Chapters 1 and 2 Summary and Analysis

Carlos Hathcock, the subject of the biography, was born in 1942 and died in 1999. He was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills and hundreds of probable kills during the Vietnam War. His record and extraordinary missions made him a living legend in the Marine Corps. Beyond combat, Hathcock was a championship shooter and a respected instructor in marksmanship and sniper skills. His sniper career ended when he received extensive third-degree burns during a rescue operation. Later in life he suffered from multiple sclerosis.

The text opens with a series of novelistic action scenes. The first scene presents Hathcock behind a .50 caliber machine gun, mounted with a telescopic sight. Hathcock is positioned on a prominence near Duc Pho and is supporting a prolonged Marine operation there, circa February, 1967. Through his scope, Hathcock watches the...