15 American Servicemembers With the Most Confirmed Kills

Servicemembers aren't typically as proud of their kills as movies make it out to be. The truth is that in real life taking a life is a difficult mental experience, regardless of the circumstances. Additionally, it can be incredibly difficult to tell who killed who during a firefight. One servicemember on Quora recounts a training exercise where he fired a blank and a person who was running nearby fell. Everyone thought he'd shot the person until they got back up and started running again. "Confirmed kills" is typically a propaganda tool used by the government. By creating a super-soldier with hundreds of "confirmed kills," the military creates a hero for the general public and someone for their servicemembers to look up to. So, who does the U.S. military claim has the most kills? Let's look at servicemembers with the most kills to their names.

To populate this list, we looked at reputable military-related websites to see which soldiers were being celebrated for their deadly dispositions. It's important to remember that kill reporting policies have changed over time. The only soldiers who are typically rewarded for individual kills are snipers and air combat pilots. This is due to their specified roles. For pilots, peer-to-peer combat is relatively rare. So, it's easier for them to keep track of their kills. Snipers are scouts first and foremost and one of their main jobs is to report enemy movement, formation, and other data to their units. Thus, they have a much better handle on who they have killed. Additionally, their spotters give them credible witnesses to their kills, making them easier to confirm. (After this article, check out 15 of the Most Unusual Weapons in Military History.)

It's hard to argue that Thomas Ferebee has the most number of human lives taken in a single incident under his belt. If you don't recognize his name, Ferebee was the Bombardier aboard the B-29 Enola Gay when it dropped the atomic bomb, Little Boy, on the city of Hiroshima. That bomb killed around 20,000 soldiers and at least 70,000 civilians. While the deaths resulting from the atomic bomb would have been credited to the whole crew of the Enola Gay, Ferebee was the one who aimed the bomb and released it. Thus, we credit him with the bulk of the job. Ferebee was said to have slept through most of the mission, managing to sleep the entire way to the drop point and all the way back.

This spot is really a tie for the top spot because Captain Paul Tibbets was the pilot of the Enola Gay when it dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy on the city of Hiroshima. Like Ferebee, he would have shared the credit of the mission with the rest of the crew in reports, rather than it being an individual mission report. However, as he occupied such a crucial role in the mission, we felt it necessary to include him in the credit for the mission's "confirmed kills." Tibbets would have been credited with 20,000 soldier kills from the bombs.

The deadliest single soldier on record is Sergeant First Class Dillard Johnson, who later wrote the memoir Carnivore: A Memoir by One of the Deadliest American Soldiers of All Time. SFC Johnson has a staggering 2,746 kills under his belt, which he logged in a green journal during his service. He wasn't logging these deaths for bragging rights, though. Johnson was the commander of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle nicknamed "Carnivore" and he was required to report all deaths related to his vehicle's operation to his superiors. The man himself claims to have been shocked when he heard the exact number of deaths he had been involved in.

Credited with 241 kills to his name, Audie Leon Murphy is a unique soldier. He joined the military at age 15 using falsified birth records that his sister helped him produce. He was active in the U.S. Army from 1942 until 1945. In 1950, he joined the Texas Army National Guard and stayed in that role until 1966. Then, he moved to the U.S. Army Reserves in 1966 where he stayed until he retired from the military in 1969. Murphy was initially rejected from several branches for being underweight but managed to join the Army as a plea to help his financially struggling family with bills during World War II.

Moving on to a list that will be almost entirely comprised of snipers, we have the late U.S. Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle. Kyle was an active military servicemember from 1999 until 2009 and served four tours in Iraq, achieving 160 confirmed kills as a sniper during his service and another 95 unconfirmed kills. He went by several nicknames, including "Tex", "American Sniper", "The Devil of Ramadi, and "The Legend." He wrote a book about his experiences after returning from Iraq. Unfortunately, Kyle's life ended prematurely. He was shot and killed in a murder on the way to a shooting range in 2013. Kyle wrote a memoir about his time as a SEAL, which came under fire for defamation due to his alleging a confrontation with a former governor in a bar.

U.S. Army sniper Adelbert "Bert" Waldron III was an American sniper hailing from Syracuse, New York. Waldron was active in the United States Army from 1968 until 1970. He served in the Vietnam War with the 9th Infantry Division. During his service, Waldron took down 109 enemies with confirmation and several more that were unconfirmed. Waldron is a highly distinguished and decorated service member. He is one of the few two-time recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross. Waldron held the record for the most kills by an American sniper until 2011 when he was finally overtaken.

Chuck Mawhinney holds the current record for the highest number of confirmed kills by a U.S. Marine Corps sniper. Mawhinney has 103 confirmed kills to his name, and 216 probable kills. Probable kills are when a death is recorded and a servicemember is placed at the scene but there are no witnesses to confirm who did the killing. Mawhinney is a Vietnam War veteran. He was active in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1967 until 1970. Mawhinney died recently at the age of 74. One of the rifles he used during the Vietnam War is on display in the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Herbert McBride is a unique "American" servicemember because he did not serve in the U.S. Army. Rather, McBride is a United States national who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I. However, he is still counted as an American servicemember because he was not Canadian despite serving with their military. McBride was a U.S. Captain of the 21st Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was active from 1914 until 1918. During this time he got credit for at least 100 confirmed kills.

Another Marine Corps sniper with a hefty kill count is Carlos Hathcock. Hathcock is another Vietnam veteran. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was active between 1959 and 1979. Hathcock got credit for 93 confirmed kills as a sniper in the Marines during his service. The extraordinary details of the missions Hathcock undertook made him a legend among the Marines. He has been honored by having a service rifle named after him. A variant of the Springfield M25 was nicknamed the Springfield M24 White Feather, taking the name "White Feather" from the nickname given to Hathcock by the North Vietnamese soldiers of the People's Army of Vietnam.

Herman Davis is unique on this list because he was not an eager recruit on the frontlines like many of the other prolific sharpshooters. Davis was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1918 and served during World War I. He was active in the U.S. Army as a sniper from 1918 until 1919. While serving with the U.S. Infantry Private Company I, he got credit for 60 confirmed kills as a sniper. He was also known for having killed five enemy crew members who were setting up a machine gun from a distance of 1,000 yards, much further than most shooters at the time were capable of. Davis was reportedly told that the distance between themselves and the enemy was too great to make the shot. However, he took the shot anyway and succeeded, reportedly remarking, "Why that is just a good shootin' distance."

Looking at another United States Marine Corps sniper, we have Charles Marlowe. Marlowe was active in the USMC from 1987 until 1990. He currently holds the record for the most solo missions completed by a USMC sniper, having completed 27 missions by himself. Marlowe also has 46 confirmed kills as a sniper.

U.S. Army Special Operations sniper Nicholas Irving earned himself the nickname "The Reaper" for his deadly sniping accuracy with the 3rd Ranger Battalion. He was active in the U.S. Army from 2004 until 2010 and during that time, he got credit for at least 41 confirmed kills. Irving initially intended to join the Navy SEALs when he enlisted. However, after serving for some time, he opted to join the Ranger Battalion instead. After retiring from the Army, Irving began a career in entertainment and was featured as a guest on several shows revolving around military, fitness, and firearms.

Alvin York was a United States Army parachute assault trooper who was active in the military during World War I. During his active year—between 1917 and 1918—he used an M1917 Enfield rifle in battle, earning the credit for 28 confirmed kills. Something that makes York exceptional among the members of this list is that he received medals and recognition from multiple different governments during the war. The governments of the United States, France, Italy, and Montenegro awarded York with various medals for his service in the war. He is best known for leading an offensive where he and his men stormed a German machine gun nest, gathering 35 machine guns, killing 25, and taking 132 prisoners.

Looking again at another Vietnam veteran, we have Staff Sergeant Joe Ronnie Hooper. Hooper served in the Delta Company 2nd Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division. He received most of his confirmed kills during the Battle of Hue in 1968. His total confirmed kill count is 22 confirmed kills, most of which he achieved during the Battle of Hue. Then a Sergeant, Hooper saved several wounded soldiers and single-handedly stormed three bunkers with hand grenades and his gun to save the rest of his company under siege.

Going way back into the annuls of time, we have Timothy Murphy, a United States sniper who served during the Revolutionary War between America and Great Britain. Murphy only has one confirmed kill to his name because at the time confirmed kills weren't really a thing. However, his one confirmed kill is quite notable. Murphy's one confirmed kill was against the famed British General, Simon Fraser, and another British officer, Sir Francis Clerke, during the Battle of Saratoga. Quite the feat! Very little is known about Murphy's personal life. His life story was reproduced in the 1953 biography The Rifleman. (Next, read about The Most Decorated Women in US Military History.)