CARLOS NORMAN HATHCOCK

As a active duty Marine, and Competitive shooter, I'd heard the name "Hathcock" the first time at the 1988 Western Divisional Rifle and Pistol Championships. I remember thinking that, "This was some incredible feat for a Marine to be able to do!" Not only to WIN the Wimbeldon cup, become a Distinguished Marksman, but to also amass such an incredible count for confirmed kills in combat. Anyone who's ever been on the firing line knows that it takes supreme concentration to just get a NRA Expert qualification, and yet the Gunny had gone on to win the most prestigious Long range rifle shooting match on the planet. Just reading of the Gunnys exploits in the book, "Marine Sniper, 93 Confirmed Kills" is enough to send shivers down your spine. THEN, I had a chance to meet the Marine Superman at a Rifle Match down at Stone Bay, Camp Lejuene and my first thought was, What? This short, skinny guy? THIS is the incredible, Terrible "Long Tr'ang" who terrorized the NVA and Viet Cong? But two minutes after I started speaking to him (really just listening) and I was convinced that I was in the presence of a truely great Marine. Just the fact that old, Grizzled Master Sergeants, and Chief Warrent Officers who stood in complete Awe in his presence, and were as quiet and respectful as Boot camp recruits was the proof that I needed. It was like a wall of quiet would follow him around up and down the firing line. I think everybody probably shot a little better that day, such was the Impact of his presence. And later on, in fact late last year, I had the Privilge of working with his son, Carlos III at Cherry Point. He was the coach of our Intramural Rifle and Pistol team. Even though we took second in the Rifle match and second in the ITT match (Rattle Battle) the respect that he commanded was something to behold. I count Carlos (the son) as my friend, and I feel blessed to have met his father. May he always be remembered, and may his legacy - the Marine Scout/Sniper school and all its graduates, never fall by the wayside due to some Dove in our government with some lofty ideal that Snipers are Immoral and wrong. Two minutes in the presence of Long Tr'ang would change anyones mind! Auf wiedersehen Gunny!
 
re Scott Evans comment - very good reminder Scott! I believe that Mrs. Hathcock has directed donations to be made to the MS Foundation (I'll get the proper specs and post them). There have been a couple of charity benefit events for Gunny Hathcock over the last year, including the Storm Mountain match that made the front page of the Wall Street Journal. SM is planning a Memorial Benefit match in October (their website is http://www.stormmountain.com) - Rod Ryan owns the school and is a great, stand-up guy. I'll upload any further dope on donations, etc as soon as I get my hands on it.
Mike
 
Thanks Mike I am interested in any information and possibly other members of TFL as well.

Unkel Gilbey,
Are you still in the Coastal Carolina area ? My Shop is less then 5 miles from the main gate of Camp LeJeune. If so stop by; we are slowly putting in a range and you and I could burn a few rounds together. Nearly all of us at Edge-Works are former or retired Marines.
 
It is still winter here in Indiana, and in winter I read a lot. At this time I am rereading Rough Riders, by Roosevelt, reading Scouting On Two Continents, by Burnham, and a couple of more.

Hathcock would fit right in with Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, or Burnham scouting in Africa. He was such a man. He will be missed. GLV
 
I was lucky enough to meet this fine man, and can only say we have suffered the loss of a genuine hero.
 
Ed - CH scored a confirmed kill at 2,500 meters using a Browning M2 .50 cal fitted with an Unertl 8x scope. He was set up on a hillside near Duc Pho during Operation Desoto in Quang Ngai Province (January 1967). He was watching a trail where weapons and ammo were normally run by the VC. A runner came by, but did not go any further...

Just one of many amazing feats by one helluva Marine.
Mike
 
Ed, as an interesting sidenote,

he got 3 people at that range with the "ma Duece" .50. All three shots were in the immediate area where he had sighted-in the .50.

He was on finger #2 on Hill 55, and his first(as I recall) was a BG stopped to wash his face in a puddle. Carlos shot, the guy bent over, and Carlos thought he had missed him. Just as the bullet got there, the BG, in Carlos' words, "just stood up into the bullet". Then there was a runner, and a kid, loaded down with AK's and ammo on a bicycle.
He tried to shoot a warning shot, but ended up blowing the front wheel off the bike. The kid fell down, and, unfortunately, insteead of running for his life, he started spraying bullets toward the "finger", so Carlos had to shoot him.

The most amazing shot was thru the scope of the BG. I asked Carlos how far that shot was, and he said according to his estimates, verified by a map, it was right at 500 yards.
Ouch!

When asked in a video interview, how would he like to be remembered when he died.
"Like a good pork roast!" I love it....
 
Here it is: at Ty's suggestion, the biggest "wormhole thread" ever, linking all the Carlos Hathcock memorial threads I could find: 2 on KF, one on TFL, one on BF, one on GF. By using these links you'll be able to see the contents of ALL the others, and any post you do to one will be visible to all, so you don't have to actually sign up for the other boards.

This is for memorials to and discussions of Sgt. Hathcock. POLITELY discussing the role of the sniper in modern war probably won't be frowned on, but please show the respect you would at a memorial service.

There's four links so far because the fifth is the thread you're first reading this on...I track it on a seperate notepad. PLEASE EMail me the URL of any other forum threads anywhere that discuss the Gunny and remember the passing of a true warrior; if they support HTML or UBB codes I'll try and link 'em in.

The threads are NOT labeled because it doesn't really matter, does it?

<a href="http://www.knifeforums.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000829.html">wormhole to the next stop in the Carlos Hathcock MEGATHREAD! (random jumps)</a>

<a href="http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000182.html">wormhole to the next stop in the Carlos Hathcock MEGATHREAD! (random jumps)</a>

<a href="http://www.knifeforums.com/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000642.html">wormhole to the next stop in the Carlos Hathcock MEGATHREAD! (random jumps)</a>

<a href="http://www.gunforums.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000076.html">wormhole to the next stop in the Carlos Hathcock MEGATHREAD! (random jumps)</a>

Jim March
 
If the Army and the Mavy ever gaze on Heaven's scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines.
Sergeant of the Guard is ON DECK!
Semper Fi Gunny.
Ken Cook
fmr
CPL/2111/USMC
 
this fu**'n sucks, the greatest sniper to have ever lived is dead, atleast it ain't no vc that got him, whichever vc planted that mine that got the sarge's halftrack I hope is rotting in hell

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"sapper"
 
A couple of corrections: 1 the kid on the bike, that shot was meant to hit the bike, my bases for this statement is that it is said in Marine sniper.
two: the scope he used was an UNertl 10x also noted in the book




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"sapper"
 
I first met Carlos when I was designing the M40 for the Corp. We spent a lot of hours kicking around what a sniper wanted in a rifle. He was a real gentleman and we lost a true hero with his passing. The last time I saw him was at the shot show and he wasn't a shadow of the fellow I worked with.
 
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