Read Online Marine Sniper by Charles Henderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charles Henderson
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'em.
"When you compare it to some of the times we had when we started up the sniper school last October, this is pretty tame."
Without lifting his eye from the rifle scope, Burke said, "Wonder how Captain Land is getting along back home?"
"I imagine he's enjoying life one hell of a lot more than we are. He'll be getting ready for the Division Matches down at Camp Lejeune. I may see him when I get home. Those matches go about a week after I get back to New Bern-about six weeks from now."
"Intramurals ought to be in full swing right now," Burke followed. "When did you first shoot in intramurals, Sergeant Hathcock."
"Back in Hawaii. I won the individuals. That's where I met Captain Land-he and Gunner Arthur Terry ran the shooting team and the sniper school. I won the individuals and went to the All-Marine shooting matches. You get outa here, look into the shooting team wherever you end up. That's one thing in the Marine Corps that I really love. I got my greatest sense of accomplishment from shooting and teaching other Marines how to shoot. 1 guess that the biggest moment in my life came when I won the 1,000-yard championship at Camp Perry.
"Did I ever tell you about winning the Wimbledon Cup?"
"No," Burke replied, still staring down the sniper scope. "I've heard other guys tell about it, but I never heard you. I'd sure like to hear your side of it. W; got lots of time. Those guys out mere aren't going anywhere."
"Yeah, I know. I won the Wimbledon at Camp Perry, Ohio, on August 26, 1965-the day after I went distinguished."
Burke asked with a tone of hesitancy in his voice, "Don't mink I'm stupid or anything, but I've heard you and Captain Land and Gunny Wilson all talk about distinguished for six months, and to be honest with you, I never really understood exactly what it is. I figure that it is a high honor for a shooter, but nobody ever told me how you become distinguished."
"Well, you become distinguished by placing in so many shooting matches. Every time you win a gold, silver, or bronze medal in matches, you get points toward becoming distinguished. A Distinguished Marksman in the Marine Corps is the top dog among shooters. He wears a gold shooting badge and is a member of an elite few marksmen. There are some great Marines among them, for example, Major General Merit A. Edson is distinguished. He died a while back, but he won the Medal of Honor on Guadalcanal leading the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. He went on to become the executive director of the National Rifle Association.
"I went distinguished in 1965. When we got to Camp Perry mat year, I was hard as woodpecker lips. I just missed the National Match Championship by a couple of marks, but the silver medal I won gave me the last few points that I needed to make thirty and go distinguished. The day that I won the Wimbledon Cup was special. It was the biggest day of my life, as far as shooting goes."
Burke turned from the scope and smiled. "Captain Land talked about Camp Perry and you winning the Wimbledon Cup. I think he was as proud about it as you were. He said that when the smoke cleared, there was one Marine Corps meatball down on the line, and that was you. "He said that everybody who was anybody, including the Commandant of the Marine Corps was there. The whole National Rifle Association was there, and you beat them all.
Burke turned back to the scope and again began scanning the dike Hathcock stretched out and rested his shoulders and bead against the base of the tree. He watched the jungle behind their position, and in a soft-spoken voice he began his story, pausing with caution after every few words to listen for any sounds that might signal an unwelcome visitor.
The Best Shot in America
COMPETITIVE SHOOTING IN the United States comes to a climax at one place every year-Camp Perry, Ohio. It is a small red square on many road maps, along Ohio's Route 2. There State Highway 358 begins and
"When you compare it to some of the times we had when we started up the sniper school last October, this is pretty tame."
Without lifting his eye from the rifle scope, Burke said, "Wonder how Captain Land is getting along back home?"
"I imagine he's enjoying life one hell of a lot more than we are. He'll be getting ready for the Division Matches down at Camp Lejeune. I may see him when I get home. Those matches go about a week after I get back to New Bern-about six weeks from now."
"Intramurals ought to be in full swing right now," Burke followed. "When did you first shoot in intramurals, Sergeant Hathcock."
"Back in Hawaii. I won the individuals. That's where I met Captain Land-he and Gunner Arthur Terry ran the shooting team and the sniper school. I won the individuals and went to the All-Marine shooting matches. You get outa here, look into the shooting team wherever you end up. That's one thing in the Marine Corps that I really love. I got my greatest sense of accomplishment from shooting and teaching other Marines how to shoot. 1 guess that the biggest moment in my life came when I won the 1,000-yard championship at Camp Perry.
"Did I ever tell you about winning the Wimbledon Cup?"
"No," Burke replied, still staring down the sniper scope. "I've heard other guys tell about it, but I never heard you. I'd sure like to hear your side of it. W; got lots of time. Those guys out mere aren't going anywhere."
"Yeah, I know. I won the Wimbledon at Camp Perry, Ohio, on August 26, 1965-the day after I went distinguished."
Burke asked with a tone of hesitancy in his voice, "Don't mink I'm stupid or anything, but I've heard you and Captain Land and Gunny Wilson all talk about distinguished for six months, and to be honest with you, I never really understood exactly what it is. I figure that it is a high honor for a shooter, but nobody ever told me how you become distinguished."
"Well, you become distinguished by placing in so many shooting matches. Every time you win a gold, silver, or bronze medal in matches, you get points toward becoming distinguished. A Distinguished Marksman in the Marine Corps is the top dog among shooters. He wears a gold shooting badge and is a member of an elite few marksmen. There are some great Marines among them, for example, Major General Merit A. Edson is distinguished. He died a while back, but he won the Medal of Honor on Guadalcanal leading the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. He went on to become the executive director of the National Rifle Association.
"I went distinguished in 1965. When we got to Camp Perry mat year, I was hard as woodpecker lips. I just missed the National Match Championship by a couple of marks, but the silver medal I won gave me the last few points that I needed to make thirty and go distinguished. The day that I won the Wimbledon Cup was special. It was the biggest day of my life, as far as shooting goes."
Burke turned from the scope and smiled. "Captain Land talked about Camp Perry and you winning the Wimbledon Cup. I think he was as proud about it as you were. He said that when the smoke cleared, there was one Marine Corps meatball down on the line, and that was you. "He said that everybody who was anybody, including the Commandant of the Marine Corps was there. The whole National Rifle Association was there, and you beat them all.
Burke turned back to the scope and again began scanning the dike Hathcock stretched out and rested his shoulders and bead against the base of the tree. He watched the jungle behind their position, and in a soft-spoken voice he began his story, pausing with caution after every few words to listen for any sounds that might signal an unwelcome visitor.
The Best Shot in America
COMPETITIVE SHOOTING IN the United States comes to a climax at one place every year-Camp Perry, Ohio. It is a small red square on many road maps, along Ohio's Route 2. There State Highway 358 begins and
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