Letter to Taya Kyle on Facebook

Taya,

I wanted to take a moment and share with you a special

moment I got to share with my step dad, Sean, while

watching American Sniper. Before retiring to be with my

mother, Sean completed one tour in Iraq with the D 1/7 Air

Cav as a OH-58D Kiowa pilot. This marked the honorable

end of 23 years of service. One day after they signed their

marriage license, he left for his tour. I don't recall exactly

which tour it would have been, but Sean mentioned he

believes he was probably there at the same time as one of

Chris' tours based on information in the movie.

I remember watching my mother video chat with Sean

every day, and worrying if he would ever come home.

I remember her crying when he'd have to end the call

because the base was being bombed or under some kind of

attack.

I remember hearing about an empty trailer next to his being

blown up while he was on a video call with my mom, and

her being shaken for weeks.

I remember half way through his tour when he was on

leave we went on a family vacation, but when it was over

we had a lay over from Florida into Dallas... and hearing

Sean's name over the intercom because he was staying in

Texas and we were returning to Colorado. I remember

thinking I may never see him again.

I remember when he came home, you could tell he was

different. He had seen things he couldn't un see and he

had heard things he couldn't un hear..

While he was there he lost two good friends.

When he asked me to go see American Sniper, I knew it

would be a great bonding time for us. The greatest part of

the movie, however, was being able to notably see the full

range of emotions flow through him from beginning to end.

He may never admit it, but I know coming home and

leaving 23 years of all he's known behind was the hardest

choice he could have ever made. I know he spent years

wanting to go back. He wanted to be apart of the fight, he

wanted to help, and serve, and be there for his friends who

were there fighting. There were days where he and my

mother fought because there were things he had seen that

he couldn't tell her because he didn't want to scare her.

You could tell during the part of the movie when Chris

returned on another tour and saw his brother and they

spoke.. that touched Sean. You could tell he was bonding

with the emotions of the brother, and Chris.. and I heard

him say before the dialogue even started, "He's seen too

much.. The 1000 mile stare."

When the kid tried to pick up the RPG, again you could hear

him saying to the kid, "Don't do it... please don't do it... Put

it down." and you could tell he understood what it was like

to be aiming at a kid who doesn't know better and having to

make the choice to take a life or lose his own or someone

else's.. and be begging in prayer for the kid to put it down.

He watched someone plant an IED, and was told to stand

down, and the next day reports of a convoy being struck by

it, and knowing he should have done something.

There is a price that remarkable people like Chris, Sean

(Army/Marines), My mother (marine), my grandma (army),

grandpa (navy), dad (Navy), uncle (army sniper), other

grandpa (WW2 Vett, watched the famous flag raise

personally on Iwo Jima), cousin (Vietnam Vet and Medal of

Honor recipient)... pay.. a price they pay that protects our

way of life.. It's not a financial cost, it's a price paid with the

soul. Scars that heal so slowly they feel they may never.

Voices of lost friends, and memories of brothers lost.

I'm so very thankful for what you put together in American

Sniper Because it gives people like my step dad a reminder

that someone understands, and someone gets it. The best

part of the movie, the end. The silence. You could tell who

the movie touched because every one of them sat through

the credits thinking, processing, and showing their respect

for another solider who gave his life serving others. Giving

of him self what people like my step dad needed so badly,

someone who understood.. someone to talk to.. someone

who was there and knew what they had seen!

Chris' spirit is alive and well. He is alive in you and your

mission. He is safe with God, and could very well be in the

battle again keeping other soldiers alive.. Those who may

never have found the Chris Kyle Foundation... he can be

with in spirit whispering words of encouragement...

Never forget, even in the hard days, there is a solider out

there who needs this foundation.

Semper Fi. Carry On.

~Kyle

Thanks for posting this. I asked the admin mod to correct Taya’s name in the title.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful and heartfelt letter.

Vietnam took my friend 10 years ago....

Took around 30 years but, the voices and the dreams won.

He killed the monsters.

Sadly, he was helping others with PTSD as well.

His psychologist broke down at his remembrance and was unconsolable. He didn’t see it coming and counted Mike Strenger as a success and admired his love for his younger brothers coming back from Iraq & Afghanistan.

I miss him.

Friggin Dork waited til we went out of the country in vacation to do it too.

Punk...

When I took his Dad to collect his belongings we discovered all these medals, ribbons and citations in a locked box.

We kinda knew he’d done some things but, I had never held a Purple Heart before.

His Dad insisted I take care of his medals.

I couldn’t. I didn’t dare.

I wasn’t the man Michael was and never will be.

We miss you Mike.

Feb 23rd, 1984, He had called me every year on my birthday since we had came home, when He did not call that night I knew. Wow never put that in print, yeah still hurts.

"Vietnam took my friend 10 years ago...."

I lost my junior HS best buddy about a year and a half ago, his life destroyed by Agent Orange in Viet Nam. Ken got exposed on helicopters. He said that VA sent him home to die, then he went to Mexico for some treatments...guess that they didn't work very well.

So sorry

We just never know what goes on inside loved ones.

You think you do and then...

Just damn.

Sorry for theoss of your friend.

Except for the Grace of God, there go I, He is a Friend that sticketh closer then a Brother.