With Memorial Day fast approaching, it makes me feel slightly dirty to wade into this Chris Kyle “award embellishment” controversy — reported first by The Intercept — and already addressed here on SOFREP by Brandon Webb.  Regardless of this author’s inclination to stay away from this kind of drama, I do think a few points are worth making here.

First, I think Brandon has it about right, and I will not try to speak for him, or repeat his words here.  You can read his thoughts on it in this article.  He knew Chris, whereas I did not.  He has much better insight into the man, and I believe him when he says Chris was a humble, heroic man who fought with valor for his country.

Second, I feel compelled to weigh in not on whether or not Chris has committed an act of “stolen valor” by possibly lying about one of his combat awards.  As far as I am concerned, at worst, the dude is guilty of embellishment of his war record.  I will take a huge risk by throwing it out there that he is not the first, nor will he be the last, to do so.

Some who fought for their country choose to never speak about what they did, the horrors they saw, or the acts of courage (or cowardice) they may have committed in war.  Frankly, as far as I am concerned, that is a right they have earned through their service.  It does not mean they do not deserve to be challenged by their fellow fighting men and women, if they commit an egregious act of embellishment, but let the former challenge them.  Civilians should stay out of it, in my opinion.  As far as the press, they do have a right to report on such things, and so be it, as long as they do so in a responsible way.