Saturday, May 28, 2016

Just Thought You Should Know 5/27/16

You can smell the grilled hot dogs and hamburgers.  Humid sea air calls to you as the unrelenting sun beats down on your sunscreen covered back.  The burning sensation of the exposed sand between your toes soon gives way to the cool rush of salty, frothy water that intermittently drowns out the sounds of children's laughter.  Memorial Day weekend is here and for many of us its the beginning of the most wonderful time of year.  Summer!  For the loved ones of our fallen men and women in uniform, however, the weekend is bittersweet.  It's another year without daddy, mommy, an aunt, an uncle, sibling, or a cousin.  Their weekend begins in Arlington National Cemetery or their local graveyard.  Our nation mourns with them as we have for the last 150 years.  In that spirit I paid special attention to one of our more recent fallen veterans, a cult hero who was taken from us far too soon...Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle.
  
Chris Kyle: American Liar?
The late CPO Chris Kyle.

 2 years ago, no movie was more politically divisive than the uber patriotic, some would say propaganda film, American Sniper.  If you haven't seen it yet, it's an excellent film and Bradley Cooper's performance is nothing short of superb.  It's tough to remember, however, that it was just that.  A performance.  Like Bill Cosby, we have to learn to separate the man from the character, especially when it's come to light that CPO Kyle falsified part of his military record.  It's not the first time Kyle has been caught in a lie.  His estate had to pay former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura $1.8 million after a jury decided Kyle lied about punching out his fellow SEAL in a bar.  He also didn't kill two carjackers in Texas that were trying to rob him nor did he shoot "looters" at the Superdome after Katrina. This further tarnishes the legacy of a man, that by all legitimate accounts, was already a hero.  160 confirmed enemy kills is Audie Murphy, Massachusetts 54th, Bas Reeves, and Tuskegee Airman levels of bad ass.  The locals called him "The Devil of Ramadi."  These latest revelations will undoubtedly be met with anger by his family, battle buddies, and the countless admirers he's earned through his literary works, American Sniper, American Gun, and the 2014 American Sniper film.  The worst part about this, though, isn't the lying.  It's the fact that the Navy knew and said nothing.

Kyle was warned at least once before American Sniper was published that its description of his medal count was wrong, according to one current Navy officer, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak about the case. As Kyle’s American Sniper manuscript was distributed among SEALs, one of his former commanders, who was still on active duty, advised Kyle that his claim of having two Silver Stars was false, and he should correct it before his book was published.
[...]
According to two current Navy officials, inaccurate information about Kyle’s awards is also contained in his separation document, known in the military as a DD214, which usually reflects a veteran’s official service record. Kyle’s DD214 form, which lists two Silver Stars and six Bronze Stars with Valor among his decorations, also differs from the number of Bronze Stars with Valor — five — that Kyle listed in his book.   -- Matthew Cole and Sheelagh McNeill "American Sniper" Chris Kyle Distorted His Military Record, Documents Show, 5/25/2016, TheIntercept.com

Kyle's exploits in Iraq were a great recruiting tool for the Navy.


Why Does It Matter?

To some people it doesn't.  CPO Kyle will always be a hero to the people that loved him and knew him best.  He'll always be a coward to others.  Both are right.  Why?  Because more than anything Kyle was human.  In an increasingly polarized society we seemed to have lost sight of the fact that we can be both incredibly brave and incredibly stupid from time to time.  Kyle's record, the real one, is one any SEAL would be proud of.  His efforts to help his fellow vets both in and out of theater are praiseworthy.  Unfortunately, it also cost him his life.  It doesn't change the fact that his ego may have gotten the best of him after he came  home.  The Navy, however, doesn't get a pass.  Their brass apparently didn't learn anything from watching the Army mishandle PFC Jessica Lynch's and CPL Pat Tillman's tales of bravery with lies.  Trust in your leadership is critical when your leadership may one day order you to take a life or make the ultimate sacrifice yourself.  You must believe that they always have your best interests at heart and that such an order wouldn't be given unless it was absolutely necessary.  Stories like this only serve to erode that trust.  An all volunteer military will not find quality Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, or Marines if outgoing veterans discourage their friends and family from following in their footsteps.  How motivated would you be to do your job if you "knew" your boss would stab you in the back the first chance he/she got?  (Stop rolling your eyes, you get my point.)  Doesn't matter how big the defense budget is if your boots on the ground would rather be smoking and joking than doing their jobs.



What can I do about it?

We can learn to not take everything at face value. We can keep in mind that any public persona is a carefully crafted image designed to hide the very human flaws we all have.  Kyle tried to position himself as a larger than life hero, famously saying he wished he'd "killed more" because he believed he was saving lives with every shot.  He didn't need to.  He was already perfect example of what our military is made of, ordinary Americans who, when put in extraordinary circumstances, step up and do extraordinary things.  To me, Chris Kyle, the flawed person, will always be more impactful than Chris Kyle, the American Sniper.

Also, please consider helping veterans who are still with us by donating to these organizations:

Wounded Warrior Project
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