Charles “Chuck” Mawhinney, renowned as the deadliest sniper in the US Marine Corps, passed away at the age of 75 at his residence in Baker City, Oregon, on Feb. 12, as reported by the Baker City Herald.
A native of Lakeview, Oregon, Mawhinney commenced his illustrious career in 1967 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after graduating from high school, determined to serve in the Vietnam War.
Following his enlistment, Mawhinney underwent training at Scout Sniper School located at Camp Pendleton. Upon completing his training in April 1968, he was deployed to South Vietnam for a 16-month tour, as outlined by the US Marine Corps. During his deployment from 1968 to 1969, despite being a teenager at the time, Mawhinney was credited with 103 confirmed kills.
An additional 216 kills were categorized as “probable” due to the challenging conditions of verifying enemy casualties in the active combat zone.
Mawhinney’s confirmed kills often exceeded distances of 1,000 yards, a remarkable feat considering that the average sniper shot during the Vietnam War ranged between 300 to 800 yards.
For his extraordinary service, Mawhinney was awarded several accolades, including the Bronze Star with Combat Valor, Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Valor, and two Purple Hearts.
