Photos - American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History - Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, Jim DeFelice

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History - Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, Jim DeFelice (2012)

Photos

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Stick ’em up, Yankee …

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Young hunters and their prey. My brother (left) is still one of my best friends.

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I’ve been a cowboy pretty much from birth. Look at those fine boots I wore as a four-year-old.

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Here I am in junior high, practicing with my Ithaca pump shotgun. Ironically, I’ve never been much of a shot with a scattergun.

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You’re not a real cowboy until you learn to lasso …

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And I eventually got to where I was halfway decent at it.

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It’s a rough way to make a living, but I’ll always be a cowboy at heart.

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All kitted up with my Mk-12 sniper rifle, the gun I was carrying when I rescued the trapped Marines and reporters in Fallujah.

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Fallujah in ’04. Here I am with my .300 WinMag and some of the snipers I worked with. One was a SEAL, the others were Marines. (You can tell their service by the camis.)

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The sniper hide we used when covering the Marines staging for the assault on Fallujah. Note the baby crib turned on its side.

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General Peter Pace, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hands me the Grateful Nation Award from JINSA, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. JINSA gave me the award in 2005 in recognition of my service and achievements in Fallujah.

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Charlie Platoon of SEAL Team 3 during the Ramadi deployment. The only faces that are shown are Marc Lee’s (left), Ryan Job’s (middle), and mine (right).

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Marc Lee leading the platoon on patrol in Ramadi. With the help of the Marines, we were able to use the river to launch several ops against insurgents.

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We made our own logo, reminiscent of the Punisher character. We spray-painted it on our vests and much of our gear. Like him, we were righting wrongs. Photograph courtesy of 5.11

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Here I am with the boys in ’06, just back from an op with my Mk-11 sniper rifle in my right hand.

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Set up on a roof in Ramadi. The tent provided me a bit of relief from the sun.

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Another sniping position I used in the same battle.

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We chose roofs in Ramadi that provided us with good vantage points. Sometimes, though, the job called for more than a sniper rifle—that black smoke in the background is an enemy position obliterated by a tank.

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Marc Lee.

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After Marc died, we created a patch to honor his memory. We will never forget.

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Ryan Job.

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A close-up of my Lapua .338, the gun I made my longest kill with. You can see my “dope” card—the placard on the side contains the come-ups (adjustments) needed for long-range targets. My 2,100-yard shot exceeded the card’s range, and I had to eyeball it.

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When not on the gun myself, I like to help others improve their skills. This was taken during my last deployment, while instructing a little class for some Army snipers.

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Leading a training session for Craft International, the company I started after leaving the Navy. We make our sessions as realistic as possible for the operators and law enforcement officers we teach. Photograph courtesy of 5.11

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Here I am on a helo training course for Craft. I don’t mind helicopters—it’s heights I can’t stand. Photograph courtesy of 5.11

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Our company logo and slogan (“Despite what your momma told you … violence does solve problems”) honor my SEAL brethren, especially my fallen comrades. I’ll never forget them.

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Me and Taya, the love of my life and better half. Photograph courtesy of Heather Hurt/Calluna Photography

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My son and I check out a C-17.