Determine which of the sniper equipment evaluated is most suitable. An army grunts astonishing 1970 photos capture a hellish. Specialist james wilks, 25, from fort worth, texas, sits in the searing sun outside his barrack block in camp eagle, smoking a menthol cigarette. One, i love war books and two, i love history books marine sniper is set in the vietnam war.
This sniper program was initiated in the states and was set in motion as result of a visit to fort benning in january 1968. This information comes from an article in the current 2005 issue of surplus firearms published by guns and ammo and was written by one martin pegler who is listed as a senior. We were young and we had fun, and that is all that matters. In the united states marine corps, the most dangerous job in combat is that of the sniper. He was trained as a sniper and dropped far behind enemy lines with only his wits to keep him alive. 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. This sniper program was initiated in the states and was set in motion as. In april 1970, 22yearold james speed hensinger, an enlisted man in the u. Armys 173rd airborne brigade, was stationed at a compound in phu tai, west of the coastal city of qui nhon, vietnam. Through an everescalating onslaught of destruction, operation rolling thunder intended to signal americas unwavering commitment to its south vietnamese ally in the face of continued north vietnamese aggression, break hanois political will to prosecute the. The previous record was held by carlos hathcock, achieved during the vietnam war, at a distance of 2,250 m. 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. Apr 02, 2009 ken went to vietnam the way many did involuntarily.
A marine snipers twoyear odyssey in the vietnam war. Sharpshooter by chris lynch scholastic books for kids. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of open field, killed nva general with one shot, then crawled back. And now, as war erupts in vietnam, ivan wants nothing more than to fight for his country, just as his father did in world war ii. 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.
Carlos hathcock, the top us sniper in vietnam 1968. By the end of the war in viet nam, most snipers were using some form of m14xm21m21 sniper rifle in 7. You cant get into this sniper unit if you havent read it, said sergeant barrett, who has been a marine sniper for six years. Evaluate current employment of sniper personnel and equipment in vietnam. This finish sniper is a record holder in terms of confirmed kill number. The author of the bestselling vietnam war memoir marine sniper continues the incredible true story of sergeant carlos hathcock. The book is an interesting biography and treatise on what it takes to be. Enlisting in the united states army, ivan is trained to be a sniper. The sniper initially started his deployment in vietnam as a military policeman before carrying out feats of stamina, skill, and endurance that wouldnt sound out of place in a historical fiction novel. Objective 2 oreanionand doctrin determine sniper organizational and doctrinal concepts for.
We were soldiers author is interviewing vietnam vets and. In 1966 hathcock volunteered for combat and was quickly recruited as a sniper in the vietnam war by captain edward james land. Hathco ck s record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the u. War is vivid in gun sights of the sniper new york times, february 2, 1991. One day orders came down that there was an opportunity to go to long range firing training for those who were classified as an expert rifleman. Yet in all this raw, dirty, fearful ground combat, this soldier developed a faith that kept him sane and led to a dramatic conversion experience. Equally appealing for classroom use and general readers, this book provides a fresh approach to understanding the american combat soldiers experience in vietnam that integrates such topics as the political culture, the experiences of training, the actual vietnam experience, and the homecoming. The marines deadly duo best snipers series book 14 by robert f. The battle of ia drang was the first major battle between the united states army and the peoples army of vietnam pavn, also referred to as the north vietnamese army nva, and was part of the pleiku campaign conducted early in the vietnam war. 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. The sniper story during our humping through the boonies the nva could hear us a mile away and we would sometimes be caught in an ambush.
On march 19, 1969, then young first lieutenant homer r. Carlos hathcock is known for his skill and patience when it comes to dispatching his opponents from a distance. 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. This marine was the american sniper of the vietnam war. August 20, 20 september 22, 20 sniper ghost posts army sniper, vietnam war in the spring of 1969 9th infantry divisions most successful ambush tactic was the sniper mode. Enlisting in the united states army, he is trained to be a sniper. Journeys with the dead and the living in viet nam late in september 2009. These 3 snipers had more kills than carlos hathcock in vietnam. This is why so many of the m14m21 rifles have been brought out of mothball storage, updated and shipped to combat in iraq and afghanistan.
Gunnery sergeant carlos norman hathcock ii had 93 confirmed kills as a sniper during the vietnam war, but his. I have never before understood how different and vicious the vietnam war was. By 1918 the scoutsnipers value as an observer and gatherer of intelligence was as important as his lethal skills, but these were disregarded in the interwar years. Childrens television personality fed rogers was a navy seal and a sniper in vietnam with 25 confirmed kills to his credit. 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. While carlos hathcock is perhaps the most famous sniper of the vietnam war, he actually ranks fourth in the number of confirmed kills. York, seen at left inspecting a garand rifle with under secretary of war robert p. There were several snipers from the vietnam war that set records with average rifles in unbelievable conditions. For a large part of the year and a half he was there, the u. A story about a young vietnam sniper, the gomorrah principle has the ingredients to become an instant classic among war novels. She was killed in 1966 by carlos hathcock, who was part of a sniper team of the united states marine corps. Us army sniper program charlie company vietnam 19661972. The only book snipers all seem familiar with other than the bible is marine sniper.
Though the practice had been in use since the korean war, carlos hathcock made the use of the m2. Carlos norman hathcock ii may 20, 1942 february 22, 1999 was a united states marine corps usmc snipe r with a service record of 93 confirmed kil ls. He started as a military policeman but his platoon later raised him to the position of a sniper. To keep this short, this is one of the best books i have read about snipers i feel i know this man hathcock we were in the corp at the same time so when he goes on a mission with burke i can almost smell the jungle and feel the heat as he sit waiting for his pray, very well done. 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. In early 1965 the united states unleashed the largest sustained aerial bombing campaign since world war ii, against north vietnam. During the vietnam war, hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of north vietnamese army nva and vietcong personnel. Charles hendersons marine sniper is a dramatized account of the life of a vietnam war sniper. Point of aim by jay taylor vietnam veterans of america. He tells about his chronological experiences in the jungles of vietnam where he was deployed for a year. 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. How vietnam sniper carlos hathcock took down the apache. Although these 10 famous snipers of all time killed thousands of people, we cannot conclude that these men and women took pleasure in killing people. Jul 28, 2017 a vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of open field, killed nva general with one shot, then crawled back.
It was only in world war i that the combination of high quality service rifles and new telescopic sights brought the true sniper to the battlefield as a distinct specialist. Jun 27, 20 this finish sniper is a record holder in terms of confirmed kill number. The book white feather is written by brothers roy and norm chandler, who publish military shooting publications through iron brigade publishing, a. A vietnam war sniper crawled carlos hathcock was a. Someone whose sole job was to psychologically dismantle the enemy, to play mind games with them, to instill fear in them not by killing them in mass but to select a few within the. During the vietnam war, he was known to his fellow soldiers as gunny. Hathcock was outscored by three other snipers during that conflict. A turkish sniper under armed guard at gallipoli in 1915. In 1966, the military deployed hathcock to vietnam. While i believe most interviewers are attempting to get the facts and story right. 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. He has protected his friends from bullies for years.
A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of. Carlos hathcock was a genuine vietnam war hero and an undisputed legend in. The following is a guest commentary by joe galloway, the longtime war correspondent who coauthored we were soldiers onceand young with lt. A few notable ones being carlos hathcock, adelbert waldron, and charles mawhinney. Fred rogers, the founder and host of the popular u. When brady nash receives a cryptic letter, he realizes that his foster brother may have been murdered in vietnam and is compelled him to join the military in order to find the truth.
Sep 11, 2004 specialist james wilks, 25, from fort worth, texas, sits in the searing sun outside his barrack block in camp eagle, smoking a menthol cigarette. I sometimes feel that part calling me back, back to the rain and the blood. See more ideas about vietnam, vietnam war photos and vietnam war. When brady nash receives a cryptic letter, he realizes that his foster brother may have been murdered in vietnam. Ken went to vietnam the way many did involuntarily.
1179 571 893 985 1531 875 1199 1142 846 466 303 688 968 281 297 65 290 1611 732 1149 208 1187 1331 1530 442 289 1151 524 267 1132 412 174 1026 1412 953 577 236 965 1160 1293