Carlos Norman Hathcock II was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather, for the nickname "White Feather" given to Hathcock by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam.
| Nickname(s): | "White Feather" |
| Born: | May 20, 1942, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died: | February 23, 1999, Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. |
| Buried at: | Woodlawn Memorial Gardens |
| Allegiance: | United States of America |
| Years of service: | 1959–1979 |
| Rank: | Gunnery sergeant |
| Unit: | 1st Marine Division |
| Battles/wars: | Vietnam War |
| Awards: | Silver Star, Navy Commendation Medal, Purple Heart |
| Spouse(s): | Josephine (Jo) (nee Broughton) Winstead |
| Relations: | Carlos Norman Hathcock III (son) |
About Carlos Hathcock
U.S. Marine Corps sniper who had 93 confirmed kills in Vietnam.
Before Fame
He was an award-winning marksman as early as his Marine Corps training days.
Achievement
His signature fashion accessory was a white feather attached to his bush hat. This piece of flair became so famous that the Marines eventually developed a rifle that they named "the white feather."
Family Life
His son followed him into the Marines and became a sharpshooter in his own right.
Associations
His Vietnam War accomplishments were the basis for the film, Sniper, which starred actor Tom Berenger.
Information related to Carlos Hathcock
- Jack Coughlin , a retired Marine sniper with over 60 confirmed kills whose service includes Iraq and Somalia.
- Eric R. England , holds the second highest number of confirmed kills (98) for any United States Marine Corps sniper.
- Chris Kyle , a Navy SEAL who holds the current record for the most confirmed kills in American military history, with 160 kills in the Iraq War, acknowledges Hathcock on page 200 of his book American Sniper.
- Longest recorded sniper kills - Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kills that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967.
- Chuck Mawhinney , who holds the highest number of confirmed kills (103) for any United States Marine Corps sniper in history.
- Adelbert Waldron , who held the record for the most confirmed kills in American military history, with 109 kills in Vietnam.
- American military snipers
- Sniper warfare
- Guerrilla warfare
- United States Distinguished Marksman
