The Two-Man Sniper Team That Held a Hill Against a NVA Regiment

Описание: February 14, 1969. 0200 hours. The Arizona Territory. A US Marine sniper team, comprised of Chuck Mawhinney and his spotter, are hidden overlooking a river crossing. Suddenly, a North Vietnamese Army regiment begins to wade across the water. Two men against hundreds. If they fire, they reveal their position and likely die. If they don't, the enemy will flank the American base at An Hoa.

This video deconstructs the Valentine's Day Ambush, a legendary engagement where a single sniper team halted an entire NVA advance. We analyze the M40 Sniper Rifle, a militarized Remington 700 that changed the economics of warfare—trading the 50,000 rounds per kill average of the infantry for the 1.3 rounds per kill of the sniper.

We explore the brutal mechanics of the "Mad Minute" suppression tactics used by the NVA, the terrifying arrival of the AH-1 Cobra gunship to break the siege, and the psychological impact of precision fire that forced an enemy regiment to retreat in confusion.

Ultimately, this is a story about the hidden history of the Vietnam War. For decades, Chuck Mawhinney lived a quiet life in Oregon, his neighbors unaware that he was the deadliest sniper in Marine Corps history with 103 confirmed kills—a secret revealed only when the classified records were finally opened.

Key Statistics:

Confirmed Kills: 103 (Chuck Mawhinney career total).

Engagement Stats: 16 rounds fired in 30 seconds, 16 hits (during the initial ambush).

Odds: 2 Marines vs ~NVA Regiment.

Cost Efficiency: Sniper kills cost ~$1.30 vs ~$400,000 for standard infantry kills (ammunition/logistics average).

🎖️ FEATURED WEAPONS & UNITS:

M40 Sniper Rifle (7.62mm NATO)

M14 Rifle (Spotter's weapon)

AH-1 Cobra Gunship

1st Marine Division Scout Snipers

#VietnamWar #Sniper #ChuckMawhinney #MarineCorps #MilitaryHistory #CombatStories #M40Rifle #ColdWarHistory #USMC

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Sniper: The World of Combat Sniping by Adrian Gilbert

Dear Mom: A Sniper's Vietnam by Joseph T. Ward

Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills (Context on Carlos Hathcock/USMC program)

Official USMC Scout Sniper History Archives

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