Interesting NPR interview with Bradley Cooper about veterans, you can find it here. ~Bill
e film American Sniper has prompted arguments about its depiction of the Iraq War and become a cultural lightning rod. But Bradley Cooper, who plays Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and was also a producer on the film, didn’t expect the conversation to go that way. Then again, “war is such an emotional subject, so maybe I was a fool to think it wouldn’t,” he tells Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross.
Kyle was a Navy SEAL and is considered by many the most skilled sniper in U.S. military history. He killed an estimated 160 people and was nicknamed “The Legend.” After surviving four tours in Iraq, he was murdered near his home by a troubled vet he was trying to help.
American Sniper is based on Kyle’s memoir. It alternates between scenes of Kyle in Iraq and at home between deployments. At home, he becomes emotionally detached and uncommunicative, unable to acknowledge what others realize — that the war is taking a terrible toll on him.
And that’s what Cooper and director Clint Eastwood were hoping to drive home — that veterans need more care and attention.
“The fact that it’s inciting a discussion that has nothing to do with vets — and it’s more about the Iraq War and what we did not do to indict those who decide to go to the war — every conversation in those terms is moving farther and farther away from what our soldiers go through, and the fact that 22 vets commit suicide each day,” Cooper says. “The amount of people that come home is so much greater because of medical advancement and … we need to take care of them.”
Cooper has been nominated for an Oscar for best actor, and the film is nominated for five other Oscars, including best picture.
Cooper talks about what it was like to “live” with Kyle in order to portray him, including gaining 40 pounds of muscle, as well as the physical transformation he undergoes on stage to play The Elephant Man in the play’s current revival on Broadway.
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Bill Salvatore is a member of Heroes Home Advantage, a cash back program for Real Estate buyers and sellers. The program honors Veterans and Active Military Members, Fire Fighters and First Responders, EMTs and Emergency Medical Personnel, Nurses, and Teachers. Through the Heroes Home Advantage program, Realtors give a portion of their commission back to the hero in the form of assistance with closing costs.
Bill is also President of the Phoenix Chapter of VAREP, Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals. VAREP is focused on education and employment, making real estate transactions smoother and easier for Veterans and Military Personnel, and instructing other real estate related professionals in the best procedures for dealing with these transactions. VAREP is a nationwide non-profit association with an impressive presence in the Phoenix area.
In founding AZVHV, Arizona Veterans Helping Veterans, Bill has spread his dedication to Veterans and Military throughout the real estate industry. An increasing number of local professionals have joined Bill in offering discounts to these heroes, not only when buying or selling a home but in all aspects of homeownership. AZVHV has developed a wide range of services and is gaining momentum every year. Membership is free. Bill’s only requirements are that businesses be legitimate and willing to offer a discount on their services to Veterans and Military Members.
You can contact Bill at Realty Executives East Valley, 1166 E Warner Rd. Suite 117, Gilbert AZ, 85296. Direct Phone: 602-999-0952. E-Mail: golfarizona@cox.net. Web site and blog: www.yourValleyProperty.com
