This week I chatted by phone with the only real life former Navy SEAL in “American Sniper.” Thankfully Kevin Lacz doesn’t sound like he’s been worked over too hard by the media. So he’s still willing to speak candidly and even dismiss NBC News’ Brian Williams.
A few facts about Lacz:
- He served with Chris Kyle for two tours in Iraq.
- He was a tech consultant on American Sniper.
- He taught Bradley Cooper to shoot.
- Director Clint Eastwood sought his guidance.
- He lives in Pensacola and is now a physician assistant who works with active military from special operations units.
The Mirror: What do you think about what’s happening to Brian Williams? Should members of the military be offended by his lies and is he lying?
Service members are put in a lot of prickly precarious situations. When you have a member of the media who is there to accurately convey the facts to the general public, when you find out those people are misrepresenting, mistaking, blatantly lying, it calls into question not just Brian Williams, but the entire media. It makes you wonder, who hasn’t been caught in a slip up? It also dupes the American people and I think that’s unfortunate.
The Mirror: How do you feel about some of the negative reactions to the film? That it glorifies war for example.
There’s always going to be negativity, detractors. War is polarizing, it’s always been. My initial take is this: I get a lot of positive feedback from veterans and non-veterans alike. For the detractors, I don’t really have time for that. Unless you’ve worn the uniform, I don’t put a lot of stock into it. I don’t think it does glorify war. I think war is the vehicle for the message. But I don’t think war is the focus. War is gnarly and polarizing, but when you are out there doing the job you are doing it to protect the people around you.
The Mirror: What was it like teaching Bradley Cooper how to shoot? What is he like when the camera isn’t rolling?
I think teaching Bradley to shoot was no different from teaching other people I’ve taught to shoot. If they’re not good, it reflects poorly in how I trained him. I trained him with my buddy Rick Wallace. He’s a quick learner. He’s very cerebral, he’s a thinker. He’s also got the ability to take what’s on top… [meaning] he’s able to do the job. He was a very quick learner, which made our job a lot easier. He did it and it looked natural. He’s a natural. He’s super down-to-earth.
When the camera isn’t rolling? My wife and son came out and he invited us to come up to Santa Monica and then to Malibu. He looks to my son and asks what music he wants to listen to. My son was on a huge “Frozen” kick. So [Bradley’s] blasting Frozen on the 101. He’s a very geniune man.
The Mirror: Do you think Bradley Cooper accurately portrayed Chris Kyle?
I think Bradley did a great job in doing his research and his due diligence. He spoke to and interacted with as many as people as possible. SEALS and special operations [employees] are professionals. We have to own up to the actions we take. So when you’re given an opportunity, and a target that may be of a different age group, there are still the rules of engagement. I never witnessed Chris second guessing himself. We’re not just freelance vigilantes. I think SEALS are anomalies by nature. [Lacz explained that it’s hard to portray a monolithic sniper. He thinks the emotions Bradley displayed over having to shoot a child in the film might have been more screenwriter than reality.] Chris didn’t write the script.
The Mirror: Did you get to interact with Clint Eastwood? What was he like?
I got to spend a lot of time with Clint. It’s one of those things, he’s down-to-earth. He’s telling Chris’s story but he’s also telling part of my story. He made it super accommodating. He came up to me early on and said let me know if something doesn’t feel accurate. He’s soft spoken, but he has a presence. Totally what you would expect. He’s not a pushover. He’s a guy’s guy.
The Mirror: Which scene was the most gripping for you in the film?
The live footage at the end. You see all that. I watched myself up there. It’s definitely humbling. It’s tough to watch…when we took Chris to Austin, the funeral.
The Mirror: Which part best depicted what you guys went through or did all of it?
The enemy insurgents are a little more subtle. It’s not that overt…the stuff we did was more subtle. You can be contacted by the enemy whenever. You never know when your card is up. It’s like a light switch, on or off. That reality is driven…the energy of the brotherhood shines through.
The Mirror: In real life, you were a sniper. How frightening was it?
It was a different lifetime ago. I was in my 20s. Wasn’t married. Didn’t have kids. The last thing you think about is your own skin. There’s no real room to feel frightened. You do come back and think about your own mortality. They don’t pay you to be frightened.
Did you write a goodbye note to loved ones? I didn’t. I didn’t really have anyone to write to. I’m a Catholic. I carry rosary beads. Chris was Christian and definitely believed in God. People have their own beliefs and show them.
The Mirror: What did you think about the way Kyle died?
It’s tragic. It’s a waste. Chris was brimming with life. The stuff that he was doing for his family, veterans, his community is inspiring. The way he was taken from us is just a complete waste. You go through the grieving process. There’s anger. There’s second guessing. Whatever emotion you show, it’s not going to bring Chris back. What you can do is sustain how he lived. Helping to tell the story is cathartic. Just keeping alive that spirit that was Chris.
The Mirror: What do you think ought to happen in the trial of Routh, the man who killed Kyle?
Trial and law is not my forte. I don’t know the individual. All I know is stuff I’ve seen in the news. I have a lot of faith in the criminal justice system. It’s just tough to hear about PTSD. Anybody can suffer from it but I just feel personally that it does a disservice when it’s cavalier and just thrown around.
The Mirror: Do you think PTSD is an adequate excuse for murder?
I think at the end of the day you have to own up for your actions, regardless. PTSD is something that… I hope it doesn’t misrepresent people that do struggle with it. It could cast a long shadow on people who don’t fall in that category [of murdering someone].
CORRECTION: Lacz did not receive a Purple Heart as was previously stated. Incorrect publicity information was provided to The Mirror saying as much. I’ve removed a line from above.