In 1968, Gary Mitchell enlisted in the army and was sent to Vietnam, where he caught the eye of his superiors, who found that he excelled at long-distance shooting-a discovery that set him on the path to a new identity as a sniper.

During his time in Vietnam, American intelligence agents "borrowed" him from his Army unit and used him to carry out planned assassinations most likely as part of the covert Phoenix Program. But this is not just the story of a man at war; it's also about the war within the man, because the memories of his sniper missions followed him home-and nearly destroyed him.