A Sniper's Journey : The Truth about the Man Behind the Rifle Hardcover - 2006

by Michael Hirsh; Gary D. Mitchell

What kind of man can take another's life while looking him-or her-dead in the eyes? And what does repeatedly committing such an act do to that man?

In 1968, Gary Mitchell enlisted in the Army and was sent to an infantry unit in Vietnam, where he earned a reputation for keeping his head in extreme situations. This caught the eye of his superiors, who had him trained to excel at long-distance shooting. However, Gary was not used as a combat sniper the way marksmen are currently being used in Iraq. He was lent to American intelligence agents who used him as an assassin, probably as part of the infamous, CIA-run Phoenix Program.

This is not just the story of a man at war; it's also about the war within the man, because the memories of his sniper missions followed him home, through his twenty-four year Army career and into civilian life. As the years went by, the full realization of what he'd done in the line of duty came back to haunt Mitchell's scarred conscience. But for the love of his wife,Ellen, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would have destroyed him.