Video—The Men and Guns of The Vietnam War, Part 3

by
posted on September 22, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Vietnam was a conflict in which American snipers proved to be very effective. But at the start of the war, there was no formal sniping school in the U.S. Marine Corps. A young captain by the name of Edward J. Jim Land, Jr. set out to change that. He recruited men like Carlos Hathcock and scrounged up heavy-barrel Winchester model 70s fitted with you Unertl target scopes to begin the Marine sniping war in Vietnam.

Before Major John L. Plaster, one of the world's foremost authorities on sniping, was an army officer working on a sniper school for the army reserve, he was a Special Forces sergeant and a team leader in the Studies and Observation Group, carrying out dangerous and clandestine missions behind enemy lines. In Part 3 of American Rifleman TV's "The Men and Guns of The Vietnam War," Major Plaster discusses Marine snipers in Vietnam, and the 300 Green Berets lost on these missions, including many who are missing even today. And speaking of Marines, Field Editor Wiley Clapp, who was a Marine captain in Vietnam, recalls the first time he and his men went up against the AK-47.

Additional Viewing:
The Men and Guns of the Vietnam War, Part 1
The Men and Guns of the Vietnam War, Part 2

Latest

TandemKross Manitcore X
TandemKross Manitcore X

Review: TandemKross Manticore X

In 2024, TandemKross (TK), best known for its high-quality competition upgrades for rimfire platforms, launched the first ever lower-receiver assembly designed for the rimfire Ruger 10/22 platform.

Rifleman Q&A: Surreptitious L.C. Smith

American Rifleman staff recently received the following question about markings on a possible L.C. Smith shotgun. Read what we learned:

USA Clay Target League Breaks Participation Record—Again

The fall season is underway for the USA Clay Target League, and the number of student athletes participating speaks volumes about the growing popularity of shooting sports among high school- and college-age students.

Hunting For The Perfect Partner: Ruger/Dead Air’s Centerfire RXD

The result of a joint venture between two giants of their respective industries, the new RXD30Ti exemplifies just how beneficial a well-designed hunting suppressor can be in the field.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 20, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

AI Summaries Reducing Firearm-Related Web Traffic, Sharing Incorrect Information

"[T]here are increasing concerns about how frequently AI systems invent false information—AKA hallucinations—with error rates in some tests reaching as high as 79 percent.”

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.