Battalions of Iraq war veterans and other fans of the real or imagined Chris Kyle raised a symphony of grief over the weekend as news spread of the legendary sniper’s accidental -- and profoundly ironic -- murder at the hands of an apparently troubled fellow vet on a shooting range.
“Friends of Mr. Kyle’s said he had been well acquainted with the difficulties soldiers face returning to civilian life, and had devoted much of his time since retiring in 2009 to helping fellow soldiers overcome the traumas of war,” the New York Times reported in a front-page story.
Indeed, as I wrote last year in a review of Kyle’s book, American Sniper, for New York-based BookForum: “At a minimum, history suggests life is not kind to military snipers. Nightmares, alcoholism, bar fights, car accidents, and jail stints litter their civilian records. Some come completely unhinged...”
Like the man who shot him Saturday, perhaps. Or maybe he just had a beef with Kyle, who'd led a hard drinking, hard driving life for much of his time since his return from Iraq years ago.
In his memoir, Kyle maintained that killing over 150 men in slow-squeeze, one shot-one kill fashion was “no big deal.” But it turned out it was.
“I started drinking a lot, pounding back beers,” he wrote. “I’d say I went into a depression, feeling sorry for myself. Pretty soon drinking was all I did. After a while, it was hard liquor, and it was all through the day.” Finally, after driving off a highway one night and totaling his pickup, he sobered up.
But otherwise, it seems that Kyle’s perspective on his life never went much beyond his sniper scope.
You can read the rest of my take on American Sniper here.
“Friends of Mr. Kyle’s said he had been well acquainted with the difficulties soldiers face returning to civilian life, and had devoted much of his time since retiring in 2009 to helping fellow soldiers overcome the traumas of war,” the New York Times reported in a front-page story.
Indeed, as I wrote last year in a review of Kyle’s book, American Sniper, for New York-based BookForum: “At a minimum, history suggests life is not kind to military snipers. Nightmares, alcoholism, bar fights, car accidents, and jail stints litter their civilian records. Some come completely unhinged...”
Like the man who shot him Saturday, perhaps. Or maybe he just had a beef with Kyle, who'd led a hard drinking, hard driving life for much of his time since his return from Iraq years ago.
In his memoir, Kyle maintained that killing over 150 men in slow-squeeze, one shot-one kill fashion was “no big deal.” But it turned out it was.
“I started drinking a lot, pounding back beers,” he wrote. “I’d say I went into a depression, feeling sorry for myself. Pretty soon drinking was all I did. After a while, it was hard liquor, and it was all through the day.” Finally, after driving off a highway one night and totaling his pickup, he sobered up.
But otherwise, it seems that Kyle’s perspective on his life never went much beyond his sniper scope.
You can read the rest of my take on American Sniper here.
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12 comments:
One of the reasons that the assassination ban drafted by Bill Colby for President Ford and re-signed by every President up to Bush Jr. must be put back in place . State sponsored assassinations are not in USA's best interest , on many levels.
Wow, you really come off as a tactless douchebag. Yes, sniping came easy to Mr. Kyle. Would you rather he froze up and not done his job, thereby jeopordizing the lives of his comrades? Take a look at the interview he did with Bill O'Reilly to get his motivation for what he did in Iraq.
It's obvious that your real beef with Mr. Kyle is his politics. Sad that someone who presents himself as an intelligence reporter is a partisan hack.
"Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn’t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, “Baa.”
Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog."
Dear Laura and Darwin,
Of course I did not attack the unfortunate Mr. Kyle's unquestionable patriotism, his sterling military record, or his dedication to helping other troubled vets like himself. My comment was focused solely on the book he wrote. Anyone with a scintilla of empathy deeply regrets his tragic loss of life. -js
You were right in what you wrote earlier: “At a minimum, history suggests life is not kind to military snipers. Nightmares, alcoholism, bar fights, car accidents, and jail stints litter their civilian records. Some come completely unhinged...” It's impossible for a normal person to look down the barrel of his gun and blow away another man without its affecting him deeply, no matter how he may rationalize it. It is indeed a big deal. And you, Jeff, are not a tactless douchebag for speaking the truth. Nor are you a partisan hack. You have nothing to apologize for.
P.S. A thoughtful review, too. Laura and Darwin ought to read it and think about it.
Thank you, Bill.
Jeff, you've proven yourself a partisan hack long before you posted about this honored warrior.
Dear "anonymous": What a coward you are to sling empty slurs from inside the skirts of your anonymity. Everybody's tired of you Gestapo types. You're no longer welcome here.
You lost the argument when you made a Nazi reference.
Jeff, a really poor review on your part. You obviously have an axe to grind and it is clouding your judgement on this issue.
How about reading what his friends had to say about Chris? You might learn something.
http://sofrep.com/17075/trying-to-keep-perspective-and-honor-chris/
http://sofrep.com/17062/american-hero-chris-kyle-sofrep-tv/
Frank, thanks for taking the time to write. You disagree with my judgments, but it doesn't mean I had an axe to grind. I'm a veteran myself (Vietnam 1968-69). I'm not surprised that Chris's friends praised him and his book -- what are friends for?
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