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The
Memorial Edition of American Sniper by Chris Kyle with
Jim DeFelice and Scott McEwen has just been published. This
Memorial Edition reminds Americans that there are true heroes
that need to be remembered. Re-reading this book will enable
people to understand why it has been on the New York Times
Bestseller list since its release in January 2012.
This edition still has the moving first-person account of
Chris' extraordinary battlefield experiences when he became
the top American military sniper of all time. There is something
for everyone in the book: technical details including why
a certain gun is preferred in a certain situation, types of
guns used, plenty of combat action, and a discussion on relationships
with fellow SEALs as well as his wife and children. His story
is at times funny, scary, sad, and intense.
The book also includes the insights of his wife Taya, what
she had to endure as a military spouse. She tells what it
was like to be left at home for months on end, having to be
a single mom, worried wife, and someone responsible for the
finances and upkeep of the home. She recently commented, "Chris
laid it on the table, both our flaws and good qualities that
people can relate with." To explain why the Memorial
Edition is so important to her a video was made http://youtu.be/YyjrCxW4jxw
. The co-author, Jim DeFelice also thinks American Sniper
is an important read because it showed the other side of a
warrior, that of a husband and father.
Kyle once stated that he never saw himself as a "killer
but as a Guardian Angel for our troops on the ground,"
and that he never apologized or regretted what he did "because
my shots saved several Americans whose lives were clearly
worth more than the enemy savages who tried to take those
lives. I don't worry about what other people think of me."
This is exemplified in the book quote, "People fighting
in Iraq were fanatics. They hated us because we weren't Muslim.
They wanted to kill us…because we practiced a different
religion than they did." His brother Jeff, a former recon
Marine, who now is the owner of a weapons training company,
www.tetatx.us.com, concurs, "SEALs, Rangers, Green Berets,
those in recon, were happy with the book because Chris showed
how we take on our roles to protect as many people as possible.
He pulled the trigger for the right reason, to bring everyone
home alive."
What the Memorial Edition does have that the original American
Sniper did not is the addition of more than eighty pages of
remembrances by those close to him including his wife, brother,
mother/father, children, fellow veterans, fellow warriors,
and lifelong friends. In this portion of the book readers
will see his life after retiring from military service and
the person he became. Taya noted, "I hope people see
these recollections as an understanding of what people will
say about someone who has passed away, how they are touched
personally. In addition, anyone who wants to continue to learn
about how the family will carry on Chris' torch can go to
www.chriskylefrog.com."
Although this Memorial Edition brings back the sorrowful death
of someone who died way too young, it also allows Americans
to openly remember the warrior and the regular guy who decided
to share his life, views, and personality. He did not only
touch those who personally knew him but readers as well. The
Memorial Edition of American Sniper is a thrilling eyewitness
account of service and sacrifice and a heartfelt recounting
of the man.
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