Gysgt carlos hathcock the american sniper of the vietnam. Elite marine corps sniper struggles with north vietnamese soldiers, snakes, hunger, and memories of home to assassinate a north vietnamese general during the. Carlos hathcock is known for his skill and patience when it comes to dispatching his opponents from a distance. The book details carlos hathcocks multiple tours of vietnam and his eventual life in retirement after his injuries in the field. Legendary sniper carlos norman hathcock ii shot an enemy. According to terms of fair use, the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational. In vietnam he was credited with 93 confirmed kills. The book white feather is written by brothers roy and norm chandler, who publish military shooting publications through iron brigade publishing, a. This section is devoted to all of those who have met carlos hathcock and would like to relay their story or opinions to the rest of the sniping community. Burgess breaks hathcocks history down into short stories that are easy to read and understand.
He has been described as the most famous american military sniper in history. Carlos hathcock polished his skills until he couldnt get it wrong. 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. This united states marine corp sniper, also known as white feather during vietnam, has been comfortable with stalking and shooting since he was a boy. With a record of 93 confirmed kills but an estimated body count of between 300 400 enemy soldiers, hathcock terrorized the north vietnamese army nva and the viet cong. He taught himself to shoot as a boy, just like alvin york and audie murphy before him.
You cant get into this sniper unit if you havent read it, said sergeant barrett, who has been a marine sniper for six years. Land, about the encounter, and headed to their tents. Tells the exciting true story of sergeant carlos hathcock, a legendary marine sniper in the vietnam war. She was killed in 1966 by carlos hathcock, who was part of a sniper team of the united states marine corps. The book white feather is written by brothers roy and norm chandler, who publish military shooting publications through iron brigade publishing, a jacksonville, north carolina based corporation. Virginia beachs legendary sniper carlos hathcock the. The book certainly has me drawn in, am up to the chapter about the apache, the man hating female sniper very frightening. Marine sniper by charles henderson narrates the spine tingling feats of carlos hathcock.
The cover art is just as well done as the book and the detailing is extraordinary. Marine his whole life and enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. He stalked the viet cong behind enemy lineson their own ground. A recipient of the silver star, he is a legend within the usmc. That is the snipers creed and no man in any war embodied it more than gunnery sgt. With drea garcia, thom tran, carolyn zanelli, brett r. For those that dont know who carlos hathcock is, he was a united states marine corps usmc sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills.
He is quoted as saying he liked the hunt, but not the killing. The story of carlos hathcock, who will probably always be remembered as the most effective sniper in the history of the u. Carlos hathcock was an amazing sniper and appears to be one of americas best during the vietnam war. Carlos hathcock is a legend of marine corps history. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of. These 3 snipers had more kills than carlos hathcock in. Apache was a female viet cong sniper and interrogator known as apache, because of her methods of torturing us marines and arvn troops and letting them bleed to death. Hathcock is a legend and his discipline, dedication, strength and integrity is a rare thing today. The top brass said hathcock was the only one who might pull it off though there was a good chance that he might not return from it. Hathcock fought in vietnam and, as the title says, killed 93 people that were documented and confirmed, and probably killed hundreds more that were listed as probable or unknown. Snipers are controversial figures and the vietnam war is a controversial war. Marine corps sniper instruction school at quantico, virginia. For those interested in long distance shooting and the shooting sports in general.
Gunnery sergeant carlos hathcock was a famous us marine sniper, who claimed to have killed over 300 enemy personnel during the vietnam war, of which 93 kills have been officially confirmed. Beyond combat, hathcock was a championship shooter and a respected instructor in marksmanship and sniper skills. Hathcock was outscored by three other snipers during that conflict. This makes carlos hathcock, the most extraordinary sniper in the vietnam war, a legendary figure in his own right. And each time, he emerged from the jungle having done his duty. Usmc archives carlos hathcock with his brother and grandmothers. Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kills that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967. Hathcock was awarded the silver star for his heroic action. This short story is about a very top secret sniper mission pulled off in 1966 vietnam by marine sniper carlos hathcock. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in geyer springs, pulaski county. Long before chris kyle penned american sniper, carlos hathcock was already a legend. One of the most lethal snipers in history, he even repeatedly succeeded in killing snipers sent to hunt him. Hathcock at the waukesha rifle and pistol associations banquet a few years back.
The only book snipers all seem familiar with other than the bible is marine sniper. How vietnam sniper carlos hathcock took down the apache. According to the book marine sniper, written by retired marine chief warrant officer charles henderson, during hathcocks service as a sniper, he took down many targets with incredible precision and an unrelenting, cool calculation. Carlos hathcock, the marine sniper whose exploits can. Carlos hathcock set the bar for us marine snipers during the vietnam war with 93 confirmed kills. He was the only child of carlos and agnes hathcock. Anyway, it is amazing to think what hatchcock and the lads were able to. This sniper crawled nearly 2 miles to kill one enemy. Hathcock joined the marines in 1959 at age 17, and ended up in vietnam in 1966 after winning the wimbledon cup rifle competition in 1965.
Standard length is 50 width is 1 14 sling comes with one pair of heavy grade competition keepers. Vietnam sniper shot an enemy sniper through the enemys. While carlos hathcock is perhaps the most famous sniper of the vietnam war, he actually ranks fourth in the number of confirmed kills. His partner, captain edward james land, manned the spotting scope, while hathcock hit her with. White feather is the only authorized biography of gunnery sergeant carlos hathcock ii, who was recognized as the most successful sniper in the vietnam war with more than 93 confirmed kills. As far as carlos hathcock an amazing man with challenges off the battlefield that rivaled those on it. Which brings us to the carlos hathcock way of sighting in a rifle. Just in the middle of reading the biography of carlos hathcock by charles henderson marine sniper. Hathcocks record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the u. The seven characteristics of a good sniper was an added bonus. He wanted to operate alone and during his service in vietnam, he would be remembered for changing the snipers combat role forever. Retired gunnery sergeant carlos hathcock is likewise skeptical of oswalds alleged shooting feat. Gunnery sergeant carlos norman hathcock ii had 93 confirmed kills as a sniper during the vietnam war, but his actual total is estimated to be more than 300.
The story of legendary sniper carlos hathcock modern. His example paved the path and shown the light for an endless number of fellow snipers which continue to follow in his path to this day. Carlos hathcock was born on may 20, 1942, in north little rock, arkansas. Carlos hathcock biography facts, childhood, family life. I had a chance to take a trip back in time recently and shot the winchester model 70.
The hathcock sniper sling is the same as our national match, except embossed with the hathcock sniper white feather logo, and gysgt hathcocks signature. See more ideas about usmc, vietnam war and marine corps. A marines marine and basic founder of the marine sniper unit. This book isnt the first sniper based book ive bought and read but is certainly the one which i love the most. 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. After his service in vietnam, hathcock helped establish the usmcs scout sniper school at quantico, virginia, and he continued to pass along his hardwon knowledge to both military and law enforcement marksmen in the years that followed. In one of his last missions on a tour in vietnam, he crawled nearly two miles to kill a vietnamese general and escape. But there has only been one sergeant carlos hathcock. After cleaning his rifle, the marine sniper plopped down on his cot and quickly drifted off. Carlos hathcock was a genuine vietnam war hero and an undisputed legend in the u. Before he spoke, he walked around, meeting the rifle and pistol competitors that were in attendance about 600 of us showed up, talking. Hathcock was an excellent sharpshooter by then, winning the wimbledon cup shooting. Carlos hathcock, the subject of the biography, was born in 1942 and died in 1999.
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