The Legacy of Pat Tillman...Destroyed by the Pentagon

[J DUB]

This is just disgusting and shows just how low our nation's leaders, including those in the Armed Forces, will stoop. They tried to create a patriotic hero, just like Jessica Lynch, and they were caught in their lies. Why is there not more said about this?

To me, this is as bad as it gets, as there was an intentional coverup and they won't even release the results of the investigation, nor will they fully admit to lying. Here was a guy who gave up millions of dollars to do what he felt was the right thing, and this is what is left of his legacy...a bunch of lies by the country he tried to serve. They shit on his grave, and I hope those responsible for this rot in hell.

If this doesn't get people to post, then I don't know what will.

__________________________________________________ ____-
Army briefed family on findings

PHOENIX -- The military has completed an investigation into former NFL star Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan that aimed to address concerns raised about whether the Army held back information, but its findings won't be made public.

"We are not going to release it," said Lt. Col. Pamela Hart, an Army spokeswoman at the Pentagon.

Then-acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee ordered the new investigation in mid-November based on questions from the family of the linebacker-turned-Army Ranger.

The family got a briefing on the inquiry "only a couple of weeks ago," said Lt. Col. Hans Bush, chief of public affairs for the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., which conducted the latest investigation.

Bush said there was "a degree of satisfaction expressed by the family."

Patrick Tillman Sr., when asked by The Arizona Republic whether it was true that the family was satisfied, responded: "No. And I don't want to talk about it."

The original Army investigation, released May 29, found that Tillman was shot to death April 22 after a U.S. soldier mistakenly fired on a friendly Afghan soldier in Tillman's unit, and other U.S. soldiers then fired in the same direction.

Reports by the Army soon after Tillman's death had suggested that he was killed by enemy gunfire when he led his team to help another group of ambushed soldiers.

Tillman, 27, left his position as a starting safety for the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal and received posthumously a Purple Heart and Silver Star. The latter is among the military's highest honors, awarded for gallantry on the battlefield.

_________________________________________________

Tillman's parents rip Army in separate interviews


WASHINGTON -- The family of former NFL player Pat Tillman says the Army disrespected his memory by lying in its investigation of his death in Afghanistan last year.

In interviews with The Washington Post, the Army Ranger's mother and father said they believe the military and the government created a heroic tale about how their son died to foster a patriotic response across the country.

"Pat had high ideals about the country; that's why he did what he did," Mary Tillman told the Post. "The military let him down. The administration let him down. It was a sign of disrespect. The fact that he was the ultimate team player and he watched his own men kill him is absolutely heartbreaking and tragic. The fact that they lied about it afterward is disgusting."

Tillman, a player for the Arizona Cardinals, left the NFL after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to join the Rangers with his brother. After a tour in Iraq, they were sent to Afghanistan in 2004 to help hunt for the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.

Shortly after arriving in the mountains to fight, Tillman was killed in a barrage of gunfire from his own men, mistaken for the enemy as he got into position to defend them.

After a public memorial service, at which Tillman received the Silver Star, the Army told Tillman's family what had really happened.

The separate interviews with Tillman's parents, who are divorced, appeared on the Post's Internet site for Monday's editions.

Patrick Tillman Sr., a lawyer, told the Post he is furious about a "botched homicide investigation" and blames high-ranking Army officers for presenting "outright lies" to the family and to the public.

"After it happened, all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script this," the father said. "They purposely interfered with the investigation, they covered it up. I think they thought they could control it, and they realized that their recruiting efforts were going to go to hell in a handbasket if the truth about his death got out. They blew up their poster boy."

"In the case of the death of Corporal Patrick Tillman, the Army made mistakes in reporting the circumstances of his death to the family," Brig. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks told the Post. "For these, we apologize. We cannot undo those early mistakes."

[Uconn Mike]

Yeah, reading the article makes me sick. As Pat's Dad said, you've killed your Posterboy"

And they wonder why the recruitment goals are way off.

[HeadDoc]

on the other hand it may have been his brother's bullet that killed him. Who would blame them for trying to hide this?

[Bob Smith]

Originally Posted by J DUB

This is just disgusting and shows just how low our nation's leaders, including those in the Armed Forces, will stoop.

Except that it was Tillmans OWN RANGER UNIT that concocted the coverup, not the Pentagon or PR people.

[J0321]

Often in friendly fire incidents the guys in the team, squad, etc. will pass the buck. This isn't due to a massive cover-up attempt, but they would rather their friends parents think they died due to enemy action rather than a simple mistake. Another way to look at it would be that perhaps Tillman messed up, moved into the wrong sector of fire, didn't use proper near/far recognition signals, etc. and died due to a mistake he made. How would you explain that to a father who just lost his son? I think seond guessing the operators in the field who were dealing with the confusion of a firefight and then the loss of a fellow Ranger is deplorable. The Army higher-ups were going off the intel generated by the men on the ground. I think Pat Tillman's father is going through a very hard time right now, is angry about the loss of his son and may be taking his frustration out on the Army. I've almost been shot by my men and vice versa. I would much rather my family believe I had been killed (god forbid) due to enemy action than friendly. Combat is a confusing place, vision is deminished, hearing goes to hell, adrenaline is flowing and mistakes happen, it's a fact of warfare. I've had the pleasure of meeting and being related to top military officers (obviously no longer in staff) and I can assure you that they are some of the brightest, most compassionate and noble men I've ever met. Descibing them as disgusting and having stooped so low after they've lived a life of honorable service is incredibly insulting.

"Here was a guy who gave up millions of dollars to do what he felt was the right thing, and this is what is left of his legacy...a bunch of lies by the country he tried to serve."

I think that pretty much sums up the mentality of the American people, believing that somehow a former NFL players life is worth more than the average soldier; that the parent of a dead soldier or Marine from the inner city or the middle-of-nowhere don't feel the same sense off loss or grieve any less greatly than a football players due to their financial situation.

[CyniQ]

Originally Posted by J0321

Often in friendly fire incidents the guys in the team, squad, etc. will pass the buck. This isn't due to a massive cover-up attempt, but they would rather their friends parents think they died due to enemy action rather than a simple mistake. Another way to look at it would be that perhaps Tillman messed up, moved into the wrong sector of fire, didn't use proper near/far recognition signals, etc. and died due to a mistake he made. How would you explain that to a father who just lost his son? I think seond guessing the operators in the field who were dealing with the confusion of a firefight and then the loss of a fellow Ranger is deplorable. The Army higher-ups were going off the intel generated by the men on the ground. I think Pat Tillman's father is going through a very hard time right now, is angry about the loss of his son and may be taking his frustration out on the Army. I've almost been shot by my men and vice versa. I would much rather my family believe I had been killed (god forbid) due to enemy action than friendly. Combat is a confusing place, vision is deminished, hearing goes to hell, adrenaline is flowing and mistakes happen, it's a fact of warfare. I've had the pleasure of meeting and being related to top military officers (obviously no longer in staff) and I can assure you that they are some of the brightest, most compassionate and noble men I've ever met. Descibing them as disgusting and having stooped so low after they've lived a life of honorable service is incredibly insulting.

"Here was a guy who gave up millions of dollars to do what he felt was the right thing, and this is what is left of his legacy...a bunch of lies by the country he tried to serve."

I think that pretty much sums up the mentality of the American people, believing that somehow a former NFL players life is worth more than the average soldier; that the parent of a dead soldier or Marine from the inner city or the middle-of-nowhere don't feel the same sense off loss or grieve any less greatly than a football players due to their financial situation.

Well said.