The State of Texas awarded posthumous Texas Legislative Medals of Honor to Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle and Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Dyess in a public ceremony Wednesday. The award was accepted by Kyle’s widow, Tayla Kyle, and Dyess’ family at the Governor’s mansion.

The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration that can be awarded to a military member by the state. Gov. Greg Abbot said at the ceremony that Kyle and Dyess’ sacrifices in the line of duty were more than deserving of the award.

“America is the brightest beacon of freedom the world has ever known because of all who have honorably worn the uniform of the mightiest military in the history of the world,” Abbott said in a press release. “For their remarkable valor and selfless service, it is my distinct honor to present the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Lt. Col. Ed Dyess and Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle. We can never repay the debt we owe for the lives these men saved and the freedom they preserved, but today we honor their memory, their patriotism and their sacrifice.”

Kyle was a Navy SEAL who served four tours in Iraq as marksman infamous for his deadly accuracy and high kill count. When he returned home, Kyle wrote about his experience in the book ‘American Sniper,’ which was subsequently adapted into a feature film. 

Unfortunately, Kyle never saw his life story translated to the big screen. In 2013, he was shot by Eddie Ray Routh, a military veteran he was trying to help cope with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Routh was found guilty for murdering Kyle in Feb. 2015.

Wednesday’s ceremony also honored Ed Dyess, a Texan WWII veteran and pilot who fought in the Pacific theater and became a prisoner of war. Dyess died in 1943.