Friday, March 6, 2015

The Canadian Sniper..........

This is a true story, as it involves me!

We live on a subdivision (estate) where there is still ongoing construction.  In this day and age unless it is screwed down things "walk."  So the builder has a security guard patrolling on a night after hours and all day on the weekends.

We have come to know the weekend guy reasonably well.  He was good enough to let us look through the house when it was being built; even though we shouldn't have, and he went out of his way to talk to us, and vice versa.

Around Christmas time we noticed we hadn't seen him in a while and there was another guy in his truck.  So one day early January I got dh to stop the truck so I could ask the new guy where our old guy was.  Turns out our old guy had fallen and broken his elbow and was going to be off work for six weeks.

So new guy introduced himself and said we would be well protected as he was an ex Canadian Military Sniper!

So I said, "Oh, have you seen the movie American Sniper?"

Can't remember what he said but he did say the following:

" The guy who holds the Canadian record for the longest shoot and kill of 2.3 km was in the same unit as me in Afghanistan."

I said, Oh," meanwhile thinking to myself 2.3 km....no way.

The security guy then says, "his name is (Something don't remember ) TWADDLE."

Now at this point I should have clicked what was happening, but I was fixated on the 2.3 km.  We talked a little more and then left.

Dh and I talked about the conversation and again we were fixated on the distance and why an ex military sniper was working as a security guard at a building site.

I mentioned this at our book club meeting which I think was a week later, and we all had a good laugh about it.  I even talked about it with my family in Britain and they all laughed about it.

Fast forward to this past weekend and our old security guard is back and so was telling him the story about what an idiot I am in believing people and it turns out this is one of many stories this guy was telling.

However he did get one fact sort of right this guy.  Corporal Rob Furlong of the Canadian Armed Forces did indeed record a kill at 2,430 metres back in 2002 in Afghanistan.  You can read more about it here.  The record holder is a British solider  at 2,475 metres again in Afghanistan.

It still amazes me that guns can fire bullets that distance with deadly accuracy; oh and I will believe anything that people tell me!!

By the way has anyone seen American Sniper?  It looks like a good movie.

(I posted another book review here; it's our April choice for our book club.  I am ahead of the game!!)

19 comments:

Aodhnait said...

I saw American Sniper and thought it was brilliant.......oh and I believe anything that anyone tells me too!!

Rustic Pumpkin said...

I guess telling porkies keeps him entertained ~ must be a boring old job after all. ~~~Deb in Wales

Belinda said...

I have not seen American Sniper yet, but it does look good.

Debbie said...

I would have believed him.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen American sniper and won't.

Jane said...

What a load of twaddle!! LOL! I think we all tend to believe and trust first until we're given a reason not to. Still. I can't even SEE that far!!

Jenn Jilks said...

They are calling the movie 'war porn' , as it glorifies war, and the killings.
I have a book to review, by a Brit sniper. I shall hae to get on with that one. It's eye opening. And frightening.
I'd probably not have believed him. There are so many whack jobs out there!

Pom Pom said...

I think it's funny (and intriguing) that people like to tell "stories" that aren't true, just for the heck of it.

William Kendall said...

Some people feel the need to tell tall tales- maybe to make themselves feel bigger.

Out My window said...

I can be pretty gullible.

McVal said...

Wow! I would have believed it too! Doubted it, then believed it again.

I haven't seen the movie yet but want to!

Jane and Chris said...

Anyone who pretends to have been in the military is a jerk and waste of space.
Jane x

Rose said...

I would have went home and started googling the distance right away. I would still love to know if there is even one iota of truth that he tells about himself. It is amazing the lengths that people will go to to impress others.

I used to would have believed him, but some time something in me changed, and now I am about as apt to question as to believe. And I am not sure what changed me, but something sure did.

Cheapchick said...

It amazes me that such story tellers can hold down any job - I would love to see him somewhere and set him straight!

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I'm the same way, an even sometimes when I find out the truth, I still don't believe that what they said wasn't. :-)

I've not seen American Sniper, but several of my friends have and all said it was really good!!

PJ said...

Didn't see the movie but i would have believed him if i were you!

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

That is funny! I bet he's told all kinds of interesting stories.

Jenn Jilks said...

Here is go:
A Snipe's Conflict.

EG CameraGirl said...

Hmm. I'm not sure I'd want a sniper working in my neighbourhood. Just sayin. :)

{{{SIGH}}}

Tuesday was a mixed bag type of day. Had the appliance repair guy come again to install another circuit board in the fridge.  When hubby got...