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October 8, 2018

The Myth, The Legend, The American Sniper: Chris Kyle

Chris Kyle went much of his early life having the military in the back of his mind. However, instead of going to the military right after high school, he figured that he was required to attend college because of pressure from his parents. He decided to attend Tarleton State University in Texas from 1992 to 1994. After his second year of college, Chris decided to drop out of Tarleton State to become a full-time ranch hand until the day he decided to talk to a Navy recruiter. When he found out about the Navy SEALs (SEa, Air, Land) he immediately fell in love, and that was what he set his mind on. He was originally rejected because of a severe arm injury he suffered from earlier in life, but the Navy soon decided to let some of his previous rodeo injuries slide. He now was ready to start the journey to becoming a Navy SEAL.

The SEAL’s training usually graduates less than ten percent of the people that start the training, so the odds were already stacked against him. Chris Kyle ground out some of the most challenging, mentally and physically demanding training in the entire world. After a long and hard six months, Chris was finally awarded the honor of becoming a Navy SEAL. After finishing his training, he was then assigned to his first choice team, which was Seal Team 3. He chose Seal Team 3 because they had been deployed to the Middle East and were likely to return, and he wanted to get into the war as quickly as possible.1 After being assigned, he then reported to them in Coronado, California to get to work.

Chris Kyle running through the desert | Courtesy of pinterest.com

After becoming a Navy SEAL, Chris’ next goal was to become a sniper. After his first deployment to Baghdad in 2003, he was given the chance to go to the SEAL sniper school. He gave up part of his vacation and went back from leave a week early just so he could attend.2 Even though he has subsequently been given the title of the best American sniper ever, Chris never even graduated at the top of his sniper class. In fact, he graduated at about the middle of the pack.3 Although the main focus is on being a good shot, that is not even the half of it. Snipers must be able to identify enemies from a wide range while also remaining hidden. Snipers must move swiftly and quietly so they do not attract any attention. Half of being a sniper is being able to be patient.

After initially being a soldier that worked from the ground in his first tour, Chris became a sniper. In his next two tours, one to Fallujah in 2004 and one to Ramadi in 2006, he learned from others who had been Navy snipers for much longer than he. He was able to pick their brains and learn first hand what it takes to be a sniper in a real war. He was actually unsure whether he would be back for a fourth tour, because he had high blood pressure, but he wanted nothing more than to get back on to the battlefield for his country. Eventually, after meeting with doctors often, and agreeing to give up his chewing tobacco, he was given the OK to go back to the battlefield.4 By his fourth tour, Chris had already made a big name for himself, as his fellow SEALS began giving him nicknames such as “The Myth” and “The Legend.”5 In fact, the Iraqi insurgents gave him a nickname of their own, which was “The Devil of Ramadi.” He terrorized the enemy so much that they put a bounty on his head that was worth as much as $80,000.6 He became such a great sniper that the Navy asked him to write the first ever Sniper Handbook for the Navy.7

Chris Kyle shown with his two children at an Air Force base | Courtesy of survivor-story.com

Chris was deployed back to Baghdad in 2008, and was back to normal business on his fourth tour. He went out for days at a time to oversee Marines and other soldiers through his sniper scope. Usually he was manned with his preferred weapon of choice, the .300 Winchester Magnum bolt-action precision sniper rifle.8 One day he was overseeing a group of Marines from a long way away when he noticed an insurgent that he could barely make out because of the distance. The insurgent had his back against Chris at the time, so he was unable to clarify whether or not it was an insurgent and therefore could not get authorization to shoot. However, as Chris patiently waited, he noticed that he turned and was holding something in his hand. It was a RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). Seeing that, Chris now had the authorization to shoot the enemy carrying the RPG, who was 1.2 miles away. Given that factors such as gravity and wind made it a near impossible shot, Chris had to eyeball it as best he could, because his sniper rifle did not have the setting for such a distance. He finally got the crosshairs where he wanted them, and pulled the trigger. He followed the bullet 1.2 miles, straight to his target. Enemy down.9 He is unsure how many lives he saved, but he saved at least one RPG from entering into a group of Marines that day. He was a hero.

Chris’ fourth tour was cut short because of his blood pressure, which initially almost held him from being deployed. His conditions from it became so bad that he decided to see a Navy doctor, who thought it was best for Chris to punch and head home. After serving for a fourth tour and ten years in the United States military, Chris Kyle decided to retire. He called it one of the hardest decisions he ever had to make, but he had to go home to address his struggling marriage and two young children.10 Chris retired officially with one silver star and four bronze stars. He has been credited with 160 confirmed kills; however, that number fluctuates. Nonetheless, it is the most confirmed kills in the history of the United States military.11 He himself says it is closer to 300, but not all of them were able to get confirmed, leaving him with the official 160 mark.12 Chris fought in the war that was known as Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was sent out for the initial invasion of Baghdad in 2003, to Fallujah in 2004, to Ramadi in 2006, and then back to Baghdad in 2008.13

On February 2, 2013, Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield went to a shooting range with a former Marine to help him cope with his PTSD, doing something called “therapy shooting.” On that day, Chris and his friend were tragically shot and killed by the Marine named Eddie Routh. Eddie Routh plead insanity, but others believe that it was murder. Many people have different opinions, but we will never know what went through his head on the day he shot and killed two American heroes.

Snapshot of Chris Kyle’s funeral procession | Courtesy of Buzzfeed.com

His funeral was held in the Dallas Cowboys stadium where approximately 7,000 people attended. Clint Eastwood went on to direct a movie of Chris Kyle’s life called American Sniper, which is based on Kyle’s autobiography. The Texas Governor, Chris Abbot, declared that February 2, 2015 would be Chris Kyle Day in the state of Texas.14 Chris’ life was cut short that day, but he has gone down in American history as a hero. He saved countless lives on the battlefield, while protecting many and fighting for his country. He was more than willing to lose his life on the battlefield because of his love for his country. He was a man of his country, and a true American hero.

  1. Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (New York: W. Morrow, 2012), 21, 24, 39.
  2. Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (New York: W. Morrow, 2012), 96.
  3. Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (New York: W. Morrow, 2012), 108.
  4. Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (New York: W. Morrow, 2012), 325.
  5. Scott A. O, “A Sniper does His Deeds, but the Battle Never Ends,” New York Times, C12.
  6. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2017, “Chris Kyle,” by Micah Issitt.
  7. Handbook of Texas Online, 2016, “Kyle, Christopher Scott,” by Soto Hector.
  8. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2017, s.v. “Chris Kyle,” by Micah Issitt.
  9. Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (New York: W. Morrow, 2012), 349.
  10. Handbook of Texas Online, 2016, s.v. “Kyle, Christopher Scott,” by Soto Hector.
  11. Handbook of Texas Online, 2016, s.v. “Kyle, Christopher Scott,” by Soto Hector.
  12. Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (New York: W. Morrow, 2012), 5.
  13. Handbook of Texas Online, 2016, s.v. “Kyle, Christopher Scott,” by Soto Hector.
  14. Handbook of Texas Online, 2016, s.v. “Kyle, Christopher Scott,” by Soto Hector.

Recent Comments

94 comments

  • Barbara Ortiz

    When I came across your article, I recalled watching the movie, based on Chris’s book, a few years ago. I remember watching it, even with the “Hollywood Lens” and thinking what an amazing shot he had to be in order to take the shots he did, and the resolve to distinguish enemy from friend or neutral in order to protect the lives of our troops and allies. I was even more surprised at the ending of the movie to see how he died. Not on the foreign battlefield, but on American soil by the hand of a suffering veteran. After all that training and experience, we will never quite understand how he let his guard down that day.

  • Christopher Morales

    The narration of this article was done very well. I think there was a distinct point to show the efforts and recognize the hard work it takes to becoming a SEAL. As mentioned, Chris was in ground combat before going into the sniper school. That shows how highly trained every SEAL is and how specialized they are to the task they desire to pursue. There is sacrifice in war. It was stated that Chris went back home after a lot of thought to his marriage which was on the fence. It is hard for people to understand the desire to defend their country. This was an especially important and useful addition to the article. While a small paragraph describes the end of his life, it serves its purpose within the article to describe the Navy SEAL and concentrate on his pursuit to be on the front lines despite his declining health and struggling marriage.

  • Daniel Matheu Baldor

    Snipers are probably the soldiers that I most admire due to their patience, serenity and accuracy. I loved watching the film, since I found it one of the best films I’ve ever watched. Chris Kyle was a hero during the Afghanistan war, he saved a lot of lives. He is an inspiration and a hero not only for Americans, but also from citizens from all over the world. No one could never understand why he was murdered.

  • Lauren Castaneda

    Chris Kyle was a true American hero for his outstanding service to the military and our country. I found it quite interesting how he was know as the “The Devil of Ramadi,” and had a bounty of $80,000 placed over his head yet still pushed forward. He was able to accomplish so much during his time of service and save the lives of many other U.S. soldiers with his diligence. His passing was mournful to our country, his family, and fellow soldiers as well. Chris Kyle will forever be a legend for America, and a heroic inspiration to others.

  • Adrianna Hernandez

    Amazing article! When I first started reading the article I was amazed at how much Kyle risked his life. Regards of his health issues and marriage problems. It’s crazy to think that they put a bounty for $80,000 for him due to his amazing sniper skills. It’s sad to know that after all he did for our country his life was taken away by a Marine. Also that’s cool how he was asked to write the Sniper Handbook for the Navy.

  • Destiny Lucero

    Chris Kyle a Texan Legend. What a wonderful article to honor such an amazing hero. He followed his dreams and always did what he thought was right. He just wanted to help a fellow veteran and in return him and his friend were both murdered. He only wanted to help and save as many peoples lives as he could, and in return he had a hit put on him. He set goals, and achieved all of them, including going home at the end of his career to aid with his family. The U.S SEALS training is no joke, and Chris Kyle was the real deal.

  • Victoria Davis

    I have heard of Chris Kyle before but nothing in detail. This article was so interesting to read and how he saved so many people’s lives. He had an incredible amount of bravery for not only standing up for himself but the people around him too. He was a man that did not deserve to die, but his legacy will continue to live on forever. This article emphasized the hardships that American soldiers endure.

  • Mark Dominguez

    This was a very interesting article; I had heard of Chris Kyle before but there were so many facts from this article that I had never known. It’s astounding the amount of people he claims to have killed or that the Navy even asked him to write a Sniper Handbook. I had no idea about the tragic event that lead to his death, it’s sad to read about it.

  • Marco Monte de Oca

    I learned about Chris Kyle through the move American Sniper and I was amazed by how good he was and by how many lives he saved while he served. He risked so much to save people’s lives. The fact that the enemy placed a bounty of $80,000 just shows how big of an impact he made. It’s really sad knowing that this American hero was killed by a Marine, by another an American citizen.

  • Felipe Macias

    Chris Kyle is a man you either respect dearly or completely hate. Kyle was a killer, put simply, and had purpose for those acts. No matter what labels you place on him, there is a recognition on his efforts and bravery when it came to his comrades in the battlefield. Not only was he a successful operator, he was a guardian to those around him.

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