Master Sergeant Eric Roy England (April 15, 1933 – April 7, 2018)
was a
sniper for the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
3rd Marine Division
The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...
during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
.
He had 98 confirmed kills with many more unconfirmed. Joining the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) in 1950, England was a Nationals rifle shooting champion by age 19 in 1952, and a long-range champion by 1968.
He received his first competitive training in USMC bootcamp from his cousin, Dr. James Harry Turner, at that time a Marine weapons instructor. This led to a 24-year career on the USMC rifle team, winning national and international competitions as participant and coach.
Although little known outside of sniper circles, England was highly respected, and was the subject of the book ''Phantom of Phu Bai'', written by Dr. J. B. Turner.
Carlos Hathcock
Carlos Norman Hathcock II (May 20, 1942 – February 22, 1999) was a United States Marine Corps (USMC) sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a l ...
was once quoted as saying, "Eric is a great man, a great shooter, and a great Marine".
[ A ]sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...
in England's honor was erected at the county courthouse in Union County, Georgia
Union County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,632. The county seat is Blairsville.
History
Union County was originally a core part of the homeland o ...
, in 2006.[ Guest speakers included former Governor of Georgia and ]U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American author and politician from the state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as lieutenant governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as U. ...
, a former Marine, and a cousin of England; and Maj. Edward James Land, USMC, (ret.), Carlos Hathcock's commanding officer and occasional fellow sniper in Vietnam.[
]
References
External links
Sniper Central
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:England, Eric
1933 births
2018 deaths
American military snipers
United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers
United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War
People from Union County, Georgia