US Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock is one of the greatest snipers in history, alongside legends like Vasily Zaytsev, Lyudmila Pavlichenko and Simo Häyhä. During the Vietnam War, he scored nearly 100 confirmed kills, with more likely unconfirmed. His deadly accuracy and reputation were so well known that the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) enlisted the help of a terrifying sniper called “Cobra,” whose sole mission was to hunt him down.
Carlos Hathcock served valiantly with the US Marine Corps
Carlos Hathcock was born in 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas, where his family relied on hunting for their livelihood, giving him an early exposure to firearms. From a young age, he aspired to join the US Marine Corps, a goal he achieved at just 17.
Sent to Vietnam in 1966 as a military policeman, Hathcock quickly attracted notice for his natural shooting skills. Acknowledging his remarkable abilities, his superiors moved him to Capt. Edward James Land’s sniper platoon, a position he eagerly accepted.
Taunting enemy soldiers with a white feather
Hathcock quickly gained a fearsome reputation, taking down numerous targets. He became known for wearing a white feather in his hat during missions, a bold taunt to enemy soldiers that earned him the infamous nickname “White Feather” among the North Vietnamese.
Due to his lethal effectiveness, the North Vietnamese Army placed a $30,000 bounty on his head, the highest of the war. Many snipers tried to claim the reward, but, as Marty Robbins’ song “Big Iron” says, “Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead.”
Recounting his encounter with ‘the Apache woman’
Carlos Hathcock’s renown is partly due to the vivid detail he provided while sharing stories of his missions. One particularly harrowing account involved “the Apache woman,” a female sniper who had been active in the Vietnamese jungles long before Hathcock’s arrival, causing pain to captured Marines within range of their bases.
While on patrol, Hathcock encountered a group of Viet Cong fighters. Initially, everything seemed routine, but when one of them squatted to urinate, he identified her as the Apache woman and quickly eliminated her.
Carlos Hathcock vs. ‘Cobra’
Carlos Hathcock’s most famous wartime tale revolves around his encounter with “Cobra,” an NVA sniper tasked with killing him. Acknowledging Cobra’s skill, Hathcock anticipated a tense standoff to see who would act first. While navigating the thick Vietnamese jungle, he stumbled over a fallen tree. At that exact moment, Cobra fired, narrowly missing Hathcock and instead hitting his spotter’s canteen.
Following the missed shot, Cobra adhered to sniper protocol and relocated, prompting both snipers to shift from their original positions. However, Cobra accidentally positioned himself with the sun behind him, which exposed his location. Seizing the opportunity, Hathcock swiftly aimed and eliminated Cobra before he could fire again.
How many enemy soldiers did Carlos Hathcock dispatch?
Carlos Hathcock ended his service in Vietnam with 93 confirmed kills and the world record for the longest sniper shot, which remained unbroken for 35 years. Due to the way kills were confirmed during the war, his tally is likely much higher, with he himself having estimated it to be between 300 and 400.
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The heroic Marine Corps sniper passed away on February 22, 1999, at the age of 56.