 160 kills during the iraq war.
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