Good story....thanks for posting it.
You're welcome and thank you for your kind words :-) You may also wish to send a thank-you to iso for starting the thread.
Thank you for serving our country :-)
Posted on 11/30/2004 2:32:35 AM PST by iso
FALLUJAH, Iraq (Nov. 27, 2004) -- A U.S. Marine sniper waited patiently inside a one-story house deep within the city. Lying in the prone position for several hours, he scanned the area through his scope before he finally found the three insurgents responsible for two previous mortar attacks.
Sgt. Memo M. Sandoval, a platoon sergeant with Scout Sniper Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, needed to positively identify the insurgents before he could take his shot.
Sandoval, 26, saw that one of the men was about to place a mortar in a mortar tube. He knew he had to make a well-aimed shot before the insurgent gunner launched the deadly round. Sandoval cleared his thoughts and slowed his breathing as he gently squeezed the trigger of his M-40A3 sniper rifle. The 7.62 mm round covered the 950 yards in a flash, slamming into the chest of the first insurgent.
"The battalion (executive officer) ordered me to 'make the mortars stop,'" said Sandoval, a native of El Paso, Texas. "I took it personally and went out specifically to stop the insurgents."
With two more insurgents still alive and ready to continue the mortar attack, Sandoval composed himself for the next shot at the assistant gunner. The last two shots took out the driver of the vehicle that carried the weapon.
"When I finally spotted them along a tree line, I realized how far they were but it was surprising how easy it was," said Sandoval.
Those four shots were the longest in Sandoval has taken since he became a scout sniper.
"It was very impressive of Sandoval to shoot from so far away and be on target with all four shots," said 1st Lt. Samuel Rosales, a platoon commander with Scout Sniper Platoon, H&S Co., 3/5.
"When you are being mortared you never know where they will land, to be able to stop them from shooting anymore felt good," said Sandoval.
He joined the Marine Corps straight out of high school in 1997 and has been with 3/5 since April. His leadership ability has reflected on the Marines around him and allowed Sandoval to accomplish his mission.
"(Sandoval) is filling a staff noncommissioned officer's billet, He is a great Marine to work with," said Rosales, 32, a native of San Clemente, Calif.
After recently reenlisting for four more years, Sandoval, who has been in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since September, hopes to represent the United States in the Olympics in competition shooting.
Sandoval says a fellow Marine, Staff Sgt. Jared M. Casanova, with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, helped him improve his skills with the rifle, which has become a valuable commodity in Iraq.
"We have always been in competitions against each other, one day he would win and the next day I would win," said Sandoval. "Out here in Iraq it is a two way rifle range, with insurgents shooting at you. You have to make well aimed shots."
It's the average good American 'Joe' that serves his country like this very fine Marine that makes America so great. Contrast this to the double-latte fisted, sporting yellow sunglasses and spouting anti-American rhetoric elite - gee, did I just describe Kerry?
hehe! I've found that many ladies are spectacular marksmen (markspeople?) If more ladies would investigate gun ownership the crime rates against women would plummet....and we might be lucky enough to have a few less criminals on the streets as well. A win-win situation all 'round.
He's one impressive man. Whew!
Wasn't it a Russian woman sniper who killed one of the most notorious German snipers during WWII? Thought I saw something on the History channel about this.
Nice shooting!!
Ping
Great Thread!!!
Sorry, I'm not familiar with this event, but it sounds interesting for sure. Women often score brilliantly in shooting competitions so I don't doubt that it could have happened.
Agreed, but it's not my thread. You might want to send a thank you to iso who started it. I'm sure that your words will be very much appreciated. :-)
It's too bad the mainstream press slime will never print good news.
Same mount and 82A1M we had in EOD teams......:o)
Good story....thanks for posting it.
Can someone tell me about the 7.62 rounds that are used
in this rifle, are they the standard NATO or do they
use a special round?
You're welcome and thank you for your kind words :-) You may also wish to send a thank-you to iso for starting the thread.
Thank you for serving our country :-)
"The 7.62 mm round covered the 950 yards in a flash, slamming into the chest of the first insurgent."
I support this form of gun control.
It appears that they are special, as indicated in the article I posted::
"It's designed to shoot beyond 1,000 yards, according to Lance Cpl. Gunther Johnston, an armorer with 1st Recon Bn. It uses special rounds - the M118LR, chambered in 7.62mm. The M-40A3 uses the rail system, allowing snipers to change out a fixed 10-power scope for an ANPVS-10 night scope. "
Does anyone else get a small vicarious feeling of pleasure every time they read of another terrorist getting just what they deserve?
I bet it is standard NATO ammo, but manufactured specially for high quality.
Sounds like you're mixing up details on the alleged sniper duel in Stalingrad between a Major Konings of the Wehrmacht and Russian "super-sniper" Vasili Zaitsev. This was featured in the book "Enemy at the Gates" (and in fact that one little passage is what they built the entire movie "Enemy at the Gates" around) but other authors have said they don't think that actually happened, they can't find documentary evidence to support it.
The Red Army, however, did have a number of female snipers in WW II who performed spectacularly.
}:-)4
Texas mourns the deaths of over a hundred Texans who have died serving our country in the war...and among those who gave all are those with names from Mexico and other countries south of the US.
My brother says that the Hispanic soldiers make damned fine fighters.
It was actually ajolympian2004 who referenced the Russian female sniper, not myself. Although I saw the movie and liked it, I think that there's also a chance that there may have been more than one event of this type. Unfortunately, I don't get cable so I can't pursue ajolympian2004's reference to a specific History Channel program
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