In past history, heroes come in many different facets of life. The military has produced many of these heroes. Chris Kyle a United States Navy SEAL was one of those heroes. Chris grew up in various locations in Texas. His father worked for AT&T as a manager and they moved around frequently. Chris loved to fight as he stated “Somewhere along the way, I started sticking up for younger kids who were being picked on. I felt I had to look out for them. It became my duty. Maybe it began because I was looking for an excuse to fight without getting in trouble” (American Sniper, Chris Kyle, 21).
This is what led him into his military career. He looked into all branches of the military and finally chose the United States Navy. SEAL stands for (Sea,
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Air, and Land) are the Navy’s version of Special Forces. This is a three year training program where people are mentally and physically abused to the point of breaking. They are trained to succeed in every type of fighting environment in the world.
Chris was so dedicated to his Country, GOD, and Family, not always in that order for the last two, that he became known as the LEGEND. His career as a Sniper would lead him to 160 confirmed kills; some say it was more.
Chris was at a time in his career to either reenlist or be discharged. Taya, Chris’s wife, talked about this on many occasions. She wanted him to get out and be more of a father to his kids and husband. The Navy offered him a recruiting position in Texas, but would not guarantee this job before he signed another enlistment. He had been in this situation before and decided to go home to his Family. After the military, Chris was dedicated to his son and daughter while focusing on helping injured veterans. During this time he went into business with friends conducting military training to civilians, DOD, and Law Enforcement was the new career path. This would keep him close to his family and still enjoy the military training aspects that he had known for all these years.
The book American Sniper was written by Chris Kyle with Jim Defelice and Scott McEwen and published in 2012 by CT Legacy, LLC. The author notes “THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK ARE TRUE, RECOUNTED from the best of my memory. The Department of
Defense, including high-ranking U.S.N. personnel, reviewed the text for accuracy and sensitive material. Even though they cleared the book for publication, this does not mean they like everything they read. But this is my story, not theirs. We’ve reconstructed dialogue from memory, which means that it may not be word for word. But the essence of what was said is accurate. No classified information was used in the preparation of this book. The Pentagon’s Office of Security Review and the Navy requested that certain changes be made for security reasons. Those requests were all honored. Many of the people I served with are still active-duty SEALs. Others are working in different capacities for the government, protecting our nation. All may be considered enemies by our country’s enemies, as am I. Because of that, I have not given their full identities in this book. They know who they are, and I hope they know they have my thanks” (Kyle, 10). This was an autobiography of Chris Kyle and his experiences as a United States Navy SEAL. It talks about how he met his wife Taya in California after BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition and Survival) training. She would become the love of his life along with his son and daughter. He also had an undying love for his country and GOD. Chris did four tours in the Middle East, and to this day, holds the record for the most confirmed kills by a sniper since Adelbert Waldron in 1970. Chris is claimed to have had 255 kills, which “a claimed kill refers to a shot where the round hits the target, but cannot confirm the kill” (chriskyleamericansnyper.info, Main page). The story continues to talk about his experiences during SEAL training and obstacles he encountered along with all the injuries. SEALs’ have a close connection with each other like a fraternity in college but stronger. These men know more about each other than their own families do. They are a brotherhood and will die for not only each other but for their country and what they believe in. Killing people in general is not something we think of doing. For these men it was their job. He talks as if it did not bother him. It was not the person, but the evil that he was killing in order to protect himself and fellow countrymen. He states “Looking out the window, I was anxious for the battle to start. I wanted a target. I wanted to shoot someone.” (Kyle, 141). This is how they are trained to think and to put themselves in a hazardous situation and to kill the enemy. Be it a man, woman, or child, the evil had to be killed and without hesitation. There have been many reviews good and bad over the life of Chris Kyle. Most of the people are very supportive of what he has accomplished is his military career. As noted from, (kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chris-kyle/american-sniper, Main page) “This aggressively written account of frontline combat, with plenty of action and technical nitty-gritty, should appeal to conservative readers and military buffs”. Some of the comments on the website are focused on negativity toward the country and why we were fighting the war. It seemed that they only had Chris Kyle in the picture as the bad guy not the government. Commented from, ((kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chris-kyle/american-sniper, James W. Mair, Comments)” This man took the lives of men who were merely trying to defend their homes and families. I shed no tears for his loss”. This is one example of the hatred some people portray Chris “The Legend” Kyle to be.
Kyle, C with McEwen, S., DeFrelice, J. (2012) American sniper: the autobiography of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. American sniper : the autobiography of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. Chris Kyle Author. Retrieved from http://libserve.ivytech.edu.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=514&recCount=20&recPointer=0&bibId=366194
I think everyone has wanted to be a Navy SEAL in one point of their life, but as they get older their dream of being the best of the best fades away. Marcus Luttrell has had that dream of being a SEAL since the age of seven, and his determination and will to survive the hardest training in military history, gave Luttrell the title of a Navy SEAL.
Carlos had always regarded himself last, and placed his family, his brother and sister Marines, and his country first. Carlos always reminded himself of what Captain Jim Land taught him. "A sniper's best defenses are cover and concealment and long-range accuracy. Most important, one shot, one kill." With that strategy, Carlos Hathcock became the most famous sniper in United States History. While the standard reward on a US sniper was eight dollars, the head of the White Feather, as the enemies knew him was about 30,000 dollars. Maybe that was because his mission always came first.
Irving describes a mission where he and his sniper spotter, Mike Pemberton, were tasked with taking down a suicide-vest maker. However, there are more men than they expected. Irving mentions what he felt as he heard rounds being fired and how he “felt in complete control and lined up on the third guy, who was now running away, and fired. The force of the strike sent him sprawling forward” (Irving 32). Nicholas Irving takes out the Taliban members with ease and no hesitation, earning himself the title ‘The Reaper.’ He has a total of 33 confirmed, not counting the amount that were not taken into consideration. Even though there were more men than expected, Pemberton and Irving both manage to take them out without any hesitation. An article titled “How an Army Rangers Sniper Became ‘The Reaper’” by Kyle Smith depicts Irving’s journey on becoming one of the deadliest special ops snipers. He compares Nicholas Irving to ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle and depicts a mission that Irving was involved in on a deployment in Afghanistan. He writes,”Irving got a look at the target, who turned out to be a suicide bomber, who sprinted away. The first shot missed. The second did not” (Smith). The suicide bomber was planning to blow up Irving’s squad and he knew that he was the only one who could stop him. Nicholas Irving could barely see the target through the thick brush he was running in, yet he still managed to take him out
Johnson, Peter. "Like the Sniper, Story Seems Unstoppable." USATODAY.com. N.p., 23 Oct. 2002. Web. 29 May 2013. .
My outlook on his decision is that he wanted to leave the material world behind and experience nature and simplicity that is Alaska. An example to describe just why Alaska was a good place for Chris to go and leave his world behind and why it feels so simple is best explained by this quote from Sam Keith’s “One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey.” Keith writes, “this country makes a man younger than his birthdays” (Keith 108). I believe this is why Chris wanted to live in Alaska so bad, the freedom and the simple lifestyle with no one but himself to rely
The word "hero" is so often used to describe people who overcome great difficulties and rise to the challenge that is set before them without even considering the overwhelming odds they are up against. In our culture, heroes are glorified in literature and in the media in various shapes and forms. However, I believe that many of the greatest heroes in our society never receive the credit that they deserve, much less fame or publicity. I believe that a hero is simply someone who stands up for what he/she believes in. A person does not have to rush into a burning building and save someone's life to be a hero. Someone who is a true friend can be a hero. A hero is someone who makes a difference in the lives of others simply by his/her presence. In Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They Carried, the true heroes stand out in my mind as those who were true friends and fought for what they believed in. These men and women faced the atrocities of war on a daily basis, as explained by critic David R. Jarraway's essay, "'Excremental Assault' in Tim O'Brien: Trauma and Recovery in Vietnam War Literature" and by Vietnam Veteran Jim Carter. Yet these characters became heroes not by going to drastic measures to do something that would draw attention to themselves, but by being true to their own beliefs and by making a difference to the people around them.
...irrefutably suggest that he was selfish and unwilling to put any effort into emotional healing with his family, friends and society in general. He was a giver, as shown by his donation to charities, but he could have been much more effective in social justice if he had the maturity and selflessness to pursue it and stick to it. Chris could have been a lasting friend to many people around the country, but he got scared off too easily when facing emotional connections. And most painfully for his family, he could have saved his own life and saved them a lifetime of pain and sorrow if he could have sat down with his parents and siblings to discuss what was bothering him and find ways to work through it. But he ran into the wild, laid his life on the line, and took the coward’s way out.
Chris did what he wanted to do hence him traveling the United States to end his journey at Alaska. The unstoppable determination with selfishness added on top made it the determining aspect in the fall of Chris. To go into the wilderness and write in a journal in third person about his time there takes some massive resolve. It seems that “There was just no talking the guy out of it. He was determined.” stated Gallien (someone who knew
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is not something to think lightly of, and affects several people in society, not just soldiers. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is best known as a mental health condition that many soldiers experience after the war, but it’s a problem that stretches far beyond the military. PTSD affects 5%-10% of all men and 7%-14% of all women in this country(Charles, PTSD). In Chris Kyle’s autobiography American Sniper he touches on many subjects involving PTSD, and talks about the challenge of being a good father, husband, and soldier while stationed overseas. In American Sniper Chris Kyle is a very talented long ranged sniper for the United States Navy Seals, during his tour in Iraq, Chris tallies up several kills.
Numerous folks can admire and respect the decision that Chris had made in his life. “Life is about making an impact, not making an income.”(K. Kruse,personal comunication, 2015). Chris sets off into the wild and burns his money that he had in his pocket. His entire attitude towards leaving was abandoning the propaganda that society instills in someone since day one.That is where his admiration comes into play. He is fed up and leaves, instead of consolidating his issues and feelings. Not only did he flee because of the situation; he also took off due to romance. His heart felt as if he needed to do this in order to fulfill the pit that had once lived in him.
Veterans are heros because they go out every day without anyone knowing that they risk their live 24/7 and missing the special holidays with their families.
We all have them, men and women we know who have served in the military. They are people we admire, look up to, and respect for the sacrifices they made and their courage in the face of adversity on and off the battlefield. For hundreds of years, our military troops have sacrificed their lives for America’s freedom. They have never stopped giving of themselves day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. Whether it’s on the grounds of Iraq or the mountains in Afghanistan, people are fighting for our freedom. Adam Koopmann, Military Police Officer, has consistently achieved these accomplishments on a daily basis in order to fight for our country. He has improved the lives of hundreds of people making him a hero.
The difference in the crop of heroes America has and those that some individuals would like to see is nothing but time. Present day heroes comprised of various ages, are heroic in a society where the thought pattern is divergent and every actor in the mesh tries his best to get himself a niche that would make the others know that the former also exists in the play. Either directly or indirectly, individuals seek to be the center of attraction.
These heroes are not the equivalents to the Lone Ranger or Superman; they might even flee instead of fight a dangerous situation. However, when they do fight, they fight with flesh and bone. They fight with emotions and tears. They fight with anger and fears. They fight with confusion. They fight for their country. They fight to avoid the shame and embarrassment. They fight because of obligations to the family, to the country, and to themselves. The heroes that come to mind through these descriptions are the ones fighting in uniforms. They are fighting in lands unknown. They are captured and tortured. They are young and naïve but they are obligated to perform their patriotic duties. They are the soldiers of my country, your country, and our country. They are the protagonists and characters of The Things They Carried, The Sorrow of War, and Crossing ...