Legendary sniper ‘Chuck’ Mawhinney dies at 75
Charles “Chuck” Mawhinney, acknowledged as the Marine Corps’ deadliest sniper, died Feb. 12 at his home in Baker City. He was 75.
Mawhinney was credited with 103 confirmed kills in Vietnam over the span of 16 months in 1968 and 1969. He was eventually credited with another 216 “probable kills.”
Mawhinney’s exploits were largely unknown to the general public until his Joseph Ward, a friend of Mawhinney’s who’d spent time as his spotter downrange, published a book in 1991 that noted Mawhinney’s shooting prowess. Until then, even many of his friends and family members were unaware of his unmatched sniper record.
He later told his entire story to another friend, Jim Lindsay, who authored “The Sniper: The Untold Story of the Marine Corps’ Greatest Marksman of All Time” in 2023.
After leaving the Marines, Mawhinney spent 27 years working with the U.S. Forest Service. He is survived by his wife, Robin, and three sons.
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