Surprise, surprise...the left trashes Chris Kyle again, as the post-mortem attacks continue.

I had never heard of the internet news magazine "The Intercept" until last week.  A friend of Taya and Chris Kyle's had forwarded a copy of a story that The Intercept had disseminated.  The article in question accused Chris Kyle of inflating his medal count when writing his autobiography.  In addition, the article revisited some of the other accusations that the left has made, leaving a great American's repuation in question.  It took some time for me to settle down after I had read The Intercept's story.  A quick Google search revealed a number of well-written articles defending Chris, including a particularly clear and concise rebuttal from former Texas Governor Rick Perry.  I also noticed that Texas' flagship magazine "Texas Monthly" had waded into the discussion.  I'm one of those rare Texas Conservatives who still reads Texas Monthly religiously.  I have learned to avoid the predictable left-leaning perspectives that the magazine takes with every issue, and to enjoy the amazing writing by the likes of Skip Hollingsworth.  Its sad how quickly things can change.  I actually had hope that Texas Monthly would do a bit of research and defend Texan Chris.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  Texas Monthly was unable to jump on the bandwagon regarding the exact number of Chris' medals because the information provided by The Intercept (The Inept would be more accurate) was quickly discredited.  You see, the folks at The Intercept contacted the Department of the Navy to request clarification regarding the exact number of Chris Kyle's medals.  Those of us who have a bit of experience dealing with Uncle Sam and the U.S. military know that contacting respective USG Departments directly is liable to get you incomplete information.  My first thought was,  "did anyone at The Intercept think to track down a copy of Chris' DD-214?"  This is the form that accurately collates a soldier's time in military service, and it includes the accurate number of medals awarded.  The Intercept was correct about one thing: in his book, Chris did not provide the correct number of medals he had earned.  Instead, he actually shorted himself by one.  Chris had been awarded more medals than he had claimed in his book. You would think that this discovery would have shut down the latest campaign by liberals to trash Chris in absentia.  Sadly, you would be mistaken.

Texas Monthly had frothed themselves up into such a fit of anticipation, they decided to do a hit-piece regardless of the dicredidation of the information originally reported by The Intercept.  Instead, the well-known Texas publication published an article titled, "How We Talk About Chris Kyle" and subtitled, "It's Possible To Be Both A Hero And A Liar".  Ouch.  Let me state unequivically:  I knew Chris Kyle.  We were not best friends, we were two Texans who started talking to each other one day in the Green Zone in Baghdad because we both were wearing Texas caps.  Chris was one of the older Navy Seals on his team, and I was one of the older Case Officers in my graduating class at the Farm.  Us old farts tend to stick together, especially Texas old farts.  We talked about High School football, the Dallas Cowboys, and the awesomeness of West Texas, especially Big Bend.  Chris did not have a whole lot to say, which suited me fine.  Two things I can guarantee you about Chris Kyle- he loved his family, and he was no liar.  Texas Monthly wants us to know that it's possible to be both a hero and a liar.  Actually, all they've proven from my optic is that it's possible to be a magazine and a pile of shit at the same time.

In order to flesh-out its paper-thin and whiney accusations, Texas Monthly rehashed a few accusations that really strain credulity.  The events repeated by Texas Monthly could easily be chalked up to a misunderstanding, bad memory, or just a case of simple confusion on someone's part. Allegedly, Chris told someone about a shootout in which he was involved somewhere out in rural Texas.  The Texas Monthly reporter (or whoever was checking up on the story) drove out to the Farm Road that Chris had (again, allegedly) identified as the location of the incident.  It should come as no surprise that this intrepid investigator was unable to locate an establishment or any persons who could bear witness to the story.  This was one example of what Texas Monthly concludes is a pattern of lies.  Texas Monthly also mentions the well-known trial in which it was decided that Chris had lied in his book about an encounter with former Governor Jesse Ventura.  All of these examples may seem convincing to the folks in Austin, but what they have in common is the one fact that renders them useless: Chris died before he had a chance to defend himself from this slander.  My Daddy used to tell me that "if you want to ruin anybody's good name, just wait a few minutes til after they've gone to their just reward".

Chris is not here to point out that maybe he had gotten confused in the information he provided someone, or maybe the other person just mixed things up?  It happens all the time, folks, at least to me.  If you consider all the sacrifces Chris made for his country, not to mention his other heroic contributions, hasn't he earned the benefit of the doubt?  He has in my book, and I hope also in yours.  Its time for the media and the left to steer clear of Chris and his family, and go back to attacking Donald Trump.

My Thoughts On "American Sniper"

Link: Official Site For "American Sniper"

Last Friday my friend Jennifer and I fought the crowds to see Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" on opening night.  I had no preconceived notions about the film.  I met Chris Kyle a few times.  I used to wear a Cowboys baseball cap and he would call me "Tex" whenever I was around.  Chris was about as Texas as you could get.  I can make that claim without really knowing the man.  I can tell you a few other things as well; I may have been a virtual stranger to Chris but you can be guaranteed everything I say is Gospel truth.  Chris Kyle was a kind, decent man.  He wasn't loud or obnoxious, and he carried that "Texas Gentleman" attitude everywhere he went.  He believed one-hundred percent that his job, and my job, were necessary as part of the effort to deny the enemy any rest.  The few times that I saw Kyle, I had no idea that he was highly decorated sniper, and it was apparent that he preferred it that way.  If he was guilty of anything, it would be of having too much pride.  Not personal pride, mind you, but pride in his country, and in Texas.  Even more so, he was proud of his kids and his amazing wife.  I don't respect Chris Kyle for doing his job anymore than I would the next guy.  But I respect and admire him for doing it without complaint.  It's a job that I couldn't do.  I admit that without hesitation.  I don't have the mountain of faith that Chris kept in his back pocket.  I'm a bit jealous of Chris Kyle, I admit it.  Who wouldn't want to have that lovely family, those beautiful kids and a wife as true as sunshine is warm.  But I'm most jealous of his faith and the strength of his relationship with his Maker.  I know Chris had that conversation with God, that gave him his piece of mind and ramrod faith. Chris understood that he was servant of God and a servant of the good on this planet, because he single-handedly gave thousands of children their father back.  And how many husbands came home from Iraq because of Chris' dedication and gift?  How many mothers were able to hug their children JUST ONE MORE TIME, just like they had asked God in their prayers, "please Lord, let my child come home, just one more time, please...."

The film itself was sensational in all the predictable ways.  I remember looking over at Jennifer and expressing wonder at the landscape of Baghdad from above Sadr City.  Is it possible that they filmed on-site, I asked Jennifer?  Much like the film "The Hurt Locker", the makers of this movie recreated Iraq and Baghdad as if the entire theater had been transported to Karadah.  And the combat scenes were terrifying.  Clint Eastwood pulled out all the stops when it came to emotional segments, both stateside and in Iraq.  In one scene, a woman gives a "potato masher" hand-grenade to a young boy, and he starts walking towards the unsuspecting U.S. patrol.  Kyle had to decide if this boy was going to throw the grenade.  I can say without hesitation that I would have assumed that the boy was actually trying to get rid of the weapon as opposed to using it. My mind created a scenario in which his mother didn't like her husband keeping the grenade at home because it was dangerous, and the thing to do is to give it to the soldiers.  Kyle had his decision; I would have made mine, as we all would have in the same circumstance.  This movie is full of moments that require you to ask yourself that difficult question, "what would I have done"?  I spent enough time in Baghdad to say that this movie really brought everything back to life.  As we were leaving the theater, I could see a number of veterans in the crowd that was filing out of the building, some with stone-cold frozen expressions and others wiping their eyes.  Psychologically, emotionally, Iraq and Afghanistan are the Vietnam of this generation, although soldiers today are much more prepared for combat than the eighteen-yr. old draftees were then.  The movie does a nice job of introducing us to Taya, Chris' future wife, and the happy times before the war.  The movie is broken into segments: first tour, second tour, third tour, fourth tour.  During each tour, we get a glimpse of what Kyle was charged to do: finding and killing the enemy before they take the lives of his comrades, his fellow soldiers, his brothers.  And on each return home, its obvious that he has left a part of himself behind, in Iraq.  Poor Taya has no idea what to do, as each time her husband returns, he seems to be more and more of a stranger.  Can you imagine the thousands of wives who had to struggle through very similar situations?

I have one serious criticism of the film.  We expended a great deal of time and emotion as Chris' and Taya's struggle with his Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) played out on the screen.  We had a bit of a climax after the fourth tour, then a short conversation with a PTSD specialist (I assume. . . he popped up and vacated the scene quicker than a popcorn fart), and Chris seemed to be cured.  I understand the message, that Chris was able to channel his struggles with PTSD into something positive, a way to help his fellow soldiers as they rebuild their lives stateside.  No doubt Chris was all about his duty to his fellow troops.  Chris explained that he felt a terrible guilt for not being in Iraq, and continuing his obligation to help his brothers.  Thankfully, Chris discovered a way to help fellow veterans of Iraq, especially wounded warriors and those with serious PTSD issues.  Many times they really needed someone to listen, and Chris was that guy.  On occasion they would go target shooting, which allowed Chris the opportunity to share his natural gift.  I didn't feel that the film paid enough attention to the issue of PTSD.  Kyle returned home after his fourth tour, was a complete mess, spoke with a specialist, and in all of five minutes the movie cleared up the PTSD issue that we had watched grow over the first one and a half hours of the film.  I'm sure it wasn't that easy for Chris, or anyone who suffers from PTSD.  Given the absolutely gut-wrenching manner in which this saga ended, I left the theater feeling that the average movie-goer needed to know more about the condition.  I think the movie was overloaded with external combat scenes in Iraq, and did not have a requisite number of internal combat scenes stateside, as Chris went through therapy, or some form of treatment (or someone did).  The audience was dealing with the issue of PTSD almost from the beginning, although it wasn't identified.  We watched the buildup of the illness in Chris Kyle for the better part of the film.  The resolution was too quick.  As for the heartbreaking end, I think it was handled beautifully, although if my memory serves me correct, as the funeral procession headed down I-35, there was an equal number of Lone Star State flags as there was Old Glory.

God Bless Chris Kyle; my life may have been one of the many he saved.