Texas Governor Greg Abbott has recently announced his plans to make Feb. 2 "Chris Kyle Day" in honor of the "American Sniper" and U.S. Navy SEAL marksman Chris Kyle.  

According to CNN, Kyle was known as a legend due to his 160 confirmed kills. He developed a deadly reputation in Iraq, where he served several times, and is considered to be the deadliest sniper in military history. He was fatally shot at a gun range in 2013 by a Marine veteran.

Fox News Insider reports that Abbott made the announcement honoring Kyle this past Friday as he addressed the Texans Veterans of Foreign Affairs (VFW) Mid-Winter Convention. During his speech, he outlined his plan to improve infrastructure, job training, educational opportunities and healthcare access for Texas veterans and military families.

Near the end of his speech, he stated, "Along those lines, I wanted you to be the first to know... in honor of a Texas son, a Navy SEAL and an American hero - a man who defended his brothers and sisters in arms on and off the battlefield - I am declaring February 2nd Chris Kyle Day in Texas. We will commemorate his passing. But more importantly, remembering his answering of the call of duty.

We thank Chris Kyle and all of you for your service and sacrifice. And we rededicate ourselves to a cause greater than ourselves. To freedom for our children, their children and for generations yet to be born. May God bless you and all who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Thank you."

Abbott's statement comes not long after the release of "American Sniper," a Clint Eastwood-directed movie that told Kyle's story and made an unprecedented $107 million over its first weekend on wide release this month.