George everette bud day is arguably the most decorated united states air force veteran in history. 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. Charles henderson is a veteran of more than twentythree years in the united states. The m21 sniper weapon system sws in the us army is a national match grade m14 rifle, selected for accuracy, and renamed the m21 rifle. In addition to serving in the vietnam war, korean war and world war ii, he also received the medal of honor and the air force cross. I realize that this is subject to interpretation, but the indiana rangers company d, 151st infantry air guard is often cited as one of the most even the most highly decorated units to have served in vietnam.
Army special operations command in a ceremony here, oct. I first read this book after pulling it off the shelf in my familys library. Long before chris kyle penned american sniper, carlos hathcock was already a legend. One of these knives is awarded to the top graduate of each class from the usmc scout sniper. They find the phillipses daughter, moira, and her rescue dogs. In the dense and steamy jungle warfare present in the vietnam war, the uses for a highly trained sniper were many. Hathcock once rigged an optic to an m2 machine gun and used it to record a confirmed kill at 2,500 yd, which is still the 5th longest confirmed sniper kill in history. In saving private ryan 1998, private daniel jackson barry pepper shoots a german sniper through the latters rifle scope, giving a nod to carlos hathcock. While carlos hathcock is perhaps the most famous sniper of the vietnam war, he actually ranks fourth in the number of confirmed kills. Most decorated vietnam vet who was the most decorated nam vet.
Carlos norman hathcock ii may 20, 1942 february 22, 1999 was a united states marine. He tells about his chronological experiences in the jungles of vietnam where he was deployed for a year. Dec 15, 2008 who is the most decorated sniper in the american military forces. And yet it was another sniper, charles chuck mawhinney, who quietly supplanted hathcock as the marine corps deadliest sniper in the. The story of the platoon in company c, 1st recon battalion, 1st marine division is an amazing one, but id call it the most decorated patrol, not unit. Whether fighting their way out of a viet cong kill zone or battling superior numbers of nva crack troops, the sniper teams were at the cutting edge in the art of jungle warfare, showing the patience, stealth, combat marksmanship, and raw courage that made the unit the most decorated regimental sniper platoon in the vietnam war. This sniper program was initiated in the states and was set in motion as. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of open. Kyle, 38, wrote the bestselling book, american sniper. The book is an interesting biography and treatise on what it takes to be. Joe ronnie hooper august 8, 1938 may 6, 1979 was an american who served in both the united states navy and united states army where he finished his career there as a captain. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read dear mom. A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of. 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.
These 3 snipers had more kills than carlos hathcock in vietnam. This marine was the american sniper of the vietnam war. Army online bookshelf go army overseas service bar display recognition and hardware go. I was impressed with hathcock, but i must say i doubt his ultimate story of shooting a top north vietnamese sniper through the scope of the enemys rifle a split. Usasoc honors clandestine sf unit from vietnam war article. He was the last vietnam special forces medal of honor recipient still on active duty when he retired on sept. Like the other sniper team members, he was fully equipped with the art of jungle warfare, the patience required to accomplish a mission, combat marksmanship, and, last but not least, the most valuable quality of courage. He was the only child of carlos and agnes hathcock. I did a tour in vietnam but never heard of any snipers there. See more ideas about vietnam, vietnam war photos and vietnam war. Charles chuck mawhinney was one of the most lethal snipers of the vietnam war with 103 confirmed kills. A snipers vietnam, released in 1991 by marine sniper joseph ward, marine sniper and vietnam.
Otherwise, the two man sniper team of msg gary gordon and sfc randy shugart was the most decorated unit of all time. Earned 1 of every ribbon in competitive multiplayer worth 20 gamerscore. Charles benjamin chuck mawhinney born 1949 is a former united states marine who holds the corps record for the most confirmed sniper kills. An ojibwa from the parry island band in ontario, he was awarded the military medal mm plus two bars for bravery in belgium and france. The first contact i had with snipers was reading booksone about one carlos hathcocks life as a sniper in vietnam. Most decorated soldier of vietnam war was also a troublemaker. 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. He was the most highly decorated soldier of the vietnam war. Waldron served during the vietnam war in and around the mekong river.
An accomplished sniper, waldrons record of 109 confirmed kills stood as the most by an american sniper until it was broken by navy seal. The great sniper ever told in world history vietnam war. A decorated vietnam war veteran who served in the covert studies and observations group sog, plaster cofounded a renowned sniper school that trains military and law enforcement personnel in highly specialized sniper tactics. Navy seal sniper corps and how i trained americas deadliest marksmen.
What is the most decorated unit in american military. Simo hayha is the single most successful sniper in military history. The autobiography of the most lethal sniper in us military history, about the 150plus insurgents he killed between 1999 and 2009. He had 115 confirmed kills and was killed by a german snip er on 18 august 1918. The right lessons from vietnam go duane hackney, most decorated pj go dusters at khe sanh go dustoff mission go dustoff go duty in vnam. The story of carlos hathcock, who will probably always be remembered as the most effective sniper in the history of the u. Objective 2 oreanionand doctrin determine sniper organizational and doctrinal concepts for. The marine snipers vietnam story continues by charles henderson. What is the most decorated unit in american military history. Fred rogers, the founder and host of the popular u. Determine which of the sniper equipment evaluated is most suitable. 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.
From there he received orders to south vietnam where upon arrival he was. M1 garand m1c and m1d sniper variants was used by the marine corps, but replaced by the m21 in 1968. With a 109 confirmed kills, waldron is also one of the most accurate snipers ever deployed. Mar 12, 2007 billy walkabout, a native cherokee whose actions in vietnam made him among the most decorated soldiers of the war, died march 7, his stepdaughter said sunday. 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. The vietnam wars audie murphy decatur widow recalls husband, conflicts most decorated soldier. M21 sniper weapon system or xm21 in test phase an accuratized version of m14 and was the main semiautomatic sniper rifle of the war. There was no music is a recollection of a naval aviator and founding member of a unique combat aviation unit, the hal3 seawolves, the most decorated navy squadron of the vietnam conflict. Possibly americas most famous sniper of all time was in service during the vietnam conflict, carlos hathcock shot 93 viet cong fighters, often tracking them for days at a time in the jungle. The movie sniper 1993, featuring actor tom berenger, is loosely based on some of hathcocks exploits in vietnam. He is the only military member, as of 2016, to receive both awards. Otero barreto has been called the most decorated puerto rican veteran, and the news media and various organizations have called him the most decorated soldier in the vietnam war.
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. In modern sniper, well look at several branches of the military as well as the policeswat advanced training techniques that transform these ordinary men into smart, inventive soldiers. Usasoc honors clandestine sf unit from vietnam war. Us army sniper program charlie company vietnam 19661972. Theres nothing to win except to check out you memory. Vietnam us marine sniper fired 16 headshots in 30 seconds in pitch. June books fiction the summer guests, by mary alice monroe when a hurricane threatens the coasts of florida and south carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flee for the farm of their friends, grace and charles phillips, in tryon, north carolina. Please visit the mobile riverine force association.
Born in virginia in march of 1933, adelbert waldron iii. Walkabout, who lived in montville, died of pneumonia and renal failure at a norwich hospital, said his stepdaughter, randi johnson of norwich. Fifth marine sniper was the most decorated platoon in the vietnam war. One of hathcocks most famous accomplishments was shooting an enemy sniper through. Joe ronnie hooper august 8, 1938 may 6, 1979 was an american who served in both the united states navy and united states army where he finished his career there as a. In the spring of 1969 9th infantry divisions most successful ambush tactic was the sniper mode. An accomplished sniper, waldron s record of 109 confirmed kills stood as the most by an american sniper until it was broken by navy seal chris kyle. The definition of a sniper is a skilled military shooter detailed to spot and pick off enemy soldiers from a concealed place.
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. He served five tours in vietnam and is the only soldier in our nations history to be nominated for the congressional medal of honor three times for three separate actions within a thirteen month period. Childrens television personality fed rogers was a navy seal and a sniper in vietnam with 25 confirmed kills to his credit. A snipe r in the 50th canadian infantry battalion during the first world war. Hathcock fought in vietnam and, as the title says, killed 93 people that were documented and confirmed, and probably killed. In vietnam he was credited with 93 confirmed kills including that of an nva general deep in enemy territory, a female interrogator known for brutal torture, and the recordbreaking 2,500yard kill of a guerrilla with an m2. His story is told in john plasters excellent book, sog the secret wars of americas commandos in vietnam. Oct 24, 2008 the most highly decorated canadian native in the first world war was francis pegahmagabow. Plaster was a retired us army special forces soldier, regarded as one of the leading sniper experts in the world. These are the 10 deadliest snipers in history tribunist.
As they say within, this is the sort of book you would take off the shelf and. Who is the most decorated sniper in the american military. He taught himself to shoot as a boy, just like alvin york and audie murphy before him. The army credited him with killing 115 north vietnamese.
Marine scout snipers were among the most highly trained soldiers in vietnam. The deadliest sniper in united states marine corps history. Howard kramer, former sniper with the us armys 9th division in the mekong delta provides a picture perspective of his view of the vietnam war. Marine,sniper 19421999 with probably more than 300 kills during the vietnam war, carlos hathcock is the most famous sniper in united states history. Waldron is on this list as he held the highest number of conformed kills for any american sniper in history until the deployment of chris kyle. Faye hooper will gather with others this morning at 10 at roselawn cemetery and do what she recommends for every american. Usmc sniper legend carlos hathcock his own words complete. Extensive photo gallery with comments by the photographer.
The vietnam sniper who shot an enemy sniper through the. 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. Army sniper bert waldron recorded 109 kills over 16 months while serving with the 9th infantry division in vietnam. This marine sniper left vietnam with 103 confirmed kills military times.
After a platoon of vietnamese snipers was sent to hunt down white feather, many. He earned the medal of honor while serving as an army staff sergeant on february 21, 1968 during the vietnam war. During two combat tours, he earned 37 medals, including the medal of honor, two silver stars, six bronze stars and eight purple hearts. Born in virginia in march of 1933, adelbert waldron iii served in the vietnam war as a staff sergeant for the 9th infantry division. Hathcock amassed 93 confirmed kills during the vietnam war. Land said that when he left vietnam, the m40 was fast replacing all other sniper rifles, from the special services rifles to the targetgrade winchester model 70s to the m1s in various configurations. Evaluate current employment of sniper personnel and equipment in vietnam. Feb 11, 2004 the most decorated unit in vietnam was a national guard unit hon posted on 02112004 8. The most decorated unit in vietnam was a national guard unit. Howard is said to be our nations most decorated soldier from the vietnam war.
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