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Chris Kyle

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Chris Kyle
Birth nameChristopher Scott Kyle[1]
Nickname(s)شيطان الرمادي
Shaitan Al-Ramadi
The Devil of Ramadi
Legend
Born(1974-04-08)April 8, 1974
Odessa, Texas, U.S.
DiedFebruary 2, 2013(2013-02-02) (aged 38)
Erath County, Texas, U.S.
Buried
Texas State Cemetery[2]
Allegiance Vereinigte Staaten
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service1999–2009
Rank Chief Petty Officer[3]
Unit United States Navy SEALs
  • SEAL Team 3, sniper element, Charlie Company (later called Cadillac Company)
Battles/wars
Awards Silver Star Medal (2)
File:BronzeStarV copy.jpg Bronze Star Medal (Valor; 5)
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (1)
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2)[3][4]
Spouse(s)Taya Renae Kyle[5]
Other workAmerican Sniper (2012)
American Gun (2013)
Signature

Christopher Scott "Chris" Kyle (April 8, 1974 – February 2, 2013) was a United States Navy SEAL, and proclaimed most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, having accumulated 160 confirmed kills out of 255 probable kills. These claims are based on individual shooter logs, filled out at the end of a mission, and reported to higher command. Confirmed kills must have a witness.[3][6][7]

Kyle served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. He received two Silver Star Medals, five Bronze Star Medals, one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.[8] Iraqi insurgents dubbed him the "Devil of Ramadi" and placed a series of ever increasing bounties on his head, purported to have eventually reached the low six figures. He became known by the moniker "Legend" among the general infantry and Marines whom he was tasked to protect. This title initially originated in jest among fellow SEALs following his taking of a sabbatical to train other snipers in Fallujah.[9] He was wounded twice and involved in six IED attacks.[8][10]

Kyle was honorably discharged from the US Navy in 2009 and wrote a bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, which was published in January 2012. Kyle was shot and killed at a shooting range on February 2, 2013, near Chalk Mountain, Texas, along with friend Chad Littlefield. The man accused of killing them is awaiting trial for murder. A film adaptation of Kyle's autobiography was released in December 2014, directed by Clint Eastwood.

Early life

Kyle was born in Odessa, Texas, the son of Deby Lynn (Mercer) and Wayne Kenneth Kyle, a Sunday school teacher and a deacon.[3][11] Kyle's father bought his son his first rifle at 8 years old, a bolt-action .30-06 Springfield rifle, and later a shotgun, with which they hunted pheasant, quail, and deer.[3] While growing up in Odessa, Chris attended Permian High School from 1987 to 1991. He played linebacker for the Permian Panthers football team and was a member, as a sophomore, of the 1988 team which was later made famous by author H. G. Bissinger in his book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream.[12] After school, Kyle became a professional bronco rodeo rider and worked on a ranch, but his profession ended abruptly when he severely injured his arm. After his arm healed, he went to a military recruiting office, interested in joining the United States Marine Corps (USMC) with a special interest in special operations. Kyle signed up, but was rejected because of the pins in his arm. Kyle met with an Army recruiter next, who told him about the Special Forces and the Rangers. A Navy recruiter told him about the Navy SEALs as he was leaving the recruiting office. After initially being declined, he received a call to BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL school). He joined the Navy in 1999.[13]

Career

Military service

Iraq War

Assigned to SEAL Team 3, Sniper Element Charlie, later Cadillac,[8] platoon within the Naval Special Warfare Command, and with four tours of duty, Kyle served in many major battles of the Iraq War.[3] His first long-range kill shot was taken during the initial invasion when he shot a woman approaching a group of Marines with a hand grenade in her hand. An article by CNN reported that the woman was cradling a toddler in her other hand.[14] As ordered, he opened fire, killing the woman before she could attack.[10] He later stated, "the woman was already dead. I was just making sure she didn't take any Marines with her."[8]

Because of his track record as a marksman during his deployment to Ramadi, the insurgents named him Shaitan Ar-Ramadi (English: 'The Devil of Ramadi'), and put a $21,000 bounty on his head that was later increased to $80,000. They posted signs highlighting the cross on his arm as a means of identifying him.[3][10]

In 2008, outside Sadr City, Kyle claims his longest successful shot, after he spotted an insurgent with a rocket launcher near a United States Army convoy at a range of 2,100 yards (1.9 km). As recounted in his book American Sniper, Kyle fired a shot from his .338 Lapua Magnum-chambered McMillan TAC-338 sniper rifle, killing the insurgent from about 2,100 yards away. The fighter was about to launch a rocket-propelled grenade at the Army convoy.[15]

During four tours of duty in Iraq, Kyle was shot twice and caught up in six separate IED explosions.[10] His other weapons included the SR-25 semiautomatic sniper rifle, the Mk 12 Designated Marksman Rifle, Sig Sauer P220 Pistol, M4 carbine and a .300 Winchester Magnum sniper rifle.[16]

Later life

Kyle left the US Navy in 2009 and moved to Midlothian, Texas, with his wife, Taya, and two children.[17] He was president of Craft International, a tactical training company for the US military and law enforcement communities.[18]

In 2012, HarperCollins released Kyle's autobiographical book American Sniper.[17][19]

Kyle paired with FITCO Cares Foundation, a nonprofit organization which created the Heroes Project to provide free in-home fitness equipment, individualized programs, personal training, and life-coaching to in-need veterans with disabilities, Gold Star families, or those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.[20] On August 13, 2012, Kyle appeared on the reality television show Stars Earn Stripes, which features celebrities pairing up with a special operations or law enforcement professional who train them in weapons and combat tactics. Kyle was teamed with actor Dean Cain.[21]

Alleged confrontation with Jesse Ventura

In interviews with both the Opie and Anthony Show and Bill O'Reilly in January 2012, Kyle claimed to have punched former Minnesota Governor and Underwater Demolition Team member Jesse Ventura at a bar in Coronado, California, in 2006 during a wake for Mike Monsoor, a Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient killed in Iraq. Kyle, who wrote about the alleged incident in one of his books, never mentioned Ventura by name, claiming that Ventura was "bad-mouthing the war, bad-mouthing (former President) Bush, bad-mouthing America" and had said that the SEALs "deserved to lose a few guys."[22] In a subsequent interview, Ventura denied that he was punched by Kyle, saying he had never even met Kyle nor heard of him. Ventura adamantly denied making any derogatory remarks about the military.[23]

In January 2012, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Kyle for defamation.[24] After Kyle's death in February 2013, Ventura announced he would continue his lawsuit by adding Kyle's estate as a defendant.[25] Juror selection was completed on July 8, 2014, and the trial began on July 9, 2014, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota. On July 29, 2014, after six days of deliberations, and upon the agreement of both plaintiff and defendant to accept a divided jury verdict where eight or more of the 10 jurors were in agreement, the jury arrived at an eight to two divided verdict in favor of the plaintiff, and awarded Jesse Ventura $1.8 million.[26][27]

On August 7, 2014, U.S. District Judge Richard H. Kyle, no relation to Chris Kyle, upheld the jury's award of $500,000 in defamation damages and adopted the jury's advisory award of $1,345,477.25 in unjust enrichment as "reasonable and supported by a preponderance of the evidence". Attorneys for Kyle's estate said that the defamation damages would be covered by HarperCollins' libel insurance. The unjust enrichment award was not covered by insurance and will come out of Kyle's estate assets. Following the verdict, HarperCollins announced it would pull the Ventura story from all future editions of the book.[28]

In a post-trial interview, one juror said that the defense provided a confusing checklist of events, e.g., there were multiple locations of where the alleged punch occurred from defense witnesses and the defense witnesses were under the influence of alcohol at the time the alleged fight occurred. The juror also stated that Kyle's use of a pseudonym for Ventura in the book was to keep it "under wraps" and that if that were true, the juror thought Kyle should have used Ventura's name. Additionally, the juror found it unlikely, based on viewing photographs taken in the days after the alleged punch, that Kyle, over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, over 200 pounds (90 kg) and in top physical shape, could have punched Ventura, who shows bruises easily from taking blood thinners,[29] knocked him to the ground, and not leave a mark on his face.[30]

On September 4, 2014, attorneys for Taya Kyle as executor of the estate of Chris Kyle, filed a motion with the District Court for renewed judgment as a matter of law or a new trial.[31] On September 26, 2014, attorneys for Ventura filed their reply to motions from Kyle's estate that contended Ventura had proven Kyle's story was "materially false", that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to find "actual malice", and that there should not be a new trial. Attorneys for Taya Kyle, as executor of Chris Kyle's estate, on October 3, 2014, filed a reply to Ventura's response to the motions.[32] This motion had to be ruled on before an appeal to the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals can be filed.[33] On November 25, 2014, Judge Kyle, in a 24-page order, denied all of the motions from the estate of Chris Kyle, and wrote: "CONCLUSION At bottom, the Court concludes Defendant received a fair trial and that the jury's verdicts were supported by substantial evidence. Defendant is obviously disappointed in those verdicts, but her disappointment does not lay a foundation for a new trial or for judgment as a matter of law. Having found all of Defendant's arguments wanting, and based on all the files, records, and proceedings herein, IT IS ORDERED that Defendant's Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law or New Trial (Doc. No. 404) is DENIED."[34][35] On December 23, 2014, attorneys for Taya Kyle, as executor of Chris Kyle's estate, filed notice of intent to appeal with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Case Number 14-3876.[36][37]

On December 16, 2014, Jesse Ventura filed a second lawsuit against HarperCollins over Kyle's book American Sniper. According to news reports, Ventura's new lawsuit claims that publicity created by Kyle's telling of the incident “increased sales” and generated “millions of dollars [in sales] for HarperCollins.”[38]

Death

On Saturday, February 2, 2013, Kyle and a companion, Chad Littlefield, were shot and killed at the Rough Creek Ranch-Lodge-Resort shooting range in Erath County, Texas[39] by 25-year-old Marine Corps veteran[40] Eddie Ray Routh, whom Kyle and Littlefield had reportedly taken to the gun range in an effort to help him with what they were told by his mother was PTSD.[41][42] Former U.S. congressman Ron Paul ignited a firestorm of criticism by questioning this choice and tweeting, “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.”[43]

Local police captured Routh after a short freeway chase, which ended when Routh, who had left the scene of the shootings in Kyle's Ford F-350 truck, crashed into a police cruiser. Routh was arrested just before 9 pm the same day in Lancaster, Texas.[44] Erath County sheriffs said the motive for the killing was unclear.[45] Routh, from Lancaster, was arraigned February 2, 2013, on two counts of capital murder, according to Sergeant Lonny Haschel of the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was taken to the Erath County Jail for holding under a $3 million bond.[46] Routh's trial was set to begin May 5, 2014, but was delayed to allow more time to comply with DNA test requirements.[47]

A memorial service was held for Kyle at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 11, 2013. Kyle was buried on February 12, 2013, in Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Texas, after a funeral procession from Midlothian, Texas, to Austin, stretching over 200 miles.[48] Hundreds of local and out-of-state residents lined Interstate 35 to view the procession and pay their final respects to Kyle.[49][50]

Criticism

In an article for Salon, co-founder and senior staff writer, Laura Miller was critical of Kyle, writing:[51]

"It is both cruel and perverse to reproach soldiers for killing the enemy when that’s what they’re sent to war to do, and when they do so in defense of their own lives and the lives of their comrades. Nevertheless, you can expect soldiers to kill and still recoil when they kill blithely and eagerly. In 'American Sniper,' Kyle describes killing as 'fun' and something he 'loved' to do. This pleasure was no doubt facilitated by his utter conviction that every person he shot was a 'bad guy.' Fallujah and Ramadi, where he saw the most action, were certainly crawling with insurgents and foreign Islamist militants, and Kyle swears that every man he picked off with his sniper rifle was manifestly up to no good. But his bloodthirstiness and general indifference to the Iraqis and their country don’t suggest that he was highly motivated to make sure.

'I don’t shoot people with Korans,' Kyle retorted to an Army investigator when he was accused of killing an Iraqi civilian. 'I’d like to, but I don’t.' Later in 'American Sniper,' he announces, 'I couldn’t give a flying fuck about the Iraqis.' 'I hate the damn savages,' he explains. What does matter most to him are 'God, country and family' (although much of the friction in his marriage arose from his ordering of those last two items). As Kyle saw it, he and his fellow troops had been sent to war in this contemptible place 'to make sure that bullshit didn’t make its way back to our shores.'"

Legacy

The 2014 film American Sniper is based on Kyle's autobiography. Kyle is portrayed by Bradley Cooper, his wife Taya is portrayed by Sienna Miller, and the film is directed by Clint Eastwood.[52]

Publications as author

  • Kyle, Chris; McEwen, Scott; DeFelice, Jim (2013). American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. New York: W. Morrow, 2012. ISBN 0-062-08235-3 OCLC 733224029
  • Kyle, Chris; Doyle, William (2013). American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms. New York: William Morrow, 2013. ISBN 0-0622-4271-7 OCLC 813286737

See also

References

  1. ^ Bernstein, Adam (February 4, 2013). "Chris Kyle, Navy Seal and author of 'American Sniper', dies". The Washington Post. Christopher Scott Kyle was born in 1974
  2. ^ Jamie Stengle; Paul J. Weber; Angela K. Brown (12 February 2013). "Procession escorts ex-Navy SEAL Kyle to burial". Army Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Buiso, Gray (January 1, 2012). "Meet the big shot - SEAL is America's deadliest sniper". New York Post. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
  4. ^ Chris Kyle (2010-03-24). "Chris Kyle from HarperCollins Publishers". Harpercollins.com. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
  5. ^ "Taya Renae Kyle profile". Cemetery.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  6. ^ Briggs, Bill (2014-07-30). "Confirmed kills: A solemn secret for military snipers is becoming a pop-culture hit". NBC News. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  7. ^ "About The Book". American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. HarperCollins. Archived from the original on 2012-01-11. Retrieved June 22, 2012. ...though his remarkable career total has not been made public by the Pentagon.
  8. ^ a b c d "American Sniper" (PDF). Harper Collins.
  9. ^ "Chris Kyle1". YouTube.
  10. ^ a b c d Sanchez, Raf (January 2, 2012). "'The Devil of Ramadi' named America's deadliest sniper". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
  11. ^ "Christopher Scott Kyle, Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997". FamilySearch. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  12. ^ https://www.chriskylefrogfoundation.org/
  13. ^ Kyle, Chris (2012). American Sniper. HarperCollins.
  14. ^ "'Chris Kyle, America's deadliest sniper, offered no regrets'". February 5, 2013. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
  15. ^ "McMillan TAC-338 Sniper Rifle". Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  16. ^ "'Chris Kyle: al-Shaitan of Iraq'". March 14, 2012. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  17. ^ a b Kyle, Chris; McEwen, Scott; DeFelice, Chris (January 2, 2012). "American Sniper". Harper Collins. Retrieved 2012-01-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Craft International". Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  19. ^ Kyle, Chris; McEwen, Scott; DeFelice, Chris (February 5, 2012). American Sniper. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-208235-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Fitco Cares". Fitcocares.org. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  21. ^ "Stars Earn Stripes Bio for Chris Kyle". Nbc.com. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  22. ^ Lamothe, Dan (30 July 2014). "Jesse Ventura vs. Chris Kyle: A case where no one won". Washington Post. Katharine Weymouth. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  23. ^ Watson, Paul Joseph. "Ventura: Navy SEAL 'Punch' Hoax May be Retribution For Supporting Ron Paul". InfoWars. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  24. ^ Browning, Dan (February 24, 2012). "Jesse Ventura aims to get even with Navy SEAL in court". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  25. ^ Chasmar, Jessica (June 2, 2013). "Ex-Minn. Gov. Jesse Ventura sues Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's widow". The Washington Times. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  26. ^ "Jury awards Jesse Ventura $1.8 million in 'American Sniper' lawsuit". The Dallas Morning News. July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  27. ^ "Chris Kyle trial: Jesse Ventura wins $1.8 million in defamation case". Oregon Live. Associated Press. 2014-07-29. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  28. ^ "Jesse Ventura's $1.8M award in defamation trial ruled reasonable". St. Paul Pioneer Press. August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  29. ^ "Ventura testifies in 'American Sniper' lawsuit". KARE. July 15, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  30. ^ "Aug. 3: Juror describes how jury reached split decision in Jesse Ventura defamation trial". Star Tribune. September 4, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  31. ^ "Jesse Ventura case: 'Sniper' author's widow seeks retrial". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  32. ^ "Ventura v. Kyle, Doc. 404". Justia Dockets & Filings. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  33. ^ "A sniper's widow fights for his legacy". The Deal Pipeline. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  34. ^ "No new trial in Jesse Ventura, Chris Kyle defamation lawsuit, judge rules". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  35. ^ "Judge's Memo denying motions" (PDF). Kaaltv.com. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  36. ^ "'American Sniper' widow to appeal Ventura defamation verdict". Mprnews.org. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  37. ^ "Jesse Ventura v. Taya Kyle". Dockets.justia.com. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  38. ^ "Jesse Ventura sues HarperCollins over Chris Kyle's 'American Sniper'". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  39. ^ "Noted sniper slain at Erath County gun range". WFAA TV. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  40. ^ "Father of Chris Kyle killer Eddie Ray Routh is already mourning the loss of his son - Daily Mail Online". Mail Online. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  41. ^ Schwirtz, Michael (2013-02-03). "'American Sniper' Author Shot to Death in Texas". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  42. ^ "Man charged in fatal shooting of ex-SEAL/author". Yahoo News. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  43. ^ Death of an American sniper Laura Miller. Salon. Feb 7, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2015/
  44. ^ "Author of "American Sniper" among the dead at Rough Creek". yourstephenvilletx.com. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  45. ^ "American Sniper author Chris Kyle shot dead in Texas". BBC. February 3, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  46. ^ Copeland, Larry (February 3, 2013). "Ex-SEAL Chris Kyle remembered after shooting death". USA Today.
  47. ^ "Chris Kyle Murder Trial Delayed". Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  48. ^ "Chris Kyle Funeral Procession Arrives in Austin | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth". Nbcdfw.com. 2013-02-12. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  49. ^ "Details announced for Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's memorial service at Cowboys Stadium". The Scoop Blog. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  50. ^ "Residents Line I-35 To Pay Respects To Slain Navy SEAL". Kwtx.com. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  51. ^ Death of an American sniper Laura Miller. Salon. Feb 7, 2013./
  52. ^ VERRIER, RICHARD (April 23, 2014). "Eastwood starts shooting 'American Sniper' at Santa Clarita ranch". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 August 2014.

Additional bibliography

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