# What do snipers do?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 10, 2006, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912 "2006-10-10T10:42:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/41 "2006-10-11T15:55:03Z")
[QUOTE=ExTank]
but I think snipers are typically NCOs (sergeants), which automatically gets them out of most menial jobs like KP and Latrine Detail (unless as supervisors of said menial jobs),
[/QUOTE]
Not necessarily, I have seen Lance Corporal (E-3, non-NCO) snipers. I have seen Corporals and Sergeants as spotters for the snipers. But overall, they try to put the higher ranks as the snipers and the lower ranks as the spotters.
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### Author:  [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/42 "2006-10-11T20:02:44Z")
**FormerMarineGuy** , I’ll see what I can dig up online while I’m here at work, and then I’ll have to see if it was in a book at home tonite. I could be totally wrong, I’m not in _any way_ trying to downplay the contribution of Mr. Hathcock to sniping in general at all! I have the utmost of respect of anyone in uniform. And it’s certainly true that in Vietnam, thing were run a lot differently than they are today, so I could be citing someone with an axe to grind.
Great thread!
_off to research_
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### Author:  [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/43 "2006-10-11T23:02:49Z")
_tongue-in-cheek response to the OP_
They get back in the cardboard box and sneak away? 😛😃
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### Author:  [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/44 "2006-10-12T12:22:18Z")
[QUOTE=Tristan]
**FormerMarineGuy** , I’ll see what I can dig up online while I’m here at work, and then I’ll have to see if it was in a book at home tonite. … I have the utmost of respect of anyone in uniform.
[/QUOTE]
Definitely was not doubting your respect or anything like that. I just wanted to see if I was just brainwashed by the many articles and stories I have heard about Hathcock. I actually served in the same unit as his son at one time in my career. Looking forward to seeing if you find anything.
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### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/45 "2006-10-13T22:43:24Z")
[QUOTE=dotchan]
_tongue-in-cheek response to the OP_
They get back in the cardboard box and sneak away? 😛😃
[/QUOTE]
!
.
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### Author:  [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/46 "2006-10-14T00:29:03Z")
[QUOTE=FormerMarineGuy]
Definitely was not doubting your respect or anything like that. I just wanted to see if I was just brainwashed by the many articles and stories I have heard about Hathcock. I actually served in the same unit as his son at one time in my career. Looking forward to seeing if you find anything.
[/QUOTE]
At this point, my online searches have come up blank. Which means it’s buried in one of my sniping books at home.
_sigh_
So I will continue to look for the quote, if for nothing else than I’m really curious to know if it’s there, or if I imagined it.
My philosophy on war stories, in particular ones from Post WWII, is that a certain amount of bullshit is gonna creep in. The key is seperating the fact from the embellishment.
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### Author:  [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/47 "2006-10-14T13:03:22Z")
[QUOTE=Tristan]
My philosophy on war stories, in particular ones from Post WWII, is that a certain amount of bullshit is gonna creep in. The key is seperating the fact from the embellishment.
[/QUOTE]
You are right, stories tend to become embellished over the years, especially. From everything I have read (sniping books, military literature, history, Vietnam war, Hathcock), all stories tend to be pretty real. It seemed Hathcock was just one of those guys that was not just a legend in his own mind, but a man with unimaginable natural skill and ability. He revolutionized sniping in general, and was just a dangerous man. If you read the book about him, there are some amazing things out there. I believe (no facts to back it up) there is a book in Vietnam about him also, from their point of view.
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### Author:  [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/48 "2006-10-14T13:23:04Z")
Just curious to know, what was the name of the Russian and German snipers in the film “Enemy at the Gates”
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### Author:  [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/49 "2006-10-14T14:14:27Z")
[QUOTE=chowder]
Just curious to know, what was the name of the Russian and German snipers in the film “Enemy at the Gates”
[/QUOTE]
Vasilij Zaijsev was the Russian and Erwin König was the German.
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### Author:  [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/50 "2006-10-14T14:27:53Z")
]Vasilij Grigoryevich [Zajtsev](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Grigoryevich_Zaitsev), the German (sometimes known as Heinz Thorvald as well as Erwin König) may have been [fictional](http://www.snipercountry.com/SnipHistory.asp#Zaitsev).
> [@](#):
>
> Addendum by Martin Pegler
> Curator of Weapons, The Royal Armouries, Leeds, UK
>
> Scott,
> While researching for a book on sniping, I used some contacts at Russian museums to look into the veracity of the much reported fight between Zeitsev and Koenig [Thorvald]. Despite the fact that Russian company and regimental records were faithfully kept even throughout the worst days of the Stalingrad seige, nowhere is this duel reported in war diaries. This would seem to be an odd omission, particularly in the face of the cult of ‘Sniperism’ that the Soviet press were so keen to extoll.
>
> I tend to agree with Anthony Beevor’s opinion that the shooting match never actually happened and was the result of propoganda reporting by the press who were always keen to promote new ‘Heroes of the Soviet Union’. Apparently Zeitsev himself never confirmed or denied the event, an odd attitude in view of its apparent historical importance.
Didn’t they use Hathcocks “bullet through the scope” shot in that movie as well?
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### Author:  [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/51 "2006-10-14T14:47:34Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist]
Didn’t they use Hathcocks “bullet through the scope” shot in that movie as well?
[/QUOTE]
I have seen it in a few movies. It definitely adds a nice cinematical touch to any movie. In Enemy at the Gates it was used in the part where the boyfriend/girlfriend sniper team were set up and the German sniper shot the guy through the scope. It was also used in the very fictional movie Sniper.
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### Author:  [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/52 "2006-10-14T14:58:01Z")
I just looked up Hathcock’s [wiki page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Hathcock).
> [@Wikipedia](#):
>
> Said Hathcock, in his book, of his career as a sniper: “I like shooting, and I love hunting. But I never did enjoy killing anybody. It’s my job. If I don’t get those Bastards, then they’re gonna kill a lot of these kids we got dressed up like Marines. Thats just the way I see it.”
It seems to me that’s a pretty insulting thing for a Marine to say of other Marines; “kids we got _ **dressed up like** _ Marines.” Thoughts?
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### Author:  [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/53 "2006-10-14T15:31:59Z")
[QUOTE=Jake4]
It seems to me that’s a pretty insulting thing for a Marine to say of other Marines; “kids we got _ **dressed up like** _ Marines.” Thoughts?
[/QUOTE]
From what I got from that is he meant that you had these young 17-18 year old kids who are Marines, but they are still just kids.
I probably said stuff just like it when I was in the Marines. They all seem to get younger and younger as you get older.
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### Author:  [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-snipers-do/375912/54 "2006-10-14T15:33:38Z")
[QUOTE=Jake4]
It seems to me that’s a pretty insulting thing for a Marine to say of other Marines; “kids we got _ **dressed up like** _ Marines.” Thoughts?
[/QUOTE]
If they volunteered I could see how that statement would be insulting, but if we are talking about a draft then this would not be the case. After all, the government did take a lot of kids away from their homes, dress them up like marines, and shipped them off to Vietnam.
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