American Gun: A History of the U.S. In Ten Firearms (34 page)

Visit www.chriskylefrog.com for more on Chris and his legacy.

I had the honor of living with and loving one of these men.

Chris Kyle was a multifaceted man who was not only capable of rising up when the chips were down, but who also had personality and character to spare. His humor, passion, depth of love, and dedication, combined with his intelligence, easy-going confidence, and down-to-earth manner, came in an exciting package wrapped in a veritable ribbon of unsurpassed humility.

American Gun
is just one of the many projects Chris was working on in February 2013. Please join me on www.chriskylefrog.com and be a part of the other irons Chris had in the fire.

On behalf of Chris, and from the bottom of my heart, to all the men and women who have served in law enforcement and in the United States military, thank you.

To all of you who support our military and law enforcement communities, in word and deed, Chris would be proud to know you.

Much love,

Taya

April 2013

Acknowledgments

Chris had an essence that was larger than life. His big personality, boisterous laugh, and laid-back style drew people in. He knew the meaning of true friendship. One of the best parts of working on this book was finding out just how blessed Chris was by his friends in return. This book depended on many people who without hesitation offered their time, energy, and knowledge to help fulfill Chris’s vision for
American Gun.

Jim DeFelice: You jumped into the trenches with us in
American Sniper.
You weathered the following storm. And when the chips were down again, you rolled up your sleeves, reached out your capable hand, and helped me out of the ditch. You prove that in life, and even in death, friendship endures. This book would not be what it is today without you.

Kevin Lacz: You embody the meaning of brotherhood. That is one of the highest compliments I can give. Thank you for being you and always having our backs. Jeff Kyle, you are the brother every man should be so lucky to have. Thank you for answering my questions. We love you. Mark Hanten, we treasure your support and friendship over the years. Thank you for devoting your time and keen eye to the guns and stories in this book. Rich Emberlin, in addition to being a great friend, you have a wonderful ability to bring people together. It certainly helped with
American Gun.

Doug Wicklund of the National Firearms Museum, Bob Owens, Steven Young, John Navarro, Jim Leavelle, Chris McIntyre, Jim Galvin, Monty LeClair, and Craig “Saw” Sawyer, thank you for answering our calls quickly and lending your support.

Brad Juneau, your quiet, strong, generous support of veterans is awe-inspiring. It seems your huge heart knows no limits. I am not sure I can ever adequately express the difference you and your beautiful daughter and my dear friend Melanie Luttrell have made in my life. Melanie, you seem to see my needs before even I’m aware of them. Brad, the term “available day or night” comes to mind when I think of you and this book. My last-minute requests for help were answered every time I asked, no matter what time of day or night. Your insight and comments gave me confidence and made
American Gun
better. I am convinced you have a special place in heaven waiting for you—but you will have to wait at least another fifty years to see it, okay?

Jay Mandel and Mel Berger of William Morris Endeavor and Bill Doyle, thank you for the time you put into getting this project off the ground with Chris. He thoroughly enjoyed working on it with you.

Peter Hubbard, editor extraordinaire, your support and enthusiasm for Chris’s books, coupled with your desire to get it right, have made all the difference. Thanks also to Sharyn Rosenblum and the entire staff at William Morrow/HarperCollins.

To my parents, Kim and Kent Studebaker, to Chris’s parents, Wayne and Deby Kyle, and to my beautiful and supportive sister, Ashley Purvis-Smith, thank you. To Karen Hanten, Jennifer Lee, Kim Essary, Deanne Hall, Sarah Dyer, Jennifer Bullinger, and Lauren Staub, thank you for your tireless, selfless support of our family.

To my amazing children, your patience and maturity far surpass your age. Your light, laughter, and love are the best reason I know of to take this bull of life by the horns and ride it all the way.

To Chris, our love fuels the fire igniting my passion to carry out your vision and work.

In closing, if you will take a couple extra minutes with me to acknowledge the life of Ryan Job, I think it may help sum up the drive and passion of the men and women both in the stories and those who helped bring
American Gun
full circle. Once you hear about Ryan, you will know why I
need
to take the time to mention him.

The photograph here shows Ryan, Chris’s SEAL teammate, living life to its fullest after being critically wounded in Ramadi, Iraq, in August 2006. Ryan is shown in October 2008 with a Winchester Model 70, .300 Weatherby mag, shooting a record-setting elk with the help of a computer-assisted scope and a close friend.

Despite having been blinded and enduring multiple surgeries, Ryan went hunting, climbed Mt. Rainier, and completed college with a 4.0 grade-point average. He married Kelly, who had been with him before his injuries. They had an eagerly anticipated baby on the way when he inexplicably and tragically lost his life following one of his multiple surgeries. He was a man of great character and strength.

Chris and Ryan were on a rooftop in Ramadi when Ryan was shot and blinded. One of the worst moments of Chris’s life came when he realized Ryan was down. Chris ran to him and radioed for the corpsman. Immediately he and his Teammates picked Ryan up and started down the stairs with him. Ryan was tough. Face shattered, spitting massive amounts of blood, he demanded that Chris and the others who came to help let him walk on his own: not because he was too proud to be carried, but because he didn’t want to take other guys out of the fight.

Ryan Job hunting elk with a Winchester Model 70 equipped with a Carl Zeiss Conquest scope and an in-line camera system.
Camp Patriot (elk hunt, 2008)

Years later I choked back tears as Ryan apologized for the time it took them to get him to safety. He felt somehow that he had let them down.

Ryan was too humble to realize how much they loved him. On the patio of a restaurant in Arizona in 2009, Ryan, with his beautiful wife, Kelly, sitting across the table and his guide dog curled at his feet, casually mentioned that while he wasn’t happy to have been blinded, he was glad that it had happened to him and not anyone else. With grit, humor, determination, and the love of an amazing woman, Ryan took what hardships he was given and made his life amazing.

That undefeatable spirit shows why Ryan, my husband, and countless others answer the call of the country they love.

But there was one other moment in particular that sums up what these men are all about. Badly injured, Ryan was flown to Germany for stabilization and then to Bethesda for multiple surgeries and a gruesome introduction to the next chapter of his life. He had every right to be bitter and perhaps even hateful toward everyone and everything around him, including the country that sent him to war. But in that time of crisis, with his head bandaged, multiple surgeries behind and in front of him, and the knowledge he would never see again, he asked someone to push his wheelchair to a flag outside. On a windy day in Maryland while on hospital grounds, Ryan Job sat still in full salute to the American flag. He held the salute for quite some time, as the wind whipped the flag and clanged the rope against the hard metal flagpole. I imagine an unspoken communication between flag and warrior, each thanking the other for what they had given them.

Patriotism is not an antiquated ideal. It beats strongly in many an American heart.

I am eternally grateful to the men and women who have such strength and character that they are willing to go to distant lands and write a blank check to this country. Because of them, our lives here in America are full of opportunity and enduring freedom.

When you see an American flag and when you hear the National Anthem, I hope you stop and show your respect, not for the fabric flying in the wind, but for Ryan and the other men and women who like him and my husband have lived the literal meaning of the words “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

—T.K.

Appendix

The Ten Guns, by the Numbers

AMERICAN LONG RIFLE

Other names:
Kentucky Long Rifle, Pennsylvania Long Rifle, long hunter

First designed:
Eighteenth century, exact date and inventor unknown

Type:
Precision rifle, single-shot

Predecessor:
Most likely evolved from Jaeger hunting rifles

Caliber:
Varied with gun maker, but roughly .50

Primary use:
Hunting, military sniping

Notable features:
Sleek and long, surprisingly light, slow to load

When used:
Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, especially during and after the American Revolution

Current use: 
Genuine long rifles are historical antiques of considerable value. Authentic guns and replicas are used for sport and reenactments

SPENCER REPEATER

First designed by:
Christopher Spencer

Type:
Repeating rifle, manually cocked

Caliber:
.52

Rounds:
7 metal rimfire cartridges, loaded through butt magazine

When used:
American Civil War, Indian Wars

Used by:
American Army soldiers, primarily cavalry and mounted infantry