Ray Merkle

Veteran/Husband/Misanthrope

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@USMC_Razorback I have not heard of this giant before. Have you?

[Special Ops Magazine @specialopsmag]

For more than two decades, nobody knew. Not his friends, not his wife, and not even the Marines he'd served alongside.

Charles “Chuck” Mawhinney, the deadliest sniper in Marine Corps history.

For decades most people assumed the title belonged to the legendary Carlos Hathcock. But it was actually Mawhinney who held the record, with 103 confirmed kills and another 216 probables across just 16 months in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969.

An Oregon kid raised hunting alongside his Marine veteran father, he turned his patience and precision into something few have ever matched behind a rifle.

His most staggering moment came near Da Nang in February 1969, when he killed 16 enemies in about 30 seconds while they crossed a river. Every round was a headshot. Over those 16 months working his M40, he reportedly missed only once.

What makes the story so uniquely his is what came after. Mawhinney went home, joined the Forest Service, and said practically nothing about any of his service, not to his friends, not even to his wife.

The world only learned of his actions after a former spotter published a memoir in 1991 that referred to him, and investigators digging through old Marine records found the count was actually higher than the book claimed.

He spent most of his life as the most lethal Marine sniper who ever lived, and almost nobody around him knew.

He passed away in February 2024, age 75. A quiet man who did extraordinary things and never cared about fame, records, or publicity.

Rest easy Chuck, Semper Fi.

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@USMC_Razorback

[TonytheTiger57 @TonytheTiger57]

😎

[REO Industries @reoindustries]

Dear, @kcreospeedwagon we would love to talk with your team.

We are interested in collaborating on marketing as we re-launch the REO truck brand.

We climb, and climb, and at the top let's fly together.

If anyone reads this please re-post so we can make this happen.

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@USMC_Razorback Got a hammer? Yeah? gimme that muthafucka

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@USMC_Razorback whut gun? fucking ain't got no guns

[Rare 🇺🇸 @RareImagery]

I just wanted to play with him 😢

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

Does anyone have a robot lawn mower? What's your experiance and what brand? Thanks!

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@USMC_Razorback It rained the minute we headed out for our ruck. Did not stop for 3 days. I had a blast.

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@USMC_Razorback eaten by a moose LOL m

[Beersaint @USMC_Razorback]

@RayRaymerkle
OMG

[The Disrespected Trucker @DisrespectedThe]

It is NOT responsible to repost this.

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

Tomorrow, I am legally allowed to buy firecrackers in Arkansas. I have a new firecracker cannon. Shit is gonna be so much fun. I will post a video of my child like amazment with explosives.

[NotKennyRogers @NotKennyRogers]

I knew it.

[Dad’s Seasonings @DadsSeasonings]

Who wants Chicken Tacos 🌮 after the @USMNT ⚽️ Match? @FIFAWorldCup

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@nelmagene2010 Bypass valve for blinker fluid

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@USMC_Razorback Got any money? We can go halfesies.

[Bring a Trailer @Bringatrailer]

Now live at BaT Auctions: 1952 Daimler Ferret Mark 1 Project. https://t.co/KYgpQ7NerB

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@LUFC1992_v2 Des Moines has the greatest farmers market. It will be worth the stop if you are there on a Saturday!

[Ray Merkle @RayRaymerkle]

@LUFC1992_v2 @caseysgenstore It's actually damn good breakfast pizza