Vietnam, 1969.  An elite group of Marines covertly build a stronghold on Hill 55, a hill overlooking Da Nang and Death Valley.  It is here where they will train the new "sniper" recruits.  This group was started by Captain Jim Land and Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II, both of which were competitive sharpshooters (Hathcock being the best shot in America at 1000 yards).  The encampment grew to being a major Marine base.  Hathcock came to be, in my opinion, the greatest sniper ever to live.  Carlos trained new snipers for 5 years atop Hill 55.  Of the 59 men he trained he lost one, his partner.  John R. Burke saved the lives of 14 men and single handedly fought of a charging army, with severe wounds to his entire body.  He dropped dead seconds after his victory, receiving the Silver Star in the process.

   Hathcock made the Vietcong fear every bush, every hill and every tree.  "White feather," a name given to Hathcock for his wearing of a white feather in his bush hat even in combat.  Hathcock made 93 confirmed kills, the second most in Vietnam, of course, as with all snipers, he also had hundreds of unconfirmed ones as well.  This white feather is now our symbol.  If you do not have a white feather I strongly suggest that you get one for we will be wearing them instead of traditional red or blue armbands (available at any craft store, please get no bigger than 12 inches long).

     Sadly, in 1998 Hathcock passed away from a disease he acquired from having 3rd degree burns on 75% of his body (this was caused by a 500 lbs. box mine that exploded under an APC that Carlos was riding on top of, Carlos pulled 4 men out of the fire  that otherwise would have died in the inferno). 

     When people think of paintball they think of a bunch of lunatics running around and blasting the hell out of each other with automatic guns.  One of our duties as woodsball players is to keep tactical paintball alive.  Tactical.  That's how Hathcock worked, and look what he accomplished.  We are out there to level the playing field, to help out the less experienced or just plain crappy team.  People say that true paintball snipers don't exist, I disagree.  Assassinations, ambushes, elimination, anti-tank, and instilling fear, these are what we must do to succeed.

   "There have been many Marines.  There have been many marksmen.  But there has only been one sniper, Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II."  -Captain Jim Land.

   Carlos was the best, but he wasn't the only sniper, just look at us. "One shot, one kill"- Carlos N. Hathcock II