United States Marine. He is recognized as one of the greatest Marine Corps snipers in the history of the Marine Corps, with 93 confirmed kills, over 300 probable kills, and many more enemy wounded in action. One of his kills was a woman known as "Apache," who was notoriously known for torturing captured Marines. At one point, he had a $30,000 bounty placed on his head by the enemy. His longest official kill was 2,500 yards, yet his longest unofficial was 2,800 yards. Since the name "White Feather" was given to him by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War, a variant of the rifle M21, the "Springfield Armory M25 White Feather", was named in his honor. With his parents separated, his grandmother cared for him the first 12 years of his life. After learning to shoot a .22 rifle at age twelve, he would hunt for various game to supply his family's grocery needs. He joined the Marine Corps on May 20, 1959 at the age of 17, fulfilling a childhood dream. After placing first and receiving the Wimbledon Cup, the most prestigious prize for long-range shooting, at Camp Perry in 1965, he was recognized by the Marine Corps as a sharpshooter. He left for his first tour in the Vietnam War in 1966 as a military policeman but volunteered for the infantry 1st Marine Division Sniper Platoon, stationed at Hill 55, South of Da Nang. When his tour was over, he was sent back to the United States in 1967. After being in the United States for over a year, he requested to return to Vietnam in 1969. On September 16, 1969 the vehicle, in which he was a passenger, struck a landmine and was engulfed in flames. He pulled seven comrades from the burning inferno before he was stopped. He had third degree burns about his upper body. This ended his sniper career in the Marines. All eight injured marines were Med-Evaced to the "USS Repose" before a Naval Hospital in Tokyo, and ultimately to the burn center at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He received a purple star for his injuries, yet would have chronic pain from these injuries. Upon discharge from the hospital, he walked with a limp and had limited range of motion of his right arm. After his recuperation, he reported to active duty and participated in establishing the school for training Marine snipers, the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School, at the Marine base in Quantico, Virginia. Following being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1975, his health had been declining physically as well as mentally with depression. After collapsing at work with numbness in his limbs, the Marine Corps discharged him for health reasons. Being short of 2 months from having the 20 years in the military to retire, he retired on 100% military disability, which was a larger pension check. Twenty-seven years after that September day of 1969 ordeal, Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock (Ret.) was presented with the Silver Star for his heroic action of saving his comrades from burning to death. By the time of the award presentation, his health had declined to the point that his son helped hold him upright for the presentation. Besides, the purple heart and the Silver Star, he was highly decorated with the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Good Conduct Medal with Silver Star, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. The Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock Award is presented annually to the Marine who does the most to promote marksmanship training. A sniper range is named for Hathcock at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. On March 9. 2007, the rifle and pistol complex at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar was officially renamed the Carlos Hathcock Range Complex. There have been at least four biographies published, as well as films and television documenting his military life. He married, and his son, and only child, followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a Marine and retiring as a Gunnery Sergeant.