Mr. Mawhinney, who served in Vietnam from May 1968 to March 1970, had 106 confirmed kills and another 216 probable kills, averaging about four a week — more than the average company, which comprised about 150 soldiers.
As a sniper, Mr. Mawhinney filled a number of roles.
He would stay up all night with his rifle and night scope, watching the perimeter of an encampment for incursions.
He would go out on patrol with other Marines, ready to support them if a firefight broke out.
But mostly he and his spotter, a novice sniper who helped him identify targets, went out alone, looking for individual targets to kill as a way of sapping enemy morale.
Persons:
Chuck Mawhinney, Mawhinney, Chris Kyle, Adelbert Waldron
Organizations:
Marine Corps, Coles, Navy SEAL, Army
Locations:
South Vietnam, Baker City, Oregon, Vietnam, Iraq