It was many years after I'd read a book about the famous U.S. sniper "White Feather", aka Carlos Hathcock, that I'd heard of this man...
RIP sir -- Thank you for your service. Godspeed.
Old No7
Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney died at the age of 75 after an incredible life, both in the military and after. Mawhinney is famous for over 100 confirmed kills as a sniper in Vietnam. “I’m just a simple person, and in Vietnam, I was just doing my job.” Mawhinney once said. His famous quote represents just how humble he was. Mawhinney worked for the U.S. Forest Service after his time in the Marines, retiring after 27 years, and for most of his life, no one knew just how legendary he was.
The general public never would have known about Mawhinney if it weren't for one of his former spotters writing a memoir. Joseph Ward detailed his military exploits in the book, “Dear Mom: A Sniper’s Vietnam.” He ended up using the same rifle Mawhinney had, and in his book, he mentioned that Mawhinney had a whopping 101 confirmed kills.
Though Ward’s book didn’t initially sell very well, other authors and historians eventually stumbled across the book where they found out about Mawhinney’s record-smashing confirmed kills during the Vietnam War. Though it was later confirmed that the claim of 101 kills was low, that number was questioned because it exceeded the legendary Marine Scout Sniper Carlos Hathcock, who had 93 confirmed kills.
Jim Lindsay, author of “The Sniper: The Untold Story of the Marine Corps' Greatest Marksman of All Time,” met Mawhinney in 1979 at the Idle Hour tavern in Baker City, Oregon. Lindsay said that people seemed to not believe Mawhinney, but he confirmed that he did, in fact, have 103 confirmed kills and 216 unconfirmed kills during his 16 months of duty in Vietnam. “Chuck's platoon leader had kept track of the kills. He had the kill sheets and verified Chuck’s numbers,” Lindsay said. “So, there was no argument then. His life changed overnight. All of a sudden, everybody knew him.”
When Mawhinney returned home from the Vietnam War, he saw how veterans were being treated and quietly left his military life behind him. He loved to hunt and trap, and that’s what he did when he wasn’t working. Lindsay said he never knew about Mawhinney’s military service until the media spread his story.
RIP: Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney
Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
RIP: Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
"Freedom and the Second Amendment... One cannot exist without the other." © 2000 DTH
Re: RIP: Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney
May GOD give him a special place to rest and relax. He has earned some forgiveness by his selflessness.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
- Ysabel Kid
- Moderator
- Posts: 28113
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:10 pm
- Location: South Carolina, USA
- Contact:
- gamekeeper
- Spambot Zapper
- Posts: 17626
- Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:32 pm
- Location: Over the pond unfortunately.
Re: RIP: Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney
Rest in peace Marine.
Whatever you do always give 100%........... unless you are donating blood.
Re: RIP: Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney
I read that this morning and felt a sense of loss although I never met the man or even seen him. I knew about Hathcock years before I heard of Mawhanney as he kept a very low profile. Rest in Peace Sir!
Re: RIP: Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney
Sadly he chose to end his own life , so many veterans never get the help they deserve and try to hide what they are feeling inside ,even from family.
Sad end to an American Legend
Prayers for his family.
Rest in Peace
Sad end to an American Legend
Prayers for his family.
Rest in Peace
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 9357
- Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:05 am
- Location: Sweetwater, TX
Re: RIP: Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney
If you know eastern Oregon -- Lakeview, where he grew up, and Baker City -- you realize what an ordinary Oregon kid can achieve with skill, dedication and discipline. I was put at ease by his post-Army career with the Forest Service. It had to be healing for him to be "working in the woods."
A little more detail here:
https://www.military.com/history/2024/0 ... .html?amp=
A little more detail here:
https://www.military.com/history/2024/0 ... .html?amp=
Re: RIP: Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney
I salute him and Thank Lord for people like him! Read and studied everything I could find about him ever since he was revealed.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life"
"Better drawdown Alvin!"
"If you gotta shoot, shoot don't talk"
Conservative since day one and until the last!
"Better drawdown Alvin!"
"If you gotta shoot, shoot don't talk"
Conservative since day one and until the last!