I’ve lived the literal meaning of the ‘land of the free’ and ‘home of the brave.’ It’s not corny for me. I feel it in my heart. I feel it in my chest. Even at a ball game, when someone talks during the anthem or doesn’t take off his hat, it pisses me off. I’m not one to be quiet about it, either.

Chris Kyle

Categorized in : Heart Home Land

People tell me I saved hundreds and hundreds of people. But I have to tell you: it’s not the people you saved that you remember. It’s the ones you couldn’t save. Those are the ones you talk about. Those are the faces and situations that stay with you forever.

military memories life

When you’re working with Army and Marine Corps units, you immediately notice a difference. The Army is pretty tough, but their performance can depend on the individual unit. Some are excellent, filled with hoorah and first-class warriors. A few are absolutely horrible; most are somewhere in between. In my experience, Marines are gung ho no matter what. They will all fight to the death. Every one of them just wants to get out there and kill. They are bad-ass, hard-charging mothers.

warrior marine mother

It was my duty to shoot the enemy, and I don't regret it. My regrets are for the people I couldn't save: Marines, soldiers, buddies. I'm not naive, and I don't romanticize war. The worst moments of my life have come as a SEAL. But I can stand before God with a clear conscience about doing my job.

regret jobs war

Despite what your momma told you, Violence does solve problems. by Chris Kyle

Despite what your momma told you, Violence does solve problems.

violence problem doe

I don't know if I'm the best of the best. But I did know that if... by Chris Kyle

I don't know if I'm the best of the best. But I did know that if I quit, I wouldn't be.

i-quit best-of-the-best quitting

MY REGRETS ARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE I COULDN’T SAVE—Marines, soldiers, my buddies. I still feel their loss. I still ache for my failure to protect them.

marine regret loss

Every person I killed I strongly believe that they were bad. When I do go face God there is going to be lots of things I will have to account for but killing any of those people is not one of them.

faces believe people

I began teaching my son how to shoot when he was two, starting with the basics of a BB rifle. My theory is that kids get into trouble because of curiosity—if you don’t satisfy it, you’re asking for big problems. If you inform them and carefully instruct them on safety when they’re young, you avoid a lot of the trouble. My son has learned to respect weapons. I’ve always told him, if you want to use a gun, come get me. There’s nothing I like better than shooting.

teaching kids son

It is our duty to serve those who serve us. by Chris Kyle

It is our duty to serve those who serve us.

duty

Savage, despicable evil. That's what we were fighting in Iraq. That's why a lot of people, myself included, called the enemy 'savages.' There really was no other way to describe what we encountered there.

iraq fighting evil

If you hate the war, that’s fine. But you should still support the troops. They don’t get to pick where they’re deployed. They just gave the American people a blank check for anything up to and including the value of their lives, and the least everyone else can do is be thankful. Buy them dinner. Mow their yard. Bake them cookies.

hate war people

But real life doesn't travel in a perfect straight line; it doesn't necessarily have that 'all lived happily ever after' bit. You have to work on where you're going.

lines real perfect

I’m willing to meet my creator and answer every shot that I took. by Chris Kyle

I’m willing to meet my creator and answer every shot that I took.

snipers shots answers

At another location, we found barrels of chemical material that was intended for use as biochemical weapons. Everyone talks about there being no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but they seem to be referring to completed nuclear bombs, not the many deadly chemical weapons or precursors that Saddam had stockpiled.

mass-destruction nuclear iraq

There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should... by Chris Kyle

There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.

homeless reason country

What wounded veteran's don't need is sympathy. THey need to be treated like the men they are: equals, heroes, and people who still have tremendous value for society.

hero men people

I really don't care what people think of me. by Chris Kyle

I really don't care what people think of me.

care people thinking

It's funny --- sometimes the strongest individuals feel the worst when events are out of their control, and they can't really be there for the people they love. I've felt it myself.

events sometimes people

I would love for people to be able to think of me as a guy who stood up for what he believed in and helped make a difference for the vets.

differences people thinking

I am a much better father and husband than I ever was a sniper. by Chris Kyle

I am a much better father and husband than I ever was a sniper.

snipers husband father