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March 1, 2013 (Alpine) – Former Alpine resident Chris Kyle, who served with Navy Seal Team 3, was gunned down near his home in Dallas, Texas in February by a fellow veteran. This morning, a flag-lowering ceremony was held at De La Fuente Cadillac in El Cajon, where the public joined in commemorating the famed fallen soldier.
Kyle served five tours of duty in Iraq, where he earned a reputation as one of the U.S. military’s most lethal snipers, earning two purple hearts, four Bronze stars for valor and two Silver Stars. He authored a book, American Sniper, documenting his wartime experiences.
He lived for six years in Alpine and later moved to Texas, where he founded a company that helped train SWAT team members.
A bounty was reportedly placed on his heads by insurgents in Iraq, where he was known as the "Devil of Ramadi", the New York Times reported. But in the end, a Marine suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder whome Kyle was assisting took Kyle's life on a Texas shooting range.
A ceremony honoring Kyle was held at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, attended by thousands. More than 60,000 people lined the funeral procession route. Texas Governor Rick Perry attended the services and flags across Texas were ordered flown at half mast in his honor.
“Having witnessed this sad event, my heart was filled with pain for the Kyle family, but pride with how Americans turned out to honor Chris Kyle. A man who loved his country with all of his heart,” Chuck Taylor wrote in the Alpine Sun..
Kyle is survived by his wife and two children.
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