News for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Tiny Moments Remembered At Ex-Sniper's Huge Cowboys Stadium Memorial

Cowboys Stadium in Arlington filled with thousands of people Monday to honor former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who was gunned down with a friend at a Glen Rose gun range. Kyle was known as the most prolific sniper in the U.S. military. As friends, family, teammates and war veterans walked into the stadium, the big screen – which stretches 60 yards – flashed photos of Kyle and his family. 

The service, which lasted about an hour and a half, featured songs, messages from Kyle’s fellow SEALs, high school friends and his wife, Taya.

 

A Friend, And A Prankster

Friends and family described Kyle as a hero, but they also focused on his sense of humor and “unforgettable grin.”

A fellow Navy SEAL who didn't give his name said that all warriors aren’t always serious. Kyle’s “cackling laughter was a constant sound.” He also talked about how much Kyle loved to be a prankster, saying “his pranks were always hilarious, unless of course you were the unfortunate victim.”

A Family Man

When Taya Kyle took to the stage, she had the support of Kyle’s SEAL teammates. Dressed in black, she cried while describing her husband’s love for his kids, saying “I honestly do not remember a night where Daddy and I would tuck you in and [not] say 'Man, we are so blessed to have you two kids.' ”

She ended with a lesson she says her husband taught her.

“No matter what life lays in front of you, it is unwise to worry or overthink it, because even in the worst of times, life has a way of working out. And you have showed me that in life, even in death, some people are always with you.”

Lauren Silverman was the Health, Science & Technology reporter/blogger at KERA News. She was also the primary backup host for KERA’s Think and the statewide newsmagazine  Texas Standard. In 2016, Lauren was recognized as Texas Health Journalist of the Year by the Texas Medical Association. She was part of the Peabody Award-winning team that covered Ebola for NPR in 2014. She also hosted "Surviving Ebola," a special that won Best Long Documentary honors from the Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI). And she's won a number of regional awards, including an honorable mention for Edward R. Murrow award (for her project “The Broken Hip”), as well as the Texas Veterans Commission’s Excellence in Media Awards in the radio category.