Eight US troops were killed and 51 more wounded in the bloody battle. JAM’s estimated strength within Sadr City ranged between two thousand and four thousand fighters armed with AK-47s, PKM machine guns, .50-caliber sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, 60-, 82-, and 120-millimeter mortars, 107- and 122-millimeter rockets, and an unknown number of SA-7 surface-to-air missiles. Summer 2008. Initially, Kyle was rejected because of the pins in his arm, but he eventually received an invitation to the 24-week Basic Underwater Demolition/Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) training (BUD/S) at Coronado, California in 1999. Kyle saw a combatant with a rocket launcher moving towards an American convoy and killed him with a single round. The struggle for control of Sadr City is more than a test of wills with renegade Shiite militias. "[27], American Sniper had a 37-week run on The New York Times bestseller list and brought Kyle national attention. His most legendary shot came outside the Sadr City in Afghanistan in 2008 when he spotted an insurgent with a rocket launcher near an Army convoy - 2,100 yards away. [22] The Navy said "Kyle would have played no role in the production of his personnel files other than signing the DD-214 upon his discharge" and "[a]fter thoroughly reviewing all available records, the Navy determined an error was made" and "issued a corrected copy of the DD-214. As they lost strength, they reverted to their tried-and-true guerilla tactics, including snipers. Still, McMillan, Park and Light have seen “American Sniper,” and said it was a realistic depiction of what went on along the wall. Sniper attacks against U.S. forces are common in this part of northeast Baghdad, where the Shiite-dominated Sadr City rubs up against the Sunni-heavy Adhamiyah sector, but … In page 178, he describes his longest shot. [51], Kyle's claim on his awards has also been disputed, with Kyle claiming he was awarded certain medals, but his official records indicate he was not awarded them. "[20] In his autobiography, Kyle wrote: The Navy credits me with more kills as a sniper than any other American service member, past or present. I served there as an “IED (Improvised Explosive Device) Hunter” and my platoon’s medic. [70], Sculptor Greg Marra created a memorial statue of Kyle for presentation to his widow. It took the military less than a month to break their word about Kyle remaining in a quiet zone. "[8], After the killings, Routh went to his sister's house in Midlothian and told her what he had done. Former SEAL Chris Kyle Is The Deadliest Sniper The US Military Has Ever Seen . His farthest confirmed kill took place in 2008 near Sadr City at 2,100 yards away. July 24, 2019 | Augusto Giacoman. [48][49][50], Kyle also related a story of how he was robbed at a gas station in January 2009, southwest of Dallas. Iraq: Sadr City Siege. The medical examiners office had no records of anyone being killed in the area at the time. Ventura filed a lawsuit in January 2012 against Kyle for charges of defamation, appropriation, and unjust enrichment. He was awarded one Silver Star Medal, four Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and numerous other unit and personal awards. psychotic. The group’s fighters also had a seemingly unending supply of IEDs, … With the help of Iranian weapons, the insurgency was lobbing mortars from Sadr City … [3][10] His father bought Kyle his first rifle at the age of eight, a bolt-action .30-06 Springfield rifle, and later a shotgun, with which they hunted deer, pheasant, and quail. On January 4, 2012, Kyle appeared on Opie and Anthony to discuss his book. After a week of heavy fighting with Shiite militias, the Iraqi and American military have been tightening a cordon around Sadr City, a … Our unit was building a wall that cut off North Sadr City and would deny the Mahdi Army Special Groups fighters the ability to fire rockets into the green zone. Chapter 12. [46], Apart from the fabricated story of his attack on Jesse Ventura, Kyle stated his involvement in a number of incidents, which were unverifiable, and some commentary has called into question, saying that they were unlikely. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth", "Details announced for Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's memorial service at Cowboys Stadium", "Residents Line I-35 to Pay Respects to Slain Navy SEAL", "Perry signs 'Chris Kyle Bill,' allows military experience for Texas state licenses", Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, "Chris Kyle statue created for SEAL's widow", "Tea party to honor fallen SEALs Chris Kyle, those at Benghazi with sculptures", "Chris Kyle Expressway? One week, it's 160 (the 'official' number as of this writing, for what that's worth), then it's way higher, then it's somewhere in between. Inside Baghdad's Shia slum of Sadr City: ... sniper weapons and belt-fed machine guns. American Sniper filming location: the rooftop battle in ‘Sadr City, Iraq’: Broadway Street, El Centro, California | Photograph: Google Maps A bulked-up Bradley Cooper is almost unrecognisable as Chris Kyle, heroic saver of countless lives or ruthless fantasist? Chris Kyle's American Sniper Chapter Summary. You may have liked the book, but not be a fan. An epony… Most weren’t a problem, but two incidents indicated one sniper in particular was very well armed and very well trained. [83], On February 2, 2015, exactly two years after Kyle's murder, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared the day "Chris Kyle Day. The firefight and rescue happened in Sadr City, but Kyle didn’t shoot that opposing sniper, another American sniper shot that guy. [8] His family also said he suffered from PTSD from his time in the military. Award-Winning Journalism in Your Inbox Famous for his book American Sniper, he is one of the most successful American snipers. Then he’d hook the barriers together, climb down, and move the wobbly ladder over a barrier. Footage of Iraqi and U.S. Army Soldiers in Tharwa 1 in Sadr City engaging special groups in a fire fight. Since prosecutors decided beforehand not to seek the death penalty, the trial judge, Jason Cashon, immediately sentenced Routh to life in prison with no possibility of parole. So I watched the wall being built while also coordinating the engineers, infantry, armor, and air assets, like helicopters, in sector. [47], Kyle stated that during Hurricane Katrina, after hearing about the civilian strife in the area, he and another man drove to New Orleans to assist the situation. War over a wall in Sadr City . [4][7], Kyle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009, and published his bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, in 2012. ... evil sniper who is upsetting America’s peaceful occupation of Sadr City. The firefight and rescue happened in Sadr City, but Kyle didn’t shoot that opposing sniper, another American sniper shot that guy. I would watch through a drone feed, or from the roof, as two-ton army trucks would bring seven-ton concrete barriers from the nearest forward operating base in Taji. On their first night in Sadr City, the SEALs are sent out on foot patrol to make sure that the houses near the wall are safe. Sadr City was the last place Kyle was deployed, and this was where he saw the worst fighting. [3] His first long-range kill shot was taken during the initial invasion when he shot a woman carrying a hand grenade approaching a group of Marines. Jon Soles, MND-B PAO September 23, 2009. As a nonprofit newsroom, we want to share our work freely with as many people as possible. He served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. Members of the West Virginia National Guard’s 821st Engineering Company practice their rope rescue skills on the face of the old Memorial Tunnel. The mother of Ali Murtatha, a three-year-old boy lying with bullet wounds to his stomach in Al-Sadr hospital, has no doubt that her only son was shot by a US sniper. Initial set up of barriers before larger barriers and ladders were available. The $1.35 million in "unjust enrichment" was overturned and dismissed as being inconsistent with Minnesota law. "[58] Four months later, while he was in his jail cell, Routh shared with former Erath County Sheriff's Deputy Gene Cole: "I was just riding in the back seat of the truck, and nobody would talk to me. American Sniper’s Chris Kyle ... Kyle targeted a roof-bound enemy insurgent aiming a rocket launcher at American troops outside Sadr City. [17] He later stated, "the woman was already dead. Kyle was killed with a .45-caliber pistol, while Littlefield was shot with a 9 mm SIG Sauer pistol. [9], Christopher Scott Kyle was born April 8, 1974, in Odessa, Texas, the eldest of two boys born to Deby Lynn (née Mercer) and Wayne Kenneth Kyle, a Sunday school teacher and deacon. The current record holder for the longest kill range of any sniper in history is an anonymous sniper from the Joint Task Force 2, a unit of the Canadian Forces who managed a successful sniper kill at a range of 3,871 yards in May 2017 during the Iraq Civil War. "[22], As a sniper, Kyle was often asked about his weapons. James Freed was pulling security by a brand-new soccer field near Sadr City on June 5, 2009. Beyond the blast walls, sentry towers and barbed wire lies Sadr City, ... Jesus Sales, a 21-year-old who joined the army to pay for college fees, is the unit's reserve sniper. During his 10-year stint as a Navy SEAL sniper, ... a woman about to throw a hand grenade at a group of Marines. Kyle went to a military recruiting office, as he was interested in joining the U.S. Marine Corps special operations. Study Resources. His most legendary shot came outside Sadr City in 2008 when he shot an insurgent with a rocket launcher near an Army convoy with his .338 Lapua Magnum rifle at 1,920 m (2,100 yd). Dramatic license. JAM’s estimated strength within Sadr City ranged between two thousand and four thousand fighters armed with AK-47s, PKM machine guns, .50-caliber sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, 60-, 82-, and 120-millimeter mortars, 107- and 122-millimeter rockets, and an unknown number of SA-7 surface-to-air missiles. Reflections: The Sadr City Sniper. The Stryker platoon leader told me that the driver of the truck had been shot. Pfc. As he would eventually describe in American Sniper, his first kill on the sniper rifle came in late March 2003, in Nasiriya, Iraq. [60], Routh was arraigned later that same day on two counts of capital murder, and was taken to the Erath County Jail for holding under a US$3 million bond. I just got done reading that book, “American Sniper”. ... His most distant kill was from 2,100 yards away outside Sadr City in 2008. I tried to raise the truck on the radio but they were not answering, just racing down the street. The army trucks were heavily up-armored—armor that would stop almost all rounds. [63] On February 24, 2015, Routh was found guilty of killing Kyle and Littlefield. The platoon leader said, “Sir, you are not going to believe this, but the guy took a round to the helmet. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 9) {} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [9, 1]) } ); Augusto Giacoman served as an infantry officer with 1/5 Infantry and 1/2 Stryker Cavalry, deploying twice to Iraq in 2005, and 2007-2008. [28] Following its release, media articles challenged some of Kyle's anecdotes,[29] but the core of his narrative was widely accepted. As the fighting started on April 4, 2004, militiamen ambushed a 1st Cavalry Division patrol and Iraqi policewere expelled from three police stations in Sadr City. On May 20, 2015, HB 1187 passed both the House and Senate. They knew they were being watched by the enemy. The warehouse was featured towards the end of American Sniper, during Chris Kyle’s (Bradley Cooper) fourth tour of duty in Sadr City. Kyle stated that the numbers the Navy said he killed, varied from time to time. [13] He attended Tarleton State University for two years (1992–94), studying Ranch and Range Management.[14]. Routh had been in and out of mental hospitals for at least two years and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. His sister, Laura Blevins, called 9-1-1 and told the emergency operator: "They went out to a shooting range ... Like, he's all crazy. You may have read the book, but not have liked it. [22] The original discharge papers issued to him upon leaving the service tally with the account given in his autobiography: two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars with valor. Abbott Declares 'Chris Kyle Day' in Texas: 'We Honor Our Military Heroes, "American Sniper Kyle Received 2 Fewer Medals than Claimed, US Navy Says", "Today, former US Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle was responsible for 150 officially confirmed deaths in his ten-year military career", "Marita Noon – Author of 'Energy Freedom' – and Chris Kyle 'American Sniper' – Join for Military Monday", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Kyle&oldid=999355427, 21st-century American non-fiction writers, United States Navy personnel of the Iraq War, Participants in American reality television series, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CINII identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [75][76] The bill was co-sponsored by 53 Republican congressional leaders. A Cobra Pilot’s Story of Military Sexual Assault. A US Delta Force Sniper can be seen using a M24A1 Sniper Rifle. In the book, he claims he punched a man he refers to as "Scruff Face" for allegedly saying "You deserve to lose a few [guys]" and being critical of the Iraq war. ... 1st Sgt Justin Lehew volunteered to run down the alleyway to draw sniper fire as two machine gun teams positioned at the end of the alley opened up on them. [54][50], On February 2, 2013, Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, 35, were shot and killed by Eddie Ray Routh at the Rough Creek Ranch-Lodge-Resort shooting range in Erath County, Texas. By the way, in regards to Sadr City's infamous sniper, Chris Kyle never claimed to kill him and stated that he never even saw him. His engagements directly prevented casualties to U.S. and Iraqi Forces on more than 30 occasions, including enemy rocket-propelled grenade and mortar teams eliminated, five enemy snipers with scoped weapons eliminated, and dozens of insurgent fighters destroyed while actively engaging U.S. and Iraqi forces with small arms. The second incident happened a few nights later at the wall. [64][65] Routh is imprisoned at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Powledge Unit near Palestine, Texas. [78] Abbott said to Morris, "this was a great project for students and will leave a fundamental legacy in their learning about government." Kyle was arguably one of the United States military's deadliest snipers in Iraq with a large number of confirmed and unconfirmed kills. Kyle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009, and published his bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, in 2012. His most distant kill was from 2,100 yards away outside Sadr City in 2008. 723. [13] Kyle graduated with Class 233 in March 2001. From 2,100 yards away from a village just outside of Sadr City in 2008, he spied a man aiming a rocket launcher at an Army convoy and squeezed off … I became fascinated by the location due to both the fact that it is abandoned (obviously!) I'm sure they've forgiven me. Both guns belonged to Kyle. Please do not change or edit our material and include all links from our story. We had a sniper problem. They were just taking me to the range, so I shot them. Every night a fierce attack erupted at the wall as the enemy converged on our main effort. [77] Littlefield's name was removed from the original bill due his widow's wishes. It was like the patina on an old gold ring. Fundraising for production of the statue was provided by members of the Tea Party movement. Kyle did make a shot of over 6,000 feet, but that was in Ramadi, not Sadr City. Support honest, life-changing stories about military service. The bill had been co-sponsored by Republican Representative Dan Flynn of Van and Democratic Senator Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio. [49] Kyle claimed there was security footage, and that when police officers approached him about the killings, he redirected them to the Government, and so Kyle was never charged. During the robbery, Kyle told the two men he would return to his car, to give them his keys. [23] He was president of Craft International, a tactical training company for the U.S. military and law enforcement communities. The nickname originated among Kyle's fellow SEALs following his taking of a sabbatical to train other snipers in Fallujah, and he was sometimes called "The Myth". Photo by 1st Sgt. While in training, he used four different rifles in order to know which weapon was the most useful in the given situation. Subscribe to their newsletter. In New Baghdad, a sprawling collection of predominantly Shiite neighborhoods bordering the Mahdi Army stronghold of Sadr City, sniper fire recently killed two U.S. soldiers in as many days. We killed the bad guys and brought the leaders to the peace table. Violence is escalating in Sadr City, and Kyle tells his superiors that the military needs to fight harder, rather than trying … [30], Kyle paired with FITCO Cares Foundation, a nonprofit organization which created the Heroes Project to provide free in-home fitness equipment, individualized programs, personal training, and life-coaching to in-need veterans with disabilities, Gold Star families, or those suffering from PTSD. The truck crossed a street, then sped up wildly heading far out of range of our protective units. We had a sniper problem. Share on ... Pfc. His most legendary shot came outside Sadr City in 2008 when he shot an insurgent with a rocket launcher near an Army convoy with his .338 Lapua Magnum rifle at 1,920 m (2,100 yd). Jesse Ventura sues Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's widow", "Jury awards Jesse Ventura $1.8 million in 'American Sniper' lawsuit", "Chris Kyle trial: Jesse Ventura wins $1.8 million in defamation case", "Here's Why Jesse Ventura Could Lose Lawsuit Against Chris Kyle's Estate on Appeal", "Court throws out $1.8 million judgment against 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle's estate", "Jesse Ventura Slams 'American Liar' Chris Kyle After Settling Lawsuit", New questions cast doubt on 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle's combat record, "The 'American Sniper's' preposterous post-Katrina New Orleans story, The complicated but unveriable legacy of Chris Kyle the deadliest sniper in American history", "American Sniper Hero Chris Kyle Medal Tally", "American Sniper Claim on Combat Medals is Disputed", After investigation, Navy lowers ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle's medal count, "Noted sniper slain at Erath County gun range", "Man charged in fatal shooting of ex-SEAL/author", "Chris Kyle's Widow Breaks Down on the Stand and the Chilling Text Message", "Author of 'American Sniper' among the dead at Rough Creek", "Ex-SEAL Chris Kyle remembered after shooting death", "At 'American Sniper' murder trial, a psychosis defense", "Jury Returns Guilty Verdict in 'American Sniper' Trial", "Jury finds Eddie Ray Routh guilty in 'American Sniper' case", "Chris Kyle Funeral Procession Arrives in Austin. Children on the street, people in the houses, maybe her child. Then he served as a Special Operations Combat Medic, sniper, navigator and point man on over 100 combat missions in two deployments to the Middle East including Ramadi and Sadr City Iraq. However, after a major firefight where the sniper was engaging my platoon and our M-1 escorts, the sniper never attacked US or Iraqi forces again, leading most involved in the Battle to believe he died in that fight… enough war stories. Soldiers from 4th Platoon, Company A, 1-2 SCR load back onto their Stryker after a dismounted patrol in Sadr City. He was awarded one Silver Star Medal, four Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and numerous other unit and personal awards. They go back and forth on what the number is. By Sgt. "[8][59] Local police captured Routh after a short freeway chase, which ended when Routh, who fled the scene in Kyle's Ford F-350 truck, crashed into a police cruiser in Lancaster. ... to call in a Hellfire missile strike on a sniper position on the far side of a desolate no man’s land. Peacekeepers, A "Teeming Mob," and A "New Excuse for War", Thank you for your interest in republishing this story and helping to amplify our team's work. [18] During four tours of duty in the Iraq War, he was shot twice and survived six separate IED detonations.[17]. [74] During the 84th Texas Legislative Session, HB 1187 was introduced by Representative John Wray, (R) from Ellis County due to the efforts of Dana Morris' using grassroots effort to show her students that they did have a voice in their government. He was riding in an unarmored, open air Humvee when he was shot by a sniper's bullet and instantly paralyzed from the chest down, confined to a … Snipers around Iraq were being pulled for a special operation in Sadr City, a town on the outskirts of Baghdad. Then, infantrymen or an engineer would scramble up ladders to the top of the barrier and link it through metal hoops and chains to the next barrier. It was clear that not only did she want to kill them, but she didn't care about anybody else nearby who would have been blown up by the grenade or killed in the firefight. I knew we were dealing with a well-trained sniper. "[26] In the book and ensuing interviews, Kyle stated he had no regrets about his work as a sharpshooter, saying, "I had to do it to protect the Marines. However, there is no evidence the incident occurred. ... Baghdad slum neighbourhood of Sadr City. [24], In 2012, HarperCollins released Kyle's autobiography, American Sniper. Others manned trucks mounted with home-made rocket launchers and artillery weapons. A Marine Recon Scout Sniper (Tony Nevada) that accompanies Kyle on a mission in Iraq is seen firing a M40A3 Sniper Rifle while engaging insurgents in Sadr City. Dramatic license. There Kyle claimed they started shooting a number of armed residents or looters, whom they identified as making trouble. I guess that's true. Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest War Horse stories in your inbox. Please make a tax-deductible donation today. While Kyle claims to have killed roughly 320 enemies as part of his service in Iraq, the Navy says he killed 160. The incident did not appear in the media, and a journalist visited all the service stations that could match the description, and none of them were aware of it happening. [31] On August 13, 2012, Kyle appeared on the reality television show Stars Earn Stripes, which features celebrities pairing up with a Special Operations or law enforcement professional who train them in weapons and combat tactics. [66], A memorial service was held for Kyle at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on February 11, and he was buried on February 12, 2013, at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, after the funeral cortege journeyed from Midlothian to Austin, more than 200 miles (320 km). [82] The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing. [55] Both Kyle and Littlefield were armed with .45-caliber 1911-style pistols when they were killed, but neither gun had been unholstered or fired, and the safety catches were still on. The only place that wasn’t as up-armored was about a 2- to 3-inch section from the top of the door to the roof of the vehicle. U.S. Army sniper Aaron McAlister looks through binoculars as sniper Chuck Ayars , both with the 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Brigade, 1-12 Cav. [15], Kyle became known as "The Legend" among the general infantry, including Marines whom he had the task of protecting. If they kept going, soon they would be in no man’s land, where the enemy could mass platoon-size forces quickly and capture or kill them. The records for the longest sniper kills among the armed forces began to be published in 1967 during the Vietnam War by the US Military. U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle achieved his famous 2,100 yard shot in 2008 in Sadr City using a .338 Lapua Magnum chambered rifle, a shot impossible for a … The vehicle stopped dead cold and we had to scramble units to make sure we recovered the MRAP rapidly without any casualties. James Freed was pulling security by a brand-new soccer field near Sadr City on June 5, 2009. industrial section containing groups of insurgents and a small American force drives unnoticed up to an abandoned factory. The ceremony was attended by Kyle's widow Taya. The bill was changed to only reflect Chris Kyle's name. [16] As ordered, Kyle opened fire, killing the woman before she could attack. He’s fine but he’s really freaking out; we are gonna send him back to get a replacement and get checked out.” As the platoon leader got the truck driver to calm down, I thought about the shot that hit the driver. It was so armored that normal bullets could not have penetrated the armor—much less go deep enough to kill an engine. A day or so later two counter-sniper SEAL teams were assigned to our unit. An eponymous film adaptation of Kyle's book, directed by Clint Eastwood, was released two years later. [52][47][53], He has also claimed higher number of sniper kills as part of his service, than the Navy has officially attributed to him. While we had support overlooking their position, they knew at any moment mortars may rain down on them, a grenade or an RPG may fly from an alley. 'American Sniper' is a movie whose politics are ludicrous and idiotic. This courage was the boring sort—the kind that would reap no great glory or make up any great story. [3] Kyle and his brother grew up raising up to 150 head of cattle at a time. Christina Bhatti. Please tag The War Horse when sharing the story on, https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/1st-PLT-B-Co-in-Sadr-City-e1563980642859.jpg, https://thewarhorse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NEW-War-Horse-logo-no-tagline-405x160-1.png, You Have Not Seen The Last Of These Marines, Me, Also. 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