HENDERSON LAYS CROSSHAIRS ON FANTASTIC MILITARY NOVEL

            Charles Henderson's Marine Sniper recounts the exhilarating tale of Gunnery Sergeant Charles Hathcock's sniping campaign in Vietnam. Although it was a biography, Marine Sniper could have easily been picked off a list of best-selling fiction novels. Hathcock battles hunger, sleep deprivation, solitude, and emotional stress, and then still must risk his life while remaining focused in battle against the Vietcong. Flashback takes the place of an introductory chapter, making the organization of the novel both interesting and effective. The military legend of the white-feathered sniper is communicated to the general public through Hathcock's intriguing biography.

            Carlos Hathcock was born to be a marine. Even in his youth, he recalls shooting animals near is Arkansas home. Later, he had become a national champion of 1000 meter shooting competitions. Finally, he decided to join the military and begin boot camp in Georgia. He would soon be sent to the jungles of Vietnam to begin an experimental sniping school along with Capt. Land.

            At a time of peace protests, the American soldiers in Vietnam were fierce and bloodthirsty, but even they opposed the new tactics. Sniping was inhumane; it was murder. The targets did not pose an immediate threat to their killer. Gunnery Sergeant Hathcock changed this. Through his missions, he was able to eliminate the enemy and save countless American lives.

            Each chapter discusses an exciting expedition into the bush, a flashback of past shooting experiences, or the life of an ordinary soldier caught in a time of war. In his missions, Hathcock is able to murder a French negotiator, a savage enemy torturer, a Vietcong sniper counterpart, and a five star general.

            After returning home from the war, and venturing into various part-time jobs, Hathcock realized that he was a marine and could not be happy doing anything else. He enlisted as an instructor but would soon return to combat. While traveling to pick up supplies, he was ambushed and severely burned. He would be forced into early retirement and would instruct and local shooting ranges and take up the hobby of fishing for the rest of his life.

 

“The sniper is the big-game hunter of the battlefield, and he needs all of the skills of a woodsman, marksman, hunter, and poacher. He must possess the field craft to be able to position himself for a killing shot, and he must be able to effectively place a single bullet into his intended target. Gunnery Sergeant Hathcock was all of these things.”

 

            The author feels that Hathcock is truly the exemplary marine sniper, and he had to be in order to survive. In addition, the book makes a strong case to support the art of military sniping pointing out its advantages and discouraging the notion that sniping humanizes warfare.

            The book was particularly interesting because of the author’s ability to communicate using military dialect and terminology, while still retaining the interest and understanding of the unaccustomed reader. He did this through footnotes describing the many types of vehicles, weapons, and slang terms. This allows the reader to learn Hathcock’s intriguing story and at the same time gain military knowledge.

            Of course, however, no story of a war hero is complete without in depth descriptions of action. While Hathcock certainly has many memorable expeditions into combat, the most memorable is that in which he hunts a five star general. For three days, Hathcock moves only 500 yards without food or sleep and little water. Finally on the mourning of the fourth day, his target is visible and he is able to take a precise shot into his victim’s heart and scurry away to a designated rendezvous point.

            This book is recommended to anyone interested in war, Vietnam, or just wants to read a well written action story. The biography of Carlos Hathcock is written in a very similar fashion to the movie, Enemy at the Gates. Combining the many aspects of a young soldier’s life with the action of war, this is both an entertaining and informative read.