At left, Charles B. “Chuck” Mawhinney as seen in Barstow, Calif., in August 2013, holding a replica of the M40 sniper rifle he used during the Vietnam War. Mawhinney, seen while servining in Vietnam, recorded 103 confirmed kills and 216 probable kills with M40 sniper rifle and Redfield 3x9x40 scope while serving in the Vietnam War. (Defense Department)
(Tribune News Service) — Chuck Mawhinney, who set a record as a U.S. Marine Corps sniper in Vietnam, died this week in his Baker City home. He was 75.
Mawhinney returned from the war to live a quiet life. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 30 years.
His friends, neighbors and co-workers had no idea that the soft-spoken man had killed at least 103 enemy combatants while serving in Southeast Asia for 16 months in 1968 and ‘69.
This is reportedly the most confirmed kills by a Marine Corps sniper during the Vietnam War. Mawhinney said he simply “did what I was trained to do.”
“He was the kind of guy you noticed walking in the room,” said Jim Lindsay, an author who wrote a 2023 book about Mawhinney’s military exploits.
He never sought attention, Lindsay said.
“He listened to other people tell their stories,” said Lindsay. “He never told his story. Nobody knew he’d been in the war or what he’d done.”
That changed when Lindsay, with Mawhinney’s cooperation, wrote “The Sniper: The Untold Story of the Marine Corps’ Greatest Marksman of All Time.”
Lindsay said he knew next to nothing about snipers before spending time with Mawhinney.
“I always thought these guys were half-animal,” he said. “They go out, live off bugs and come back every month or two, and everyone fears them. That wasn’t the truth.”
While collaborating on the book, Mawhinney told Lindsay he wouldn’t allow the book to be “all Hollywood.”
“Everything in that book came out of his mouth,” Lindsay said. “That’s all he wanted.”
Mawhinney, born in Lakeview, joined the Marines in 1967 when he was 18. His father had served in the Marine Corps during World War II.
As a sniper, Mawhinney operated in one of the most dangerous war zones in Vietnam. Lindsay said that on Valentine’s Day in 1969 Mawhinney encountered an enemy platoon and killed 16 soldiers.
He left the Marines with the rank of sergeant and settled in Baker City. Lindsay said Mawhinney is survived by his wife, Robin, and three sons. His cause of death has not been released.
“He was a good man,” said Lindsay. “He was a good father, a good husband and an asset to the community. He was a pretty cool cat.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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