Baker City war hero and Marine Corp legend passes away

By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, February 14th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

BAKER CITY – Elkhorn Media Group has learned that Chuck Mawhinney of Baker has passed away at age 75.

Mawhinney was a United States Marine who holds the Corps’ record for the most confirmed sniper kills, having recorded 103 confirmed kills and 216 probable kills in 16 months during the Vietnam War.

After leaving the Marine Corps in 1970, Mawhinney returned home to Lakeview, Oregon and worked for the U.S. Forest Service until his retirement in the late 1990s.

Chuck was born in 1949 in Lakeview, but resided in Baker City after his retirement.