Wild Night of Drinking and a Fake Toothache Turned Into the US Marine Corps Deadliest Sniper
Several news outlets are putting out a promotion for a new book about US Marine Corps sniper Charles “Chuck” Mawhinney.
Ryan Pickrell | Jun 24, 2023
* The deadliest sniper in Marine Corps history is Charles “Chuck” Mawhinney.
* During the Vietnam War, he had 103 confirmed kills and 216 probable kills over 16 months in country.
* But the legendary sniper might not have been one if it weren’t for some unexpected developments.
Chuck Mawhinney is a legend for the death he dealt in Vietnam as a sniper protecting his fellow Marines, but he might never have become one if it hadn’t been for getting blackout drunk at the worst possible time and, later, faking a toothache to score a chance to join a sniper team, a new book has revealed.
With 103 confirmed kills and hundreds more probable, Mawhinney is the deadliest sniper in Marine Corps history, a fact that ruffled some feathers when it first came to light decades after the end of the Vietnam War.
Jim Lindsay’s “The Sniper,” the first biography to explore Mawhinney’s life and experiences in and out of war with his input, tells the story of a wild young man who found his calling in a horrible conflict he would later try, unsuccessfully, to leave behind. Though he has accepted his service and fame, some of the nightmares have never quite gone away.
Mawhinney made his name as a scout sniper and skilled marksman, but that wasn’t what he wanted when he joined the Marines, like his father before him, the book suggests. What he really wanted to do was fly.
Then…
But even as a Marine, Mawhinney couldn’t completely shake his reckless behavior, and a night of drinking cost him his chance to be an aviator. But it did open the door to becoming a sniper.
The night before an 8 a.m. exam to qualify for aviation training, Mawhinney’s friends invited him to get tattoos. He thought that was silly given that none of them had seen combat but went with them and joined his friends when they got drinks for a little liquid courage.
Next thing he knew, he woke up in a movie theater at 5 a.m., the only one of his friends to have actually gotten a tattoo.
When he got back to base for the qualification test, he failed it, meaning he’d have to wait another month to try again. In that waiting period though, he learned about a new program that hadn’t existed when the US first entered the Vietnam War: the Marine Corps Scout Sniper program.
Another article can be found here:
American sniper Chuck Mawhinney holds record for deadliest aim
The legendary Carlos Hathcock – nicknamed “White Feather” by the enemy – had 93 confirmed kills and around 300 unconfirmed.
Pffft! Not to take anything away from these gentlemen but I’m thinking we have one or two POSers that claimed way more confirmed kills. If we can just declassify those darned records and recover the ones lost in the 1973 Fire.
I’m also sure we can find a POSer or two that can drink Mawhinney under the table.
Category: Marine Corps
One of the posers we know works at All-Points Logistics.
And copies of this “How to Book” will be issued to all new prospective employees.
“Thou shalt not kill my fellow Marines.” BZ, Devil Dog. God stayed rather busy sorting them out, didn’t He?
You do understand that God exists outside of time, right? All of our civilized history has been the blink of an eye…
“One of the rifles he used in Vietnam is displayed in the Vietnam Gallery of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, where it has been shown since its opening in 2006.”
Mawhinney was recognized as the USMC sniper with the most confirmed kills and the Second most of any US service member.
U.S. Army Sniper Adelbert Waldron III holds the record with 109 confirmed kills.
https://snipercentral.com/adelbert-f-waldron-iii/
Adelbert F. Waldron III, “Bert”, was the most accomplished U.S. sniper during the Vietnam conflict. Adelbert originally joined the U.S. Navy in 1953 where he served for twelve years and left as an E-5 in 1965. In 1968 Sgt. Waldron enlisted in the US Army as a Sergeant and headed to Vietnam as part of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division. Sgt. Waldron qualified as an expert marksman and was sent to the now famous 9th ID sniper school that was run in country by the Army Marksmanship Unit with the support of the 9th ID commander, General Julian Ewell. Once graduated, Sgt. Waldron then found himself back working with the Navy in the Mekong Delta in the brown water ‘Tango Boats’ and PBRs. It was in this very hostile area that Sgt. Waldron operated as a sniper.”
“At the end of his tour in mid 1969 the 36 year old Sgt. Waldron had 109 confirmed kills, highest among all U.S. servicemen during the Vietnam conflict. Sgt. Waldron primarily used the M-21 SWS during his time as a sniper and on occasion would use a starlight equipped M-14 or M-21 for nighttime operations. General Ewell also credited Sgt. Waldron with making a single shot confirmed kill at 900 yards from a moving Tango Boat. Adelbert ended his tour in Vietnam as a Staff Sergeant E-6 and had been awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Presidential Unit Citation, and two Distinguished Service Crosses.”
“Staff Sergeant Adelbert Waldron III died on October 18, 1995 at the age of 62.”
Rest In Peace, Soldier.
Salute.
Never Forget.
US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is listed as having 160 confirmed kills. Is Waldron in relation to the Vietnam War?
We did not proofread…
Sentence was supposed to read:
“U.S. Army Sniper Adelbert Waldron III holds the record with 109 confirmed kills during the Vietnam Conflict”
Thanks for catching the missing sentence: “during the Vietnam Conflict”.
👍
Mawhinney is a spokesman for Strider Knives, which produces a knife bearing his signature on the blade. One of these knives is awarded to the top graduate of each class from the USMC Scout Sniper School in Camp Pendleton, CA.
Knife:
A big shout out goes to Simo Hayha armed with a M28-30 Mosin-Nagant. The White Death. The Winter War between Finland and Russia.
He was known to be able to estimate range to 1 meter accuracy out to 700 meters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4
Another shout out for Lyudmila Pavlichenko. A very deadly Russian female sniper of WWII.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyudmila_Pavlichenko
A man of his times, indeed…
Today, getting blackout drunk to that extent would be a career-ender, or at least a reprimand, unless you’re one of the protected classes. All those kills would be scrutinized to the nth degree by some desk jockey, and after-action reports would be scrubbed by a Judge Advocate type to ensure that no “war crimes” were committed. The slightest hiccup, and instant hero to zero syndrome would ensue.
Not a protected class,, BUT,,,, I have conditioned my body over the years!!!😂😂😆😆🤣🤣