Hearing Taya Kyle, the American Sniper’s Widow

When I saw the movie  American Sniper––unaware of Chris and Taya’s story, other than Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of Texan Chris Kyle that won for Bradley an Academy Award nomination for his performance––I expected another movie about war that my husband would enjoy and I would endure.

Taya Kyle, widow of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, spoke at a dinner our Lubbock family recently attended. Hosted by Trinity Christian School, which 4 of our grandchildren attend, the event was held at City Bank Coliseum on the campus of Texas Tech. Last year, President George W. Bush spoke at this annual event.
But frankly, I was not excited about this year’s dinner. On Friday nights, it’s nice to curl up at home instead of dressing up for dinner. And jostle through crowds? I’d rather wait for the video. Reluctantly, I went.

Had I stayed home, I would have missed something special. Taya Kyle brought this crowd to their feet with something more than patriotism. Her vulnerability, transparency and authenticity matched the Lubbock vibe as she spoke to a room filled with spectators about the lives of military participants who put their lives on the firing line.

People who take a stand make easy targets.

Military families function within a system that exists to protect the freedom of others while sacrificing many of their own personal freedoms.

A film crew for ABC was there that night, April 17, to record part of the story that will air tomorrow night. I’m eager to see this 20/20 segment on Taya, to see how she is portrayed by the national media.

Watch 20/20 on May 1 at 9:00, CST

Taya spoke about growth through pain. In a way she rarely does as a speaker, she opened up and her message floated on a cushion of unspoken support, as if every person in the room wished they could give her a hug. The best speakers make what they do look easy.

Remember Me

One of the first things Taya said, “Chris wanted to be remembered for the lives he saved, not the lives he took.”

Chris was a Navy Seal who served 4 tours of duty in Iraq. His story, brought to life on the big screen, relied less on special effects and more on Chris’s character formation.

While The Hurt Locker won Best Picture a few years back, American Sniper struck chords that recent movies about war have avoided or neglected.

Movies have the power both to move us and to make us numb to the realities they depict. But when movies get personal, the effects linger.

Spoiler alert:  The tragic end to Chris Kyle’s life did not come on the battlefield or in some foreign conflict to which he had been assigned. Instead, at home after he’d begun to heal from the wounds of war and put back together the life he dreamed of sharing with Taya, a confused veteran Chris was trying to help shot and killed Chris and his friend.

This uncanny twist to the story adds weight to the loss that Taya and her children must live with.

Yet even as emotions spilled into her telling of their story, what happened that day––the day Chris was killed––she focuses on how his story helps other military families and veterans. Chris was generous and giving in life and, as it turns out, even more so in death.

Chris Kyle left a legacy of giving that Taya seeks to extend.

 

Congressman Randy Neugebauer introduced Taya to an audience who values service and sacrifice.

 

 

 

    

Note:  All pictures taken by me at this event (some are shots of the screen where images were projected), except for the cover of Taya’s book, which incidentally, she did not promote.

Taya’s book comes out on May 4, 2015.