"I would love for people to be able to think of me as a guy who stood up for what he believed in and helped make a difference for the vets."
Christopher Scott Kyle was born in Odessa, Texas on April 8, 1974. He was the oldest of two sons, receiving his first firearm from his father, a Sunday school teacher, when he was just eight years old. He'd often go deer hunting with his father and brother, but it was evident from an early age just who was top shot in the Kyle family.
After high school and a brief career with the rodeo, Kyle decided to serve his country. He was initially intent on joining the Marines, but as the recruiter had stepped out to lunch that afternoon, he joined the Navy Seals instead.
Kyle's proficiency with firearms landed him on SEAL Team 3, serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, the Navy credits him with more than 160 confirmed kills. He was honorably discharged in 2009, and went on to write a best-selling novel, American Sniper, detailing his experiences. The film was later turned into a motion picture directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper in the title role.
While Kyle was heavily involved in the production, he would never see the finished film. On February 2, 2013, he and friend Chad Littlefield were both shot and killed by Ray Routh, a 25-year-old Marine Corps veteran, while the three were at a Texas shooting range. With a history of schizophrenia and mental evaluations, Routh would later claim he killed the two since they were both ignoring him.
On February 11th, a memorial service was conducted at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. It was followed by a funeral procession the next day, which traveled more than 200 miles to Austin, where Kyle was laid to rest at Texas State Cemetery.
Rest in peace.
Trivia
- You can pick up your copy of American Sniper on Amazon.
- If you go to pay your respects, watch yourself. The cemetery is in a very sketchy neighborhood.
- In 2012, Kyle stopped by Conan O'Brien's TBS talk show to promote the book's release. You can watch the interview on YouTube.
- In 2006, Kyle boasted that he had punched out Jesse Ventura after the former made derogatory remarks about the military. Ventura denied the incident and sued Kyle for defamation, a legal battle that ended with a settlement five years after Kyle's death. Ventura, dubbing Kyle an "American Liar," received an undisclosed amount from Kyle's estate.
- A fan of the 1980s GI Joe cartoon series, Kyle dubbed his military vehicles after two of its more famous characters - Duke and Snake Eyes. Yo Joe!