A TEXAS GOODBYE > > This is why America > will remain strong. We take care of our own as well as > others who may not > deserve taking care of. I just wanted to share with > you all that out of a > horrible tragedy we were blessed by so many > people. > > Chris Kyle was Dereks teammate through 10 years > of training and > battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD to some > extent and took great > care of each other because of it. > > > 2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never > had any more > aggressive physical contact with another human than > on a Texas football > field. > > > They lost many friends. Chris became the armed > services number #1 sniper > of all time. Not something he was happy about, other > than the fact that > in so doing, he saved a lot of American lives. > > > > Three years ago, his wife Taya asked him to leave > the SEAL teams as he > had a huge bounty on his head by Al Qaeda. He did > and wrote the book > The American Sniper. 100% of the > proceeds from the book went > to two of the SEAL families who had lost their sons > in Iraq .. > > > That was the kind of guy Chris was. He formed a > company in Dallas to > train military, police and I think firemen as far as > protecting > themselves in difficult situations. He also formed a > foundation to work > with military people suffering from PTSD. Chris was > a giver not a > taker. > > He, along with a friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield, > were murdered > trying to help a young man that had served six months in > Iraq and claimed > to have PTSD. > > Now I need to tell you about all of the > blessings. > > Southwest Airlines flew in any SEAL and their > family from any > airport they flew into...free of charge. > > > The employees donated buddy passes and one lady worked > for four days > without much of a break to see that it > happened. > > > Volunteers were at both airports in Dallas to drive > them to the > hotel. > > > The Marriott Hotel reduced their rates to $45 a night > and cleared the > hotel for only SEALs and family. > > > The Midlothian, TX Police Department paid the $45 a > night for each room. > I would guess there were about 200 people staying at > the hotel, 100 of > them were SEALs. Two large buses were chartered (an > unknown donor paid > the bill) to transport people to the different events > and they also had a > few rental cars (donated). The police and secret > service were on duty 24 > hours during the stay at our hotel. > > > At the Kyle house, the Texas DPS parked a large motor > home in front to > block the view from reporters. It remained there the > entire five days for > the SEALs to congregate in and all to use the restroom > so as not to have > to go in the house. Taya, their two small children and > both sets of > parents were staying in the home. > > > Only a hand full of SEALs went into the home as they > had different duties > and meetings were held sometimes on a hourly basis. It > was a huge > coordination of many different events and security. > Derek was assigned to > be a Pall Bearer, to escort Chris body when it > was transferred from the > Midlothian Funeral Home to the Arlington Funeral Home, > and to be with > Taya. A tough job. > > > Taya seldom came out of her bedroom. The house was > full with people from > the church and other family members that would come > each day to help. I > spent one morning in a bedroom with Chris’ mom and > the next morning with > Chad Littlefields parents (the other man murdered > with Chris). A tough job. > > George W Bush and his wife Laura met and talked to > everyone on the Seal Team one on one. They > went behind closed doors with Taya for quite a while. > They had prayer > with us all. You can tell when people were sincere and > caring > > > Nolan Ryan sent his cooking team, a huge grill and > lots of steaks, > chicken and hamburgers. They set up in the front yard > and fed people all > day long including the 200 SEALs and their families. > The next day a local > BBQ restaurant set up a buffet in front of the house > and fed all once > again. Food was plentiful and all were taken care of. > The familys church > kept those inside the house well fed. > > Jerry Jones, the man everyone loves to hate, was a > rock star. He made sure that we all were > taken care of. His wife and he were just making sure > everyone was taken > care of….Class... He donated the use of Cowboy > Stadium for the services > as it was determined that so many wanted to attend. > > > > The charter buses transported us to the stadium on > Monday at 10:30 am. > Every car, bus, motorcycle was searched with bomb dogs > and police. I am > not sure if kooks were making threats trying to make a > name for > themselves or if so many SEALs in one place was a > security risk, I dont > know. We willingly obliged. No purses went into the > stadium! > > > We were taken to The Legends room high up and a large > buffet was > available. That was for about 300 people. We were > growing. > > > A Medal of Honor recipient was there, lots of secret > service and police > and Sarah Palin and her husband. She looked nice, this > was a very formal > military service. > > > The service started at 1:00 pm and when we were > escorted onto the field I > was shocked. We heard that about 10,000 people had > come to attend also. > They were seated in the stadium seats behind us. It > was a beautiful and > emotional service. > > > The Bagpipe and drum corps were wonderful and the > Texas A&M mens > choir stood through the entire service and sang right > at the end. We were > all in tears. > > > The next day was the 200-mile procession from > Midlothian, TX to Austin > for burial. It was a cold, drizzly, windy day, but the > people were out. > We had dozens of police motorcycles riders, freedom > riders, five > chartered buses and lots of cars. You had to have a > pass to be in the > procession and still it was huge. Two helicopters > circled the procession > with snipers sitting out the side door for protection. > It was the longest > funeral procession ever in the state of Texas. People > were everywhere. > The entire route was shut down ahead of us, the people > were lined up on > the side of the road the entire way. Firemen were down > on one knee, > police officers were holding their hats over their > hearts, children > waving flags, veterans saluting as we went by. Every > bridge had fire > trucks with large flags displayed from their tall > ladders, people all > along the entire 200 miles were standing in the cold > weather. It was so > heartwarming. Taya rode in the hearse with Chris > body so Derek rode the > route with us. I was so grateful to have that time > with him. > > > The service was at Texas National Cemetery. Very few > are buried there and > you have to apply to get in. It is like people from > the Civil War, Medal > of Honor winners, a few from the Alamo and all the > historical people of > Texas. It was a nice service and the Freedom Riders > surrounded the > outside of the entire cemetery to keep the crazy > church people from > Kansas that protest at military funerals away from us. > > > > Each SEAL put his Trident (metal SEAL badge) on the > top of Chris casket, > one at a time. A lot hit it in with one blow. Derek > was the only one to > take four taps to put his in and it was almost like he > was caressing it > as he did it. Another tearful moment. > > > After the service Governor Rick Perry and his wife, > Anita, invited us to > the governors mansion. She stood at the door, > greeted each of us > individually, and gave each of the SEALs a coin of > Texas. She was a > sincere, compassionate, and gracious hostess. > > > We were able to tour the ground floor and then went > into the garden for > beverages and BBQ. So many of the Seal team guys said > that after they get > out they are moving to Texas. They remarked that they > had never felt so > much love and hospitality. The charter buses then took > the guys to the > airport to catch their returning flights. Derek just > now called and after > a 20 hours flight he is back in his spot, in a > dangerous land on the > other side of the world, protecting America. > > > We just wanted to share with you, the events of a > quite emotional, but > blessed week. > > > Punch > Line: > > To this day, no one in the White House has ever > acknowledged Chris Kyle. > > However, the President can call some sport person > and congratulate > him on announcing to the world that he is gay? > What the hell is happening to our > society, our honor and our pride??
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 19:55:23 +0000
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