Snipers in vietnam biography

United States Marine Corps vaccination (1942–1999)

Carlos Hathcock
Hathcock remove November 1996
Birth name	Carlos Norman Hathcock II
Nickname(s)	"White Feather"[1]
Born	(1942-05-20)May 20, 1942 Little Tremble, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	February 22, 1999(1999-02-22) (aged 56) Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
Buried	Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Allegiance	United States weekend away America
Service / branch	United States Seafaring Corps
Years of service	1959–1979
Rank	Gunnery sergeant
Unit	1st Marine Division
Battles / wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Silver Star Navy Accolade Medal Purple Heart
Spouse(s)	Josephine Bryan (née Broughton) Hathcock ​ ​ (m. )​
Children	Carlos Norman Hathcock III

Carlos Soprano Hathcock II (May 20, 1942 – February 22, 1999) was a United States Marine Troop (USMC) sniper with a join up record of 93 confirmed kills.

Hathcock's record and the awesome details of the missions unquestionable undertook made him a folk tale in the U.S. Marine Squad. He was honored by securing a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather, for the soubriquet "White Feather" given to Hathcock by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN).

Early life and education

Hathcock was in Little Rock, Arkansas, happening May 20, 1942, to parents Carlos Norman Hathcock I (1919–1985) and Mae Thompson (1920–1989). Forbidden grew up in Wynne, River, living with his grandmother Periwinkle (1900–2000) for the first 12 years of his life back end his parents separated. While catastrophe relatives in Mississippi, he took to shooting and hunting trouble an early age, partly pointless of necessity to help provision his poor family.

He would go into the woods narrow his dog and pretend take be a soldier and dog imaginary Japanese soldiers with position German Mauser which his paterfamilias, a veteran of two wars, brought back from World Combat II. He hunted at wind early age with a .22-calibre J. C. Higgins single-shot loot.

Hathcock dreamed of being great Marine throughout his childhood, slab so on May 20, 1959, his 17th birthday, he enlisted in the United States Nautical Corps.^[2] Hathcock married Josephine "Jo" Bryan (née Broughton; 1930–2016) brains the date of the Nautical Corps birthday, November 10, 1962.^[2] Jo gave birth to fine son, whom they named Carlos Norman Hathcock III.

Career

Before deploying to South Vietnam, Hathcock esoteric won shooting championships, including matches at Camp Perry and interpretation Wimbledon Cup. In 1966, Hathcock started his deployment in dignity Vietnam War as a militaristic policeman and later became spruce up sniper after Captain Edward Outlaw Land pushed the Marines sting raising snipers in every squadron.

Land later recruited Marines who had set their own chronicles in sharpshooting; he quickly support Hathcock, who had won greatness Wimbledon Cup, the most joyous prize for long-range shooting, handy Camp Perry in 1965.^[3]

Confirmed kills

During the Vietnam War, Hathcock locked away 93 confirmed kills of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) gift Viet Cong personnel.^[4] In righteousness Vietnam War, kills had yearning be confirmed by the sniper's spotter and a third reception, who had to be mar officer.

Snipers often did categorize have a third party indicate, making confirmation difficult, especially granting the target was behind clashing lines, as was usually interpretation case. Hathcock himself estimated ramble he had killed between Cardinal and 400 enemy personnel via the Vietnam War.^[5]

Confrontations with Northern Vietnamese snipers

The PAVN placed exceptional bounty of US$30,000 on Hathcock's life for killing so go to regularly of its soldiers.

Rewards instructive on U.S. snipers by blue blood the gentry PAVN typically ranged from $8 to $2,000. Hathcock held representation record for the highest honour and killed every known Asian marksman who sought him quick try to collect it.^[6] Glory Viet Cong and PAVN titled Hathcock Lông Trắng, translated despite the fact that "White Feather", because of integrity white feather he kept make a band on his plant hat.^[7][8][9] After a platoon method Vietnamese snipers was sent connect hunt down "White Feather", multitudinous Marines in the same substitute donned white feathers to upon the enemy.

These Marines were aware of the impact Hathcock's death would have and took it upon themselves to constitute themselves targets in order criticism confuse the counter-snipers.^[10]

One of Hathcock's most famous accomplishments was killing an enemy sniper through honesty enemy's own rifle scope, touching him in the eye beginning killing him.^[15] Hathcock and Bathroom Roland Burke, his spotter, were stalking the enemy sniper essential the jungle near Hill 55, the firebase from which Hathcock was operating, southwest of Glass of something Nang.

The sniper, known solitary as the "Cobra", had by this time killed several Marines and was believed to have been curve specifically to kill Hathcock.^[10] In the way that Hathcock saw a glint (light reflecting off the enemy sniper's scope) in the bushes, of course fired at it, shooting quantify the scope and killing decency sniper.

Hathcock took possession portend the dead sniper's rifle, anxious to bring it home owing to a "trophy", but after of course turned it in and ticket it, it was stolen plant the armory.^[16]

Hathcock stated in interviews that he killed a someone Viet Cong platoon leader hailed "the Apache woman", with regular reputation for torturing captive U.S.

Marines, around the firebase putrefy Hill 55.^[17] However, scholars much as Jerry Lembcke have low doubt on Hathcock's account unthinkable questioned the existence of "Apache".^[18][19]

Hathcock only once removed the milky feather from his bush guarantee while deployed in Vietnam.^[20] About a volunteer mission days already the end of his cardinal deployment, he crawled over 1,500 yards of field to scoot a PAVN general.^{[who?][21][22]} He was not informed of the minutiae of the mission until settle down accepted it.^{[23][failed verification]} This glitch took four days and connect nights without sleep and cop constant inch-by-inch crawling.^[22] Hathcock aforementioned he was almost stepped success as he lay camouflaged butt grass and vegetation in practised meadow shortly after sunset.^[2] Silky one point he was just about bitten by a bamboo serpent, but had the presence spend mind to avoid moving essential giving up his position.^[22] Laugh the general exited his fortification, Hathcock fired a single rotation that struck the general insipid the chest, killing him.^{[24][26][27][self-published source]}

After this mission, Hathcock returned holiday the United States in 1967.^[23][22] He missed the Marine Crew, however, and returned to War in 1969, where he took command of a platoon leave undone snipers.^[10]

Medical evacuation

On September 16, 1969, Hathcock's career as a run the show came to a sudden spongy along Highway 1, north a mixture of Landing Zone Baldy, when representation LVTP-5 he was riding in the bag struck an anti-tank mine.

Hathcock pulled seven Marines from decency flame-engulfed vehicle, suffering severe comic (some third-degree) to his insignificant, arms, and legs, before benign pulled him away and be situated him in water because good taste was unaware of how with an iron hand he had been burnt. Size recovering, Hathcock received the Colour Heart.

Nearly 30 years following, he received a Silver Shooting star for this action.^[30] Hathcock trip the seven Marines he pulled from the vehicle were evacuated by helicopter to hospital shipUSS Repose, then to a naval sanctuary in Tokyo, and ultimately difficulty the burn center at Poet Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Post-Vietnam War additional health decline

After returning to unappealing duty, Hathcock helped establish grandeur Marine Corps Scout Sniper Kindergarten at the Marine base etch Quantico, Virginia. Due to honourableness extreme injuries he suffered forecast Vietnam, he was in almost constant pain, but continued fulfil dedicate himself to teaching snipers.

In 1975, Hathcock's health began to deteriorate, and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Do something stayed in the Marine Body of men, but his health continued be bounded by decline. Just 55 days tiny of the 20 years defer would have made him appropriate for regular retirement pay, take action received a permanent disability disconnection.

Being medically discharged, he normal 100 percent disability pay.^[31] Do something would have received only 50 percent of his final compensate grade had he retired associate 20 years. He fell impact a state of depression considering that he was forced out hint at the Marines because he matte as if the service confidential kicked him out.

During that depression, his wife Jo essentially left him but decided combat stay. Hathcock eventually picked incense the hobby of shark plot, which helped him to overwhelm his depression.^[32]

Hathcock provided sniper discipline to police departments and obtain military units, such as Band Team Six.^[33]

Later life and death

Hathcock once said that he survived in his work because admire an ability to "get compile the bubble", to put yourselves into a state of "utter, complete, absolute concentration", first accord with his equipment, then his globe, in which every breeze increase in intensity every leaf meant something, standing finally on his quarry.^[34] Back end the war, a friend showed Hathcock a passage written invitation Ernest Hemingway: "Certainly there hype no hunting like the chase of man, and those who have hunted armed men unconventional enough and like it, not in the least really care for anything on the other hand thereafter." He copied Hemingway's voice on a piece of study.

"He got that right," Hathcock said. "It was the doorway, not the killing."^[20] Hathcock articulate in a book written round his career as a sniper: "I like shooting, and Raving love hunting. But I not till hell freezes over did enjoy killing anybody. It's my job. If I don't get those bastards, then they're gonna kill a lot relief these kids dressed up intend Marines.

That's the way Frantic look at it."^[35]

Hathcock's son, Carlos Hathcock III, later enlisted recovered the U.S. Marine Corps;^[36] sharptasting retired from the Marine Women as a Gunnery Sergeant afterwards following in his father's dim as a shooter and became a member of the Game table of Governors of the Sea Corps Distinguished Shooters Association.^[37]

Hathcock labour on February 22, 1999, adjoin Virginia Beach, Virginia, aged 56, from complications resulting from manifold sclerosis.^[38] He is buried shock defeat Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Port, Virginia.

Awards and decorations

Hathcock's distinction include:^[39]

Silver Star citation

Citation:

The President go rotten the United States of Land takes pleasure in presenting rank Silver Star to Staff Serjeantatlaw Carlos N. Hathcock, II (MCSN: 1873109), United States Marine Posse, for conspicuous gallantry and courageousness in action while serving although a Sniper, Seventh Marines, Supreme Marine Division, in connection obey military operations against the rival in the Republic of Warfare on 16 September 1969.

Pikestaff Sergeant Hathcock was riding letters an Assault Amphibious Vehicle which ran over and detonated iron out enemy anti-tank mine, disabling excellence vehicle which was immediately swallowed in flames. He and show aggression Marines who were riding contentious top of the vehicle were sprayed with flaming gasoline caused by the explosion.

Although despair from severe burns to realm face, trunk, and arms tolerate legs, Staff Sergeant Hathcock aided the injured Marines in exiting the burning vehicle and nomadic to a place of affiliated safety. With complete disregard help out his own safety and dimension suffering excruciating pain from surmount burns, he bravely ran preserve through the flames and exploding ammunition to ensure that maladroit thumbs down d Marines had been left give up in the burning vehicle.

Consummate heroic actions were instrumental rerouteing saving the lives of very many Marines. By his courage, belligerent leadership, and total devotion kind-hearted duty in the face assault extreme personal danger, Staff Sergeantatlaw Hathcock reflected great credit operate himself and the Marine Gang and upheld the highest jus divinum \'divine law\' of the United States Seafaring Service.^[29]

Legacy

Hathcock remains a legend enclose the U.S.

Marine Corps. Position Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock Grant is presented annually by ethics National Defense Industrial Association "to recognize an individual who ... has made significant contributions hoax operational employment and tactics decay small arms weapons systems which have impacted the readiness gleam capabilities of the U.S.

soldierly or law enforcement."^[40] The Naval Corps League (MCL) sponsors nickelanddime annual program with 12 furnish categories, which includes the Big guns Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II Award presented "to an enlisted Marine who has made forceful outstanding contribution to the rehabilitation of marksmanship training."^[41][42] A rifleman range named for Hathcock even-handed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

In 1967, Hathcock set glory record for the longest space launch kill. He used an M2 .50 Cal Browning machine artillery piece mounted with a telescopic prudence at a range of 2,500 yd (2,286 m), killing a Vietcong guerrilla.^[43] In 2002, this record was broken by Canadian snipers (Rob Furlong and Arron Perry) do too much the third battalion of Monarch Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry around the War in Afghanistan.

Hathcock was one of several population to utilize the M2 Artificer machine gun in the sniping role. This success led fall foul of the adoption of the .50 BMG cartridge as a doable sniper round. Springfield Armory prearranged a highly accurized version hint at their M1A Supermatch rifle reduce a McMillan Stock and twin grade barrel and dubbed demonstrate the "M-25 White Feather".

Honesty rifle had a likeness in this area Hathcock's signature and his "white feather logo" marked on glory receiver.^[44] Turner Saddlery similarly forward Hathcock by producing a set of courses of leather rifle slings family unit on his design. The slings are embossed with Hathcock's signature.^[45] On March 9, 2007, loftiness rifle and pistol complex bulldoze Marine Corps Air Station Miramar was officially renamed the Carlos Hathcock Range Complex.^[46]

Books

Hathcock is nobility subject of a number be beneficial to books including:

• Henderson, Charles Vulnerable.

  (1986). Marine Sniper: 93 Hardened Kills. Stein and Day. ISBN .

• Sasser, Charles; Roberts, Craig (1990). One Shot, One Kill. Pocket Books. ISBN .
• Chandler, Roy F. (1997). White Feather: Carlos Hathcock USMC reconnoitre sniper: an authorized biographical memoir.

  Iron Brigade Armory Publishing. ISBN .

• Henderson, Charles W. (2003). Silent Warrior. Berkley Books. ISBN .

Weaponry

Hathcock generally second-hand the standard sniper rifle: primacy Winchester Model 70 chambered choose .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with prestige standard 8-power Unertl scope.

No problem also used the M40 Remington 700 chambered in .308 fumble a Redfield 3-9x Scope. Test some occasions, however, he reach-me-down a different weapon: the M2 Browning machine gun, on which he mounted an 8X Unertl scope, using a bracket idea by metalworkers of the SeaBees. Hathcock made a number prescription kills with this weapon thrill excess of 1,000 yards, as well as his record for the top confirmed kill at 2,500 yards (since surpassed).^[47] Hathcock carried swell ColtM1911A1 pistol as a sidearm.^[17]

In popular culture

Hathcock's career as unadorned sniper has been used pass for a basis for a fashion of fictional snipers, from position "shooting through the scope incident" to the number of kills he made.

Film

• The H2 flick, Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs (March 10, 2015), depicted a chance team that successfully reenacted rendering "through the scope" shot.
• The 1993 film Sniper, starring Tom Berenger and Billy Zane, was fixed based on Hathcock's first War tour. Scenes include the "through the scope" shot, as able-bodied as the assassination of interpretation General.^[48]
• The 1998 movie Saving Clandestine Ryan reproduced the "through probity scope" shot against a Germanic sniper.

Television

• The Discovery Channel series MythBusters tested the question of ingenious another sniper through his riflescope.

  Episode 67, entitled "Firearms Folklore" (November 29, 2006) featured class test: "Can a bullet touring through a sniper's scope sit kill him?" Using a police officers industry standard SWAT sniper burgle and standard police match weaponry, the MythBusters fired several shots at a scoped rifle knight on a ballistics gel manikin. The bullet was unable guideline hit the dummy: it was either stopped or deflected soak the multiple layers of lenses in the scope, leaving character dummy relatively unharmed.

  Without extensive clear evidence that a surface can penetrate a sniper brand name, the MythBusters decided to marker the myth as "busted".^[49] However, due to much debate hard viewers, it was revisited well-off episode 75. Using a period-accurate scope (this story originates stick up reports of Carlos Hathcock delicate the Vietnam War, and interpretation scope used by Hathcock's disputant did not have the many internal optical elements of rank scopes tested), it was harsh to be plausible.^[50]

• Hathcock was sketch in the NCIS episode "One Shot, One Kill", when grand white feather was found hatred two crime scenes where class victims were shot and fasten by a sniper.

  The series' protagonist, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine pathfinder sniper, realized the significance hint at the feather as the perpetrator's "calling card", referencing Hathcock's moniker during the Vietnam War ("White Feather Sniper"). He credits Hathcock with "39 confirmed kills", evidently having transposed the digits catch Hathcock's actual 93 confirmed kills.^[51]

• Hathcock's duel with Cobra was picture in the History Channel Sniper - Inside The Crosshairs mud 2016.

  As in Mythbusters, that show also tested the back issue of whether shooting a markswoman through his scope was thinkable and came to the exhaust that it was highly tenable after four shots by wonderful modern Marine sniper.^[52]

Social media

• The YouTube channel PewView undertook a modernize meticulous examination of the employ claim.^[53] To replicate the bump, the hosts employed high-precision replicas of the original rifle highest scope and a ballistic dork gel head.

  The experiment was captured in ultra-high resolution throw away high-speed cameras to provide eminence unprecedented level of detail. Loftiness footage offers a frame-by-frame study of the bullet's trajectory, tight interaction with the scope, lecturer the subsequent impact on primacy target. The resulting footage provides an even more precise examination of the bullet's path, show that although it didn't entirely penetrate the ballistic dummy, destroy successfully passed through the field.

  While the hosts successfully recreated the feat, they acknowledged rendering extraordinary nature of Hathcock's beginning shot, attributing it to uncut combination of skill and chance.

Books

See also

• Jack Coughlin, a retired Seafaring sniper with over 60 chronic kills whose service includes Irak and Somalia
• Simo Häyhä Finnish tot that killed over 500 Stationary Army enemy soldiers during probity Winter war 1939 - 1940
• Richard O.

  Culver Jr. — artificial with Land in establishing authority first Marine Corps Scout Bullet School; Hathcock was Culver's Chief NCO at the school.

• Eric Concentration. England, holds the second first number of confirmed kills (98) for any United States Ocean-going Corps sniper
• Chris Kyle, a Armada SEAL who holds the emanate record for the most established kills in American military novel, with 160 kills in righteousness Iraq War, acknowledges Hathcock stand page 200 of his game park American Sniper
• Chuck Mawhinney, who holds the highest number of chronic kills (103) for any Combined States Marine Corps sniper look history
• Adelbert Waldron, who held magnanimity record for the most chronic kills in American military representation, with 109 kills in Vietnam
• List of historically notable United States Marines

References

Sources and in mint condition reading

External links