White Feather

The Legendary Sniper of Vietnam: A Biography of Carlos Hathcock

De: Ethan Steele

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

In the dense jungles of Vietnam, where shadows hid deadly ambushes and every rustle could spell doom, one Marine emerged as a ghost of unparalleled precision: Carlos Hathcock, the sniper known to his enemies as “White Feather.” This riveting biography chronicles the extraordinary life of a humble Arkansas boy who became one of the most lethal marksmen in military history, with 93 confirmed kills that struck terror into the hearts of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army.

From his hardscrabble childhood honing survival skills with a .22 rifle to feed his family, to enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps at just 17, Hathcock’s path was forged by an unquenchable passion for shooting. Winning the prestigious Wimbledon Cup in 1965 catapulted him to elite status, but it was in Vietnam where his legend truly took flight. Transitioning from military policeman to pioneering sniper under Captain Edward James Land, Hathcock adopted his signature white feather—a bold taunt that made him a prime target with bounties on his head. His feats defied belief: a bullet threaded through an enemy sniper’s scope, a record-breaking 2,500-yard kill with an improvised .50-caliber machine gun, and a grueling four-day crawl to eliminate a high-ranking officer.

Yet Hathcock’s story is more than tales of marksmanship; it’s a portrait of raw courage and human cost. In harrowing confrontations like the hunt for the sadistic female interrogator “Apache,” he faced the psychological horrors of close-quarters warfare. His second tour escalated the perils, culminating in a heroic act amid flames—pulling seven Marines from a burning armored vehicle despite suffering burns over 40% of his body, earning him the Silver Star and multiple Purple Hearts.

Post-Vietnam, Hathcock battled multiple sclerosis with the same tenacity that defined his combat days, revolutionizing Marine sniper training and inspiring generations of elite warriors. Through triumphs and tragedies, this biography paints an intimate picture of a silent warrior whose legacy endures in the annals of military excellence. “White Feather” is a gripping tribute to resilience, precision, and the unbreakable spirit of a true American hero.