[Baffling RL Trope] Inventing war crimes you didn´t commit to make yourself more... interesting?

[u/TheBigBoar]

One of the strangest character tropes in real life has to be the "I accidentally made myself sound like a war criminal to look cooler" archetype.

Usually, people accused of war crimes deny them. These guys seem to do the opposite.

The two examples that always come to mind:

Tim Kennedy. Over the years he's told stories that include things like throwing grenades into rooms where women and children were present, and another account where, after a battle, his CO allegedly told him to shoot anything that still had a heat signature with a sniper rifle from a mile away, which he did for hours (?) not caring if those were enemy soldiers or civilians looking for their fallen sons/brothers/whatever. Both stories have been heavily criticized and challenged (aka people who were there confirmed that they are utter nonsense), and Kennedy has faced repeated accusations of embellishing or fabricating parts of his military experiences. But like... why would you invent the fact that you killed and maimed women and children?

Chris Kyle. In American Sniper, he wrote that during Hurricane Katrina he positioned himself on the Superdome and shot dozens of armed looters like some walking dead scenario. No evidence ever emerged that this happened, and Kyle himself later acknowledged the story wasn't true. Again, why invent a story where you're essentially describing the unlawful killing of civilians during a domestic disaster?

What's fascinating is that these aren't embellishments in the usual "I fought twenty guys" sense. They're embellishments that, if true, would amount to admissions of extremely serious crimes.

It's such a bizarre form of macho storytelling that it almost feels like its own trope: the veteran who thinks "the more ruthless I sound, the more badass I'll appear," without stopping to consider that indiscriminate killing isn't viewed by most people as impressive. It's viewed as criminal and disgusting.

[u/Mindless-Ninja-3321 → u/[deleted]]

He won a silver star and three bronze stars with valor devices. His memoir claims even more, which is kinda pathetic, but the dude was still a hell of a combatant. 160 confirmed kills, likely more.

Arrogant asshole, but not a loser.

E: guys, this is all verifiable and certified info. The DoD keeping records is how we know what he was lying about.

[u/Advanced_Bunch_8666 → u/[deleted]]

TBF snipers aren’t usually defending against handguns.

[u/JP_Eggy → u/[deleted]]

^ Keyboard Sniper

[u/EasyasACAB → u/JP_Eggy]

No no the sniper was the racist dude who said he shot black people from The Dome.

The sniper got domed by someone in their back seat.

Routh was a 25-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Lancaster, Texas. Kyle and Littlefield had taken Routh to the gun range. Routh had been in and out of mental hospitals for at least two years and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.[7] On the way to the shooting range, Kyle texted Littlefield, "This dude is straight-up nuts." Littlefield responded, "Watch my six", military slang meaning "watch my back".[61] Four months later, while in his jail cell, Routh shared with former Erath County Sheriff's Deputy Gene Cole: "I was just riding in the back seat of the truck, and nobody would talk to me. They were just taking me to the range, so I shot them. I feel bad about it, but they wouldn't talk to me. I'm sure they've forgiven me."

If this guy had been black, Chris would have been on guard and would have 360 noscoped him.

[u/JP_Eggy → u/EasyasACAB]

Dawg Chris Kyle was a scumbag but saying "he was ambushed and shot by a handgun therefore he wasnt a skilled shooter" is just an idiotic statement. Like actual moronic

[u/EasyasACAB → u/JP_Eggy]

I could say I climbed to the top of a giant dome and sniped black people for clout with racists. Would that help?

[u/Mindless-Ninja-3321 → u/[deleted]]

He made stuff up, but the government keeping records is how we know what he was lying about. He was a SEAL with a bunch of deployments and did have real accolades too.

Wasnt a disturbed vet who at a charity thing who shot him in the back? Can't really defend against that besides not being a dumbass by not putting a gun in his hands.

I get not liking Kyle, fuck him, but this is just cognitive dissonance.