spook of the ozarks

unapologetic liberal

Monday, May 29, 2006

Carlos Hathcock, 1942-1999

Max posts a list of Arkansas miltary heroes who have been featured on a KUAR biographical series. Missing from that list is Carlos Norman Hathcock II, a Little Rock native and Silver Star-earner. From his Wikipedia entry:

Widely recognized as the Marines' most proficient sniper, Hathcock had killed a confirmed 93 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong personnel. His actual total is believed to be well over 100, which the official count does not reflect. North Vietnam even put a bounty of $50,000 on his life, which was far more than other bounties put on U.S. snipers -- typically only $50-$100. The Viet Cong called him Lông Trắng, "the white feather sniper," because he always wore one in the band of his bush hat and only removed it once while stalking an NVA general.
... Hathcock's career as a sniper came to a sudden end outside Khe Sanh in 1969, when the amphibious tractor he was riding on struck an anti-tank mine. Hathcock pulled seven Marines off the flame-engulfed vehicle before jumping to safety. As was his way, he rejected any commendation for his bravery. He came out of the attack with severe burns over 90 percent of his body, 49 percent of which were third-degree burns. He was evacuated to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, where he underwent 13 skin graft operations. The nature of the injuries left him unable to perform effectively in combat with a rifle.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home