USMC Snipers - VFW Magazine

[Griff Murphey]

Considering that Hathcock's rifle was a pitted barrel ex-special services hunting rifle (according to Jim Land in his AMERICAN RIFLEMAN article) he did damn well. Every book and article about those guys shows that it was very much an improvised program. Hathcock came to the Regionals at Camp Bullis, Texas, in the Spring of 1969 and as a college boy I was introduced to him by S/Sgt John Stanfield who was the platoon sergeant of 4th USMCR Recon Bn Sniper Platoon. I thought he was remote and kind of stuck up until years later when I read Henderson's book and learned he had just received unexpected orders to Vietnam which cheated him out of the NRA regional. I am very grateful that I had this opportunity although it was many years before I truly appreciated who I had met. It was his unique combination of fieldcraft, fitness, stamina, nerve, and marksmanship that enabled him to do what he did. Another book I recommend is Ed Kugler's book from the standpoint of a much more typical USMC sniper, DEAD CENTER.