The cold war began and was an uphill battle for the united states. Marine corps selects and trains snipers, and watch them in action from eastern europe to vietnam. 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. Carlos norman hathcock ii may 20, 1942 february 22, 1999 was a united states marine.
Aug 10, 2018 lately my mind has been stuck on vietnam war era sniper optics and rifles. Michael lee lanning recounts the experiences of united states military snipers during the vietnam war, discussing how the sniper program was formed, how snipes have been used in military operations since vietnam, and. During vietnam, the army snipers quietly went about their business with no publicity, and no chest. Friends keep asking me about the subject and it has come up a lot this month. Oct 26, 2015 the american sniper could be regarded as the greatest allaround rifleman the world has ever known. The american sniper could be regarded as the greatest allaround rifleman the world has ever known. Unless the marines were using the l96 accuracy international in vietnam before it was manufactured.
The secret wars of americas commandos in vietnam became the basis for the game call. Looks like a stock photo used for the article by the private that wrote the article. Sharpshooters and snipers in world war 1 i the great war. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of. Sniper inside the crosshairs is a documentary based show profiling the worlds best sniper shots and feats known to man. Mawhinney, the son of a world war ii marine corps veteran, was born in 1949 in lakeview, oregon, and was. Over 500 confirmed kills in a few months of combat, and one of the greatest snipers in history. The only snipers i ever knew were strange at best and loners. Sniper collection of history channel docos books on war. Six years ago, while fighting raged in iraqs cities, i heard that american snipers were racking up phenomenal numbers of kills, possibly overtaking the vietnam war records of u. Us army sniper program 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. From the authors of the classic sniper chronicle one shotone kill comes a new generation of true tales from some of the most expert and deadly marksmen in the world. Meet adelbert waldron ii, whose 109 confirmed kills in.
It was the marines who pressed the winchester model 70 into service as a sniper rifle in vietnam. For a large part of the year and a half he was there, the u. Jim land was the co of the marine sniper program in vietnam, he had more press releases then snipers. Inside the crosshairs by karga7 on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. An interesting point is that the two most famous snipers of the war, carlos hathcock and chuck mawhinney used the model 70 and the m40 respectively. 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. One day during a forward observation mission, hathcock and his spotter encountered a newly. Inside the crosshairs takes you on a journey to discover the science and psychology behind the most extreme shots in military history. Snipers often did not have an acting third party present, making confirmation difficult, especially if the target was behind enemy lines, as was usually the case. Typically, each sta team had two members, the team leader equipped with a longrange, speciallymade. This marine was the american sniper of the vietnam war. It looks and handles like the classic but offers far superior accuracy. Major john plaster served three tours in vietnam and wrote several books about snipers.
There he worked as a scout sniper for different companies with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd battalions. Carlos hathcock wore a white feather in his bush hat as he wormed his way through the jungle, following north vietnam army personnel during the vietnam war and daring the nva to spot him. This sniper program was initiated in the states and was set in motion as result of a visit to fort benning in january 1968. Aug 02, 2012 the rifle barrel of the m40 was later freefloated and the action bedded by usmc rte armorers in vietnam after the tropical climate proved almost too much for the rifle to take. Discussion in rifle country started by nipprdog, dec 20. But then again he didnt use the uberhightech equipment and methods the hc loves to go on and on about. Taking out hard targets and enemy personnel was not their main priority, although it was a secondary option. The military sniper incorporates these qualities in his battlefield function and is perhaps the model warrior for this age. Aug 16, 2010 to the men who made a difference in vietnam and saved the u. Warfare in the 21st century is characterized more and more by its precision, lethality, and unconventional nature. This documentary takes you behind the scenes to give the viewer and inside look at what it takes to pull off the shots that these men have done. This sniper program was initiated in the states and was set in motion as. Carlos hathcock wore a white feather in his bush hat as he wormed his way through the jungle, following north vietnam army.
Ken went to vietnam the way many did involuntarily. Crosshairs on the kill zone from the authors of the classic sniper chronicle one shotone kill comes a new generation of true from the jungles of vietnam to the unforgiving deserts of afghanistan and iraq, one breed of soldier has achieved legendary status in the arena of combat the sniper. To the men who made a difference in vietnam and saved the u. Famous snipers famous snipers in history pictures cbs news. Deconstruct wellknown missions, from vietnam to iraq to afghanistan, by hearing firsthand recollections from the soldiers who were there and whose fingers pulled the triggers. In the spring of 1969 9th infantry divisions most successful ambush tactic was the sniper mode. In the past months i have written a bit about the use of and primary rifles used by the usmc for sniping use in the vietnam war. See more ideas about vietnam, vietnam war photos and vietnam war. As a former sniper with the 9th infantry division, i had the opportunity to meet many folks. The sniper has a clear advantage over other enemies in terms of range, and can outgun other enemies.
Vietnam war sniper program sample linkedin slideshare. From the jungles of vietnam to the unforgiving deserts of afghanistan and iraq, one breed of soldier has achieved legendary status in the arena of combatthe sniper. At the start of the war in vietnam, the united states had no snipers by the end of the war, marine and army precision marksmen had killed more than 10,000 nva and vc soldiersthe equivalent of an entire divisionat the cost of under 20,000 bullets, proving that longrange shooters still had a place in the battlefield. It is an evergreen topic for most people interested in us martial arms, sniping and long range shooting anyway so i thought i. Sharpshooters and snipers in world war 1 i the great war special duration. Snipers in vietnam and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. A snipers were united states marine corps units used primarily for informationgathering. Corps distinguished shooters association board of governors pdf. 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. American combat snipers, vietnam through operation iraqi freedom charles w. Sniperinside the crosshairs is a documentary based show profiling the worlds best sniper shots and feats known to man. Go on mission with members of the british royal marines and a littleknown group of female russian snipers. Charles chuck mawhinney was one of the most lethal snipers of the vietnam war with 103 confirmed kills.
Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Carlos hathcock, the top us sniper in vietnam 1968. Its a chance he was not in the 631st at all but was more than likely in the 360th 9th division in vietnam as one site shows the 360th as being where he was when awarded both dsc medals. During this tour he is credited with 103 confirmed peoples army of vietnam pavnviet. After a platoon of vietnamese snipers was sent to hunt down white feather, many. Sasser, craig roberts simon and schuster, jul 1, 2004 history 384 pages. So youd sort of expect him to at least be mentioned in a history channel show about snipers. The primary bad guy wound up fighting a detective down the side of an embankment. May 04, 2015 american snipers in vietnam jimiii hendrix. Although good in range, they face a huge disadvantage as their.
See more ideas about vietnam, vietnam war and vietnam war photos. Nov 01, 2007 it all started late last fall as a traffic stop of a suspected burglar in a neighboring county, but things rapidly went south. The reticle was standard crosshairs but there was also a range ladder to the right side with two extra horizontal stadias. Charles benjamin chuck mawhinney born 1949 is a former united states marine who holds the corps record for the most confirmed sniper kills, having recorded 103 confirmed kills and 216 probable kills in 16 months during the vietnam war. 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. Us army sniper program charlie company vietnam 19661972. These men were trained at army division base camps. 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. During this time, america would fight a number of conflicts all in the name of introducing democracy and keeping communism away from a number of countries. Vietnam war the end of world war ii would bring in a new era. The garand was a great infantry rifle, but it didnt do as well for sniping. Apr 02, 2009 ken went to vietnam the way many did involuntarily. Vietnam us marine sniper fired 16 headshots in 30 seconds in pitch. In the vietnam war, kills had to be confirmed by an acting third party, who had to be an officer, besides the snipers spotter.
Charles benjamin chuck mawhinney born 1949 is a former united states marine who holds. At the start of the war in vietnam, the united states had no snipers. Military, our snipers picked up the use of them during ww1 from the brits and then they really did not come back. It all started late last fall as a traffic stop of a suspected burglar in a neighboring county, but things rapidly went south. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of open.
Deconstruct wellknown missions, from vietnam to iraq to afghanistan, by hearing firsthand recollections from the soldiers who were there and. After safely securing a wellhidden firing position, they must prioritize highvalue targets, such as enemy snipers, machine gunners, squad leaders, and commanders, before engaging less valuable targets. Army snipers during the vietnam war, along with a commercially available sniper scope for day use, and a pvs2 starlight scope for night operations. Now i would like to talk a little about them again along with some of the supporting spotter weapons and equipment used by typical sniper teams. 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.
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