A Sniper's Journey: The Truth About the Man Behind the Rifle

By Gary D. Mitchell and Michael Hirsh

Book Overview

What kind of man can take another's life while looking him-or her-dead in the eyes? And what does repeatedly committing such an act do to that man? In 1968, Gary Mitchell enlisted in the Army and was sent to an infantry unit in Vietnam, where he earned a reputation for keeping his head in extreme situations. This caught the eye of his superiors, who had him trained to excel at long-distance shooting. However, Gary was not used as a combat sniper the way marksmen are currently being used in Iraq. He was lent to American intelligence agents who used him as an assassin, probably as part of the infamous, CIA-run Phoenix Program. This is not just the story of a man at war; it's also about the war within the man, because the memories of his sniper missions followed him home, through his twenty-four year Army career and into civilian life. As the years went by, the full realization of what he'd done in the line of duty came back to haunt Mitchell's scarred conscience. But for the love of his wife, Ellen, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would have destroyed him.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451216520
• ISBN13: 9780451216526
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: New American Library
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

The journey continues for all of us

I read Gary Mitchell's book in amazement and awe during the first part and in tears during the second part. As Claude Thomas says in "At Hell's Gate" we all have our Vietnams. I am a retired veteran with 21 years of service and I have no doubt that Mitchell was selected as an expendable sniper as he described. My experience of the military has lead me to believe that the Army has the worst attitude towards its enlisted men. Throw in the CIA along with someone's wild concept of an assanation scheme and we get Operation Phoenix. I intend to do more research on my own but the military in general, and the Army in particular, treats its enlisted men as cannon fodder. I've seen it. I was attracted to the book for the very reason that it explored the aftermath of a young soldier's wartime experience, something most people don't care about. What happens to the young men when they are cut loose? Mitchell explains it. Back in those days you were left on your own and considered a criminal by a large segment of the population, like my father and several other vets I know. The two part approach makes a lot of sense and you know he wants to help others because there is a good appendix that contains more PTSD info. The PTSD angle is particularly germane today. The most stressful occurrences in a man's life are the death of someone close the loss of a job. PTSD accumulates and Mitchell does an excellent job of describing it. I would recommend this book highly, along with Victor Frankl's "Mans Search for Meaning."

It just got real

It takes a special brand of courage to operate as a sniper in combat - but Gary Mitchell displayed greater courage in telling his story. This book is absorbing and is the first 'real' portrayal of post traumatic stress syndrome that I have read. Every war produces many unsung heroes - Gary Mitchell is one of them.