Adelbert Waldron

Adelbert F. Waldron III
Nickname(s) "Bert"
Born (1933-03-14)March 14, 1933
Virginia, U.S.
Died October 18, 1995(1995-10-18) (aged 62)
California, U.S.
Buried at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, California, U.S.
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch  United States Navy
 United States Army
Years of service 1953–1965 (U.S. Navy)
1968–1970 (U.S. Army)
Rank Staff sergeant
Unit 9th Infantry Division, United States Army Marksmanship Unit
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Awards Distinguished Service Cross (2)
Silver Star
Bronze Star (3)
Presidential Unit Citation

Adelbert F. "Bert" Waldron III, (March 14, 1933 – October 18, 1995) was a United States Army sniper who served during the Vietnam War with the 9th Infantry Division. Until 2011, Waldron held the record for most confirmed kills by any American sniper (109 confirmed kills).[1][2]

Birth and parentage

Adelbert was born 14 March 1933 to Adeline Baxter Waldron and Adelbert F. Waldron, a parking lot operator, detective agency employee, fireman and school bus driver in Syracuse, New York. He had two sisters.[3]

Career

Prior to his time in the Army, Waldron spent 12 years in the US Navy. As a member of the 9th Infantry Division, he was assigned to PBR boats patrolling the Mekong Delta, at one point making a confirmed kill from a moving boat at 900 yards. He set his record of 109 kills in just 8 months. After leaving Vietnam he was assigned as a marksmanship instructor at Ft. Benning, GA but left the Army in 1970.

Waldron was one of the few two-time recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross, both awarded for separate actions in 1969. In addition to these he was awarded a Silver Star, multiple Bronze Stars, and a Presidential Unit Citation.[4][5] Although U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle later acquired more confirmed kills, Waldron worked in a jungle environment where target opportunities were less commonplace, whereas Kyle worked in a target-rich urban environment where the rules of engagement were more lax, at one time "any adult male in the city is a target".

Waldron is buried in Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fredriksen 2010, p. 306
  2. ↑ snipercentral.com (2010). "The Sniper Log Book". snipercentral.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Adelbert Waldron", Post Standard, Syracuse, New York, US 27 December 1966, p.9
  4. ↑ Kirchner 2009, pp. Contains a long chapter revealing little known details of Waldron's life.
  5. ↑ MilitaryTimes Hall of Valor: Adelbert F. Waldron
  6. ↑ Sgt Adelbert F Waldron, III at Find a Grave
  7. ↑ Buiso, Gray (January 1, 2012). "Meet the big shot – SEAL is America’s deadliest sniper". New York Post. Retrieved 2012-01-03.

Bibliography

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