History Memes

Explanation: Finn Simo Hayha was the most deadly sniper in history, racking up over 500 kills during the Soviet Union's ~4 month long Winter War in an unprovoked invasion of Finland. Famously, he did not use a scope for two reasons: first, because the glare from the glass could give away his position, and second, because using a scope means you have to lift your head slightly above where it would be for ironsights, and Simo very much preferred giving the enemy as small a target as possible.

I don't believe there's actually a known incident of his friend getting domed in front of him, just a joke about the danger of the job and Simo's motivations to keep his head.

He would also stuff his mouth with snow so his breath wouldn't give away his position. The Soviets were terrified of him - called him "The White Death", and attempted to call in artillery strikes on his suspected positions, and send counter-snipers to out-snipe him. He regularly sent the counter-snipers back in body bags. Near the end of the Winter War, Simo would be hit in the jaw with a bullet, and go into a several-day long coma. When he woke up, the war was over.

Simo Hayha would die in 2002, having quite literally outlived the Soviet Union. o7