Navy SEAL Kevin “Dauber” Lacz served alongside Chris Kyle in the Battle of Ramadi in 2006. Photo courtesy of Kevin Lacz.
Kevin “Dauber” Lacz was a new-guy Navy SEAL sniper on his first deployment to Iraq. It was 2006 and he served alongside Chris Kyle as one of the infamous “Punishers” of Cadillac Platoon, Task Unit Bruiser, in the Battle of Ramadi. Kyle, whose teammates in SEAL Team 3 dubbed him “The Legend,” holds the record for most confirmed kills in US military history with at least 150.
Chris Kyle in Iraq. Photo courtesy of Kevin Lacz.
Kyle mentored Lacz in Ramadi, and the two SEALs forged an unbreakable bond of brotherhood that carried on long after both men left the Navy. Kyle wrote about their friendship in his bestselling memoir American Sniper. Then, after Kyle was killed in 2013, Lacz helped further immortalize his friend, working as an adviser on the Oscar-nominated adaptation of Kyle’s memoir and playing himself in the film.
Navy SEALs Kevin Lacz (with the sniper rifle), Chris Kyle (looking back at the camera), and Marc Lee (right). Lee was the first SEAL killed in action in Iraq in 2006. Photo courtesy of Kevin Lacz.
In 2016, Lacz published The Last Punisher: A SEAL Team THREE Sniper’s True Account of the Battle of Ramadi, and Kyle appears frequently in the book. While Ramadi was Lacz’s first combat tour, it was Kyle’s third and also his most lethal.
The Legend’s Silver Star citation for his actions in Ramadi tells the story: “During 32 sniper overwatch missions, he personally accounted for 91 confirmed enemy fighters killed and dozens more probably killed or wounded.”
In this promotional video for The Last Punisher, Lacz, who now works as a physician assistant and runs the nonprofit Hunting for Healing, recalls what it was like working alongside The Legend during the Iraq War.
Disclosure: The author of this article co-authored The Last Punisher with Lacz.
Read Next: What It Means To Be a Navy SEAL, According to 5 SEALs
Ethan E. Rocke is a contributor and former senior editor for Coffee or Die Magazine, a New York Times bestselling author, and award-winning photographer and filmmaker. He is a veteran of the US Army and Marine Corps. His work has been published in Maxim Magazine, American Legion Magazine, and many others. He is co-author of The Last Punisher: A SEAL Team THREE Sniper’s True Account of the Battle of Ramadi.
Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.
Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.
A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.
Since the 1920s, a low-tech tabletop replica of an aircraft carrier’s flight deck has been an essential tool in coordinating air operations.
For nearly as long as the Army-Navy football rivalry, the academies’ hoofed mascots have stared each other down from the sidelines. Here are their stories.
Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel the weapon was produced by Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries but gave no other details.
Ambushes make for great action scenes. Here are seven of the best to ever grace the big screen.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the launch occurred Wednesday but gave no further details, such as how far the missile flew.
