| [h=4][/h] In these “Person Specific” threads, I am asking for a sharing of information regarding teachings, accomplishments, anecdotes, first-hand-experiences, and the like. Simply pertaining to the individual named in the title. I intend for a separate thread for each separate person, and in no way is this to turn into anything other than respectful and pertinent statements and stories about the shooter. If you want to talk about someone not named in a thread, PM me and I’ll start another. At the same time, disparaging comments, wrong remarks and the like, WILL be removed. This is intended to turn into a compendium of information of each marksman, because not everything is published, nor has everything been disclosed that has since been “unclassified”. Ya’ll know right from wrong, so let’s all make these threads GREAT. If we are lucky, the possibility exists for “those who are still alive” to add in their two cents. THAT luxury is not afforded very often. Hence why I want this to be kept “on point”. Thank you. | |
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 | Nominate | Report Posted: 11/23/2014 5:43 AM [h=4]Re: Mawhinney, Chuck; Sgt. Marines  I'm going to make an attempt to do this one a bit of justice. I met Sgt Chuck Mawhinney while I was shooting a five day comp down at Camp Shelby, MS back in 1999. NOMAD on here was my partner for the match, and we brought another four HOGs from the platoon to shoot as well. We stayed the week there and I shared a lot of conversations with Chuck during my visit, opting to hang out with the legend than checking out the local college town ladies and strip clubs instead. When we first got there and came across Chuck, we introduced ourselves and called him "sir". His rapid response was "sh!t guys, I'm no 'sir', just call me Chuck". He was there at the comp for what he thought was to be a paid RO, but the MD instead asked him to just hang out and be himself, letting the shooters interact with him and give pointers when he could. It was a mil/leo only match, had 38 teams present from around the world from some heavy hitters, along with a team from 4th Force, Navy SWCC, and many LEO teams. The international teams didn't really know of Chuck, nor did most of the LEO teams, but those of us from the mil side certainly knew of him and were honored to spend the time with him. I had a lot of really enlightening conversations with the man while I was there, and took a lot of pointers away from him to use as my guidance throughout my military career. First and foremost I took away was to take care of the troops. He told me how he would take over for that wet and miserable PFC in a perimeter fighting position, telling them "I can do a better job than you can with this M14 and Starlite, you get some sleep brother". He told me how they would remember that, and when they would be coming back through friendly lines with NVA hot on his six, they would put out that it was HIM coming through and not just some other guy so they wouldn't light his ass up. He told me to remember who you're really there for, the basic 0311, the guy who just wants to make it through the war and get back home. I carried out and preached that one to my platoon as much as I could, still to this day in my similar line of work. Another little thing was he was attached to a platoon of ROK Marines for a month. He talked about how those bastards would mess with him and his partner, constantly jabbing him in pressure points causing quite a bit of hurt. Well he realized it was eat or be eaten in that crew, and learned how to do the same right back. That got him their respect just as much as his skill with the rifle. He told me how their tenacity in a fight was without rival, straight up "we're killing everyone ourselves or dying trying, just send more ammo and water but no reinforcements". When his month with them was up they wanted him to stay on longer, but he said they could keep that trash! I asked him about what he carried in the bush. No ghillie or any crazy stuff like that, not necessary in the jungle he was mostly in and too damn hot for it anyhow. He would carry crackers and peanut butter, lots of ammo and frags, and used a Thompson as his secondary. He liked the heavy .45 slugs to bore through the bush in close range contacts. Said it was heavy but worked well. He said he would often practice his marksmanship when on an OP and nothing was happening at all. They would always laugh when he would report his ammo expenditures because he was tearing through far more ammo than anyone else was, but they also knew exactly how good he was and what he was doing. He told me about how every three months all snipers were supposed to cycle back for a week through the in-country school house for qualification, remedial training, gun maintenance and whatnot. Well he was able to avoid this for a very long time, like a whole year, due to operational needs. Finally though, they got him right before 5th Marines were kicking off on a major op. Chuck simply wanted to support his unit, but the command wouldn't budge and told him to get on the bird so he went. He got in there and pleaded to then Capt Land to let him out of it, but the Capt told him they would get him back when he was ready. They started off with a ten round group from the grand, just to see where everyone was at and what they needed to work on. Well Chuck popped the range record with his group right out the gate. Capt Land told him he was good to return to his unit and Chuck was very grateful for it. That target apparently is still floating around the archives somewhere. All in all though, Chuck was just Chuck. He was extremely humble, but you could tell there was a fire inside of him. One night at the Shelby O-Club, we were all kicking back drinks together. It was me and a few of my platoon mates, the guys from 4th Force, a couple Navy SWCC and a retired 18B. Chuck was entertaining us with stories and a couple GSG9 shooters came over drunk as hell and decided to start talking smack. They challenged the kill count and also laid it out he was shooting babies, no sh!t... Chuck told them they could f u c k off and I could see it starting to boil up in him. We all "politely" told them to hit the door because there was about to be a world of hurt laid down on their Nazi asses. Yeah, we went there too. Rivalries, they never cease. There's other stories he told, beating down a NVA major in a tunnel thinking he was just a farmer, popping two NVA at over 1k yds from the infamous "Rockpile", and others. Maybe I'll get around to updating that at a later date. Bottom line though, Chuck has always been a likely unknowing mentor of mine. He was a guide to me throughout my Scout Sniper years and beyond, just by telling a few stories and having the patience to answer a bunch of questions from a young Sergeant. Chuck, if you ever read this, I just want to say thank you and Semper Fidelis. I hope to see you on a firing line or bellied up to the bar again sometime, first round is on me. Redman |
