Taya Kyle: Will American Sniper Chris Kyle’s Wife Speak Out On Hero’s Medal Controversy And Navy Investigation?

Taya Kyle has been a vocal advocate and adamant about preserving the memory of famed American hero sniper Chris Kyle, but Taya has yet to comment on recent allegations and a Navy investigation that Chris might have embellished some of his awards and accomplishments while serving time as a Navy SEAL.

According to the Navy Times, Taya Kyle couldn’t be reached for comment when representatives attempted to get Taya’s take on the investigation of Chris Kyle’s Navy record. A representative for the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, a charity run by Taya Kyle, stated that Taya was “focused on a veteran and first responders at an event in Indiana” at the time the news broke.

Despite Taya being unavailable for comment on the investigation, Kyle did take a moment out of her duties to post kudos to the Pirtek Team Murray pit crew, which will be representing the Chris Kyle Foundation at the Indianapolis 500 this weekend.

News outlets began to report yesterday that Chris Kyle’s service record might not be exactly as it was recalled in his book, American Sniper. An investigative piece by the Intercept contends that official Navy documents show Kyle only received half of the medals he claimed to have gotten.

According to American Sniper, Chris stated he received two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars for his service as a Navy SEAL. However, Kyle’s service records documents obtained from the Navy state that Chris Kyle only received one Silver Star and Three Bronze stars. The confusion arose with a discrepancy between Chris’ DD214 discharge paperwork and Kyle’s actual military service record. Chris used his DD214 as a point of reference for his book, and the Navy is investigating as to whether or not Kyle’s discharge paperwork is incorrect, or if there was a disconnect in information for Chris’ service record.

While the amount of medals received by the highly acclaimed American sniper may seem insignificant in the scheme of things considering Chris Kyle’s confirmed battlefield triumphs, false claims of accolades could be seen as bringing dishonor to other members of the Navy SEAL program and Chris’ integrity in writing American Sniper was already called into question once in a lawsuit brought on by Minnesota Jesse Ventura. The defamation suit won by Ventura refuted claims by Chris Kyle that he had once punched the governor. According to the Washington Post, Ventura won a $1.8 million settlement amid Chris Kyle’s false claims in the suit in 2014, and Taya Kyle continues to appeal the court decision to this day.

Taya Kyle’s silence on the matter of Chris Kyle’s medal discrepancies comes as a surprise to many who are familiar with the sniper wife’s history of outspoken support for her Navy SEAL husband, among other issues. In January, according to Fox News, Taya Kyle criticized President Obama on his gun restriction proposal, stating that the President was only giving “false hope” when it came to the notion that his action would deter gun violence.

“I know that background checks aren’t going to stop me from getting a gun,” Taya pointed out. Given that Taya’s husband, Chris, was murdered by a violent gun act, some were also surprised that Kyle still pushed for gun advocacy, stating, “I want the hope that I have the right to protect myself. That I don’t end up to be one of these families. That I have the freedom to carry whatever weapon I feel I need.”

In 2015, Taya Kyle’s autobiography American Wife: A Memoir of Love, Service, Faith, and Renewal recounted her journey as a military wife as well as her marriage to Chris Kyle and dealing with the aftermath of Chris’ unexpected death. While Taya still mourns the loss of Chris as detailed in a Facebook post this past April honoring her American hero on his birthday, Kyle also continues to advocate for fellow veterans and first responders in Chris’ memory.

Whether or not Chris Kyle received the medals he claimed to from the Navy, his impact on Taya and the ripple effect it has had clearly shows he was winning at life, and perhaps that is why Taya doesn’t feel she needs to dignify questions regarding the investigation with an answer.

[Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images]