Marine Sniper

  *National Match Course consists of firing twenty rounds standing slow-fire from the two hundred-yard line at an “A” target with a twelve-inch bull’s-eye and six-inch V-ring; ten rounds standing to sitting rapid-fire from the two hundred-yard line at an “A” target with a twelve-inch bull’s-eye and six-inch V-ring; ten rounds standing to prone rapid-fire from the three hundred-yard line at an “A” target with a twelve-inch bull’s-eye and six-inch V-ring; and twenty rounds prone slow-fire from the six hundred-yard line at a “B” target with a twenty-inch bull’s-eye and ten-inch V-ring. Total possible score on this course is three hundred points with sixty V’s.

  *The Marine Corps’ most senior enlisted Marine. Functions as the enlisted advisor to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

  *A bed of fiberglass molded into the rifle stock over which the barrel will freely float. It prevents the stock from warping around the barrel, possibly touching it and affecting the expansion of the barrel as the rifle is fired, throwing off the accuracy of the shot.

  *A fermented soup made of tiny fish, rice, and a variety of vegetables; placed in a sealed jar and buried. It was commonly used by the Viet Cong as a food supply, buried throughout the areas in which they operated. High in protein and carbohydrates, nuc-mom provided the Viet Cong with a rich food supply that they did not have to carry. However, because of its rancid odor and putrefied contents, most Americans considered it a foul substance, not fit to eat.

  *A zero is the sight adjustment necessary for a person to fire a rifle and hit the center of the target in a no wind condition. Since most people differ in build and shooting technique, the windage and elevation adjustment on the rifle sights, or zero, will be different from person to person on the same rifle.

  *Amtrac is a shortened term for amphibious tractor. It is an amphibious, armored personnel carrier used by the Marine Corps to carry troops from ships to shore as well as transporting them on land. This vehicle, which operates on treads or tracks similar to those used by tanks, offers limited protection from many forms of small-arms fire and anti-personnel explosive devices.

  *Epithelium: The tissue cells composing the skin; also the cells lining all the passages of the hollow organs of the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems.

  *Shooting standing without any sort of artificial support, such as a sling strapped to the arm, or the rifle against a solid object.

  *Ghillie Suit—developed from the camouflage suits worn by the gamekeepers and hunting guides in Scotland, called Ghillies, who use this camouflage technique to count game and watch for poachers. The Ghillie Suit was used by British snipers in World War I against the highly skilled German snipers. In 1960, Mrs. Ellie Land sewed together one of the first U.S. Marine Corps Ghillie Suits for her husband, E.J. Land, and his assistant, Chief Gunner (Chief Warrant Officer) Arthur Terry, when they organized the 1st Marine Brigade’s scout/sniper school, from which Carlos Hathcock graduated.

  Looking for more?

  Visit Penguin.com for more about this author and a complete list of their books.

  Discover your next great read!