ath cock ▁saw ▁a ▁gl int ▁( light ▁reflect ing ▁off ▁the ▁enemy ▁sni per ' s ▁scope ) ▁in ▁the ▁bush es , ▁he ▁fired ▁at ▁it , ▁shooting ▁through ▁the ▁scope ▁and ▁killing ▁the ▁sni per . ▁H ath cock ▁took ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁dead ▁sni per ' s ▁rif le , ▁hoping ▁to ▁bring ▁it ▁home ▁as ▁a ▁" t ro phy ", ▁but ▁after ▁he ▁turned ▁it ▁in ▁and ▁tag ged ▁it , ▁it ▁was ▁st olen ▁from ▁the ▁arm ory . ▁ ▁A ▁female ▁V iet ▁Cong ▁pl ato on ▁leader ▁called ▁" the ▁Apache ▁woman ," ▁with ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁tort uring ▁capt ive ▁U . S . ▁Mar ines , ▁was ▁killed ▁by ▁H ath cock ▁around ▁the ▁firebase ▁at ▁Hill ▁ 5 5 . ▁ ▁H ath cock ▁only ▁once ▁removed ▁the ▁white ▁fe ather ▁from ▁his ▁bush ▁hat ▁while ▁deployed ▁in ▁Vietnam . ▁During ▁a ▁volunte er ▁mission ▁days ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁deployment , ▁he ▁craw led ▁over ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁yards ▁of ▁field ▁to ▁shoot ▁a ▁P AV N ▁General . ▁He ▁was ▁not ▁informed ▁of ▁the ▁details ▁of ▁the ▁mission ▁until ▁he ▁accepted ▁it . ▁This ▁effort ▁took ▁four ▁days ▁and ▁three ▁night s , ▁without ▁sleep , ▁of ▁constant ▁in ch - by - inch ▁craw ling . ▁H ath cock ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁almost ▁stepped ▁on ▁as ▁he ▁lay ▁cam ou fl aged ▁with ▁grass ▁and ▁veget ation ▁in ▁a ▁me adow ▁shortly ▁after