Silent Warrior: The Marine Sniper's Vietnam Story Continues

by Charles Henderson

Book Overview

The author of the bestselling Vietnam War memoir Marine Sniper continues the incredible true story of Sergeant Carlos Hathcock... In the United States Marine Corps, the most dangerous job in combat is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425181723
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Berkley
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 5.9"

Customer Reviews

Solid Writing, Exceptional Story, Enough Said

I purchased this book as I have always been interested in the stories behind war. I am not very interested in the war itself, but rather the stories of the people who fight the wars. This book is a biography of Carlos Hathcock. Being born after the Vietnam War, the name typically would have meant nothing to me except I ran into the son of one of Hathcock's "trainees" and Hathcock's name always stuck with me. Hathcock was just another Marine in Vietnam. He was an elite marksman with a rifle, yet this was ignored and upon arriving in Vietnam, Hathcock was assigned to a desk job in an MP battalion as a watch commander. After serving as an MP for a while, a "freak" occurrence required Hathcock to use his marksmanship skills to take out an enemy shooter who had attacked the base. The enemy solider was to be taken out at his village. From there, Hathcock's career rapidly progresses into becoming a sniper. The book covers Hathcock's legendary career as a sniper. During two tours of duty, Hathcock racked up almost 100 confirmed kills and numerous other unconfirmed kills. Hathcock became so good at what he did, the enemy offered a $20,000 bounty to the person who killed Hathcock or his partner. The enemy formulated several special groups and executed some brilliant strategies to try and take out the "white feather". My meager words could never do justice to the author. Reading the book is like watching a poetic war drama. The eloquence the author uses in this book is mesmerizing. The scenes are described in such vivid detail, I felt like I was there, hearing bullets buzz above my head, listening to my heart pounding, watching the blood of an unfortunate soldier soak into the earth, as I see the person next to me squeeze the trigger to silence the enemy soldier's rifle. The stories in the book range from humorous, victorious, heroic, then to disheartening. To the people who are unfamiliar with Hathcock's story, the end of Hathcock's days in Vietnam is shocking, but not surprising. I was most impressed by the humanity Hathcock expressed. He never looked at it as killing an enemy solder, rather he saw his job as saving the lives of American soldiers. I also found some of the stories in the book familiar, as I recognized bits and pieces I've seen in movies over the years (probably the most well-known being the "scope" episode, which is in the movie "Saving Private Ryan". I'm guessing this is based on Hathcock's story). This is by far one of the best books I have read that cover the life of a soldier. I would highly recommend this book to people interested in the life of a sniper or are interested in soldiers of the Vietnam War.

Marine Hero

This book was written after the death of Carlos Hathcock, in 1999.Henderson wrote the original book about Hathcock, Marine Sniper, 93 confirmed kills also.This book contains details of his training under Lt Land with the one shot, one kill idea for snipers. Never to take more than one shot from one location, listen, look, be aware of surroundings. The book had a good start already as about 300 pages of his original book had been edited, so he included some of them in this one, which is 286 pages.He added information gleaned from interviews from the North Vietnamese in 1994.For me, it was one of those "cannot put it down until I finish it" type books.He tells the story using assumed final Hatchcock dreams. Thereby the book contains details of his boyhood, basic Marine training, stateside duty, as well as the Vietnam periods.Hathcock had 300 probable kills in addition to the 93 confirmed kills.The book does into detail about his close relationship with Burke, his partner, who got killed at Khe Sanh after Hathcock left Vietnam on his first tour. A chapter in the book is devoted to Burke, who won the Navy Cross for his valor.His close relationship with Ron McAbee is described too.They established a sniper school at Hill 55, and soon Hathcock and his commander, Lt Land, had a huge reward out for their deaths. Hathcock was known as White Feather by the enemy as he wore a white feather in his cap.The North Vietnamese established a sniper company to take them out. He killed them.He was a national champion rifle shot and wanted to go to the Olympics.Details about his killing of the Frenchman, a Frenchman , Philip Metz, who had fought for the Viet Minh against the French, and now against the Americans are described. The Frenchman was famous for stripping his prisoner naked, torturing them, and after extracting all information, slitting their throats. The CIA wanted the Frenchman dead as the North Vietnamese had captured a couple of CIA agents, and they did not want the Frenchman to get them to talk.His killing of the Apache is also described. She was one of a team of female VC who used BAR's to kill. She liked to torture her captives by skinning them alive.He also took out a North Vietnamese General on a special mission.Hathcock got out of the Marines, and tried to become an electrician. He found it too dangerous, and went back in the Marines.He went back to Vietnam in `69, and turned down a safe training assignment in the rear. He went back to Hill 55 and restarted the sniper school there. When he got there, the troops did not shave, wear military clothes, or fight. Their job was just clean up work including burning the excrement in the johns. Hatcock soon got them back in training and his platoon got a Presidential Unit Citation for having the most enemy kills.He and the Sgt Major did not get along well. Once, a barrel of gas rolled down the hill from where they were training. Hathcock told the Sgt Major, no problem, he could fire a bullet int

An inspiration to all military servicemembers

I have read Silent Warrior as well as Charles Henderson's first book about Carlos Hathcock II, Marine Sniper, and I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed the first one. Both were well written, and both were inspiring. The life and career of Carlos Hathcock II embody those traits most noble in mankind: courage and devotion to duty, but most of all, concern and love for a fellow human being. Carlos Hathcock II demonstrated that care time and again in risking his own life to help protect his fellow Marines, and especially in risking himself saving men from a burning vehicle. His friend and fellow sniper took this to the ultimate limit in sacrificing his life to save injured men.I feel that this book, along with its companion volume, Marine Sniper, could be an inspiration, not only to servicemembers, in ALL branches of the military, but also to the public in general.

In Defense of Silent Warrior

I read the really bad putdown that the reader from Oceanside hands Silent Warrior and its author. I have read both Marine Sniper and Silent Warrior and found their depictions very accurate. I was in Vietnam as a Marine and drank 333 Beer. I even had a T-shirt with the yellow, red and black 333 label on it. Corporal Burke was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at Khe Sanh. I have personally read the documentation, and know the Gunny who put Burke in for the Navy Cross (second to the Medal of Honor). Burke was not acting as a sniper at Khe Sanh, but as a rifle squad leader, and had several men on the hill under his leadership when overrun. He saved their lives, and died doing it. It is documented fact, easily obtainable through Marine Corps headquarters. Henderson draws Burke's death directly from what is written in the documentation used to award the Navy Cross to Burke. Did they get it wrong too? The reader's accusation that Burke's heroism and character are false is shameful. With time memories do fade, and Viet Vets like myself and Henderson may remember things differently. Little things like German Tape, so what!

B.R.A.S.S.

Breathe, Relax, Aim, Stop, Squeeze. The technique taught to all Marine recruits during marksmanship training and an appropriate metaphor for Charles Henderson's follow up to Marine Sniper. Thorough with it's attention to detail as well as enlightening, Henderson includes that material which was cut from his first book about Carlos Hathcock and additional information garnered from North Vietnamese military personnel, including those who had tried in vain to eliminate Hathcock and Jim Land on the battlefield over 30 years ago. I was pleasantly surprised to read about David Sommers who served as Sergeant Major of Second Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California nearly 20 years ago when I made that transformation from slimy civilian to United States Marine and his relationship with Hathcock. The letter to Henderson from Jerry Burke Bouchard, sister of Corporal John R. Burke, will simply bring you to tears.All Americans owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Henderson for bringing Hathcock's story to print again. Every Marine whether active duty, reserve, former, officer or enlisted should have these books in their library. If you haven't read either, then read both. If you've already read them, then read them again.