Feb. 2 is officially declared as "Chris Kyle Day" in honor of the late American sniper who was killed at a North Texas shooting range. The announcement was made by Governor Greg Abbott of Texas while having a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Mid-Winter Convention.
Kyle was known as "America's Deadliest Sniper" and has received a number of medals for his heroic deeds and bravery. The current box office hit "American Sniper" portrays his life as a SEAL sniper. It became the No. 1 movie since it was released in the theaters and has received six nominations in the Academy Awards which include Best Picture and Best Actor. Kyle was portrayed by actor Bradley Cooper in the movie.
"In honor of a Texas son, a Navy SEAL and an American hero - a man who defended his brothers and sisters in arms on and off the battlefield - I am declaring February 2nd Chris Kyle Day in Texas," said Abbott. "We will commemorate his passing, but more importantly, remembering his answering of the call of duty."
The crowd gave a standing ovation for Abbott's announcement.
Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield were killed at a gun range on Feb. 2013 by Iraq War veteran Eddie Ray Routh. Kyle and Littlefield were helping Routh to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. After the shooting, Routh reportedly fled in a pickup that belonged to Kyle. He is now in jail and will have to face trial which is scheduled to start next month. The charges filed against him include one count of capital murder and two counts of murder.
While in the military service, Kyle was credited for confirmed kills that number at least 160. According to the Pentagon, his impressive skills with a rifle had caused terror among the Iraqi insurgents when he was accomplishing his four tours of duty. He was later on nicknamed the "Devil of Ramadi" by the insurgents who had placed a bounty on his head.
Though the film "American Sniper" has received several nominations, critics have described it as a movie that glorifies war. People from an Arab-American civil rights organization asked movie director Clint Eastwood and lead actor Bradley Cooper to denounce any form of hateful language that are said against the Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. when the film was released.
"It is our opinion that you could play a significant role in assisting us in alleviating the danger we are facing," said by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in a letter.
