NBCSports.com news services
Updated: 10:10 a.m. ET April 23, 2004Pat Tillman, who gave up a lucrative NFL contract with the Phoenix Cardinals to join the Army Rangers, has been killed in Iraq, according to NBC's Jim Miklaszewski.
In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Tillman decided to turn down a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army.
© 2004 NBC Sports.com
MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4815441/) :(
holy shtein. what a shame. :'( :'(
The latest version of the story says he was killed in Afghanistan.
Still a terrible thing to hear. :(
R.I.P. to a true American hero. :'(
He ain't the only one comin' home dead. A lot of dying going on. My prayers are with his family, with the families of all the dead soldiers, with the families of the innocent civilians being killed daily in both Afghansitan and Iraq. Sad times.
Sad times, indeed.
Quote from: Diomedes on April 23, 2004, 11:07:59 AM
He ain't the only one comin' home dead. A lot of dying going on. My prayers are with his family, with the families of all the dead soldiers, with the families of the innocent civilians being killed daily in both Afghansitan and Iraq. Sad times.
Amen.
The guy should be considered a hero, giving up 3.6 million dollars to join the rangers and become a soldier who wanted no press,just to be a soldier b/c he loved his country......
Sad news.
Amazing that he gave up the NFL for a chance to serve his country. That's about as selfless as you can be. Nothing short of heroic.
Well said Qb, and for the rest of you guys debating political differences, save it for another time. This is not a time for arguing back and forth. RIP Pat, you are a true American. :'(
Whatever.
Thoughts and prayers go out to Pat's family, the Cardinals organization & to the rest of the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen & Marines currently laying their lives on the line for all of us.
This was sad news indeed, but from what little I know of the man, he would prefer not to be singled out from any of other brave soldiers who have also given their lives.
Its hard to put into perspective what Tillman did. Quite a top notch human being for sure. This situation really humbles the mind.
Quote from: MURP on April 23, 2004, 07:56:06 PM
Its hard to put into perspective what Tillman did. Quite a top notch human being for sure. This situation really humbles the mind.
agreed man, he'll be missed! :'(
Quote from: Tomahawk on April 23, 2004, 07:56:00 PM
This was sad news indeed, but from what little I know of the man, he would prefer not to be singled out from any of other brave soldiers who have also given their lives.
Well said.
Quote from: Diomedes on April 23, 2004, 10:17:57 PM
Quote from: Tomahawk on April 23, 2004, 07:56:00 PM
This was sad news indeed, but from what little I know of the man, he would prefer not to be singled out from any of other brave soldiers who have also given their lives.
Well said.
For the most part, just about any man or women serving in the military would prefer not to be singled out from anyone else. I know I personally grow a little more humble every day. Pat was obviously no different. Although it's a shame that he, or anyone else for that matter, has to lose their lives but it's for what I beleive to be a noble and just cause as they did too.
I think Pat does stand out a bit because of the initial sacrifice of 3+mil a year. In the end he sacrificed more, just as anyone in the military is aware they may be asked to do. I hope that the media and the NFL do not commercialize this to the point that the basic facts here are lost.
Tillman felt so strongly about his country and his brother, that he felt compelled to give, or at least risk all. It is hard not to think of this and feel a bit small. This had nothing to do with politics. This was about being a patriot, which he was. The Cards have some plans in the works already, along with his college.
I hope his family can find peace, as i know they already have gratitude. Thank You Pat.
(http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/nfl/2003/0415/photo/g_tillman_i.jpg)
Pat never wanted to be singled out. He turned down all media requests once he left the NFL. He wanted to be, according to him, like any other man or woman serving his/her country. I think he'd be embarrassed by the attention his death has gotten and he'd be telling the media to talk about the hundreds of others that have died doing what he was doing and to stop singling him out.
Just my opinion. I am greatly saddened by his death. Its been tugging at my heart since yesterday. I wish the best for his wife and family and friends.
Reidme, you don't know how many other men or women had the chance to make a lot of money and turned it down to join the Armed Forces. Its not about turning the money down that he was standing out, its because he was already a public figure.
Rest in Peace Pat.
Pat Tillman was and is a true hero. One of the most unselfish persons you could ever hope to meet, his life touched millions.
All I can do is strive to be 1/1,000,000th the man, person, and American that Pat Tillman was.
Him and all the others fighting in our armed forces are the real heros.....not the guys we watch on Sunday. Let's never forget that.
RIP Pat.
i'd really hope the cardinals retire his jersey...and help out his family...
God Bless Pat Tillman and his family...
The person who wrote this article deserves a slow, painful death at the hands of Army Rangers. (http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/28/408f27f0591be)
Quote from: FastFreddie on April 29, 2004, 09:13:45 AM
The person who wrote this article deserves a slow, painful death at the hands of Army Rangers. (http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/28/408f27f0591be)
Oh, no agenda there.
I agree with a lot of what this guy says, though not all of it. For example, I think we needed to go into Afghanistan. I think we needed to stay there, not abandon it. So I disagree there. I also diagree with the tone. Suggesting that Tillman was an idiot--though you may think it, and are certainly free to do so--doesn't do anyone any good. The guy is dead. Save the bitter hate for the people who are responsible for his death..the leaders.
This is certainly a very different view from the ones parroted back and forth here. Nice to see y'all respond to sentences and words with calls for murder. Not everyone buys the party line. Choke on it.
p.s. regarding agendas: this op-ed piece is no more biased than any other, it's just bluntly pu, and since it isn't your bias, you call it shtein. grow up.
"y'all?" Just one, no? And, for the record, I'm a firm advocate of the lost art of balanced reporting. I don't want to see an agenda anywhere...you're making some assumptions about me. Believe me, when it comes to the petty bickering about politics I see on this board...I'm not the one who needs to grow up. I'm not sure where you get that from.
Quote from: Zanshin on April 29, 2004, 09:26:00 AM
Quote from: FastFreddie on April 29, 2004, 09:13:45 AM
The person who wrote this article deserves a slow, painful death at the hands of Army Rangers. (http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/28/408f27f0591be)
Oh, no agenda there.
QuoteIt's hard to say I have any sympathy for his death because I don't feel like his "service" was necessary. He wasn't defending me, nor was he defending the Afghani people.
one would think that if someone decided one day to blow up the building that she was just going about her mundane daily routine and entering. this attention whore would think a little differently. oh, and this building would happen to be on the east coast (another thing she mentions somewhere in that trash).
if it was your father, your son or brother that had taken the bullet, how much differently would this person feel?
total crap.
Quote from: Zanshin on April 29, 2004, 09:54:12 AM
"y'all?" Just one, no?
You're right. Just one. I was a bit overzealous there.
Quote from: Zanshin on April 29, 2004, 09:54:12 AMAnd, for the record, I'm a firm advocate of the lost art of balanced reporting. I don't want to see an agenda anywhere...
There is no such thing. Not even the New York Times could boast as much.
Quote from: Zanshin on April 29, 2004, 09:54:12 AM...you're making some assumptions about me...I'm not sure where you get that from.
As I said, I went overboard, G. I'm guilty of addressing the prevailing opinion (and those who preach it), rather than addressing what was actually said. I apologize. That's not fair discussion.
Still, I think calling for a writer to be killed for publishing an opionion piece is pretty lousy, so I stand by the "grow up" comment. :D
An IndyMedia site had the headline "Dumb Jock Killed in Afghanistan", though I think they've since thrown that story down the memory hole due to attention from the "real" media.
Quote from: QB Eagles on April 29, 2004, 10:20:36 AM
An IndyMedia site had the headline "Dumb Jock Killed in Afghanistan", though I think they've since thrown that story down the memory hole due to attention from the "real" media.
Things like that article and the one mentioned above are why Bush will probably win in November. Both parties have been taken over by their extreme wings and there is no middle anymore. As of today, the right is more popular with mainstream America than the left is.
Quote from: Diomedes on April 29, 2004, 10:18:02 AM
Still, I think calling for a writer to be killed for publishing an opionion piece is pretty lousy, so I stand by the "grow up" comment. :D
It's only natural that a neo-hippie like yourself would think that I was not only completely serious but also completely unjustified.
Quote from: FastFreddie on April 29, 2004, 10:33:42 AMIt's only natural that a neo-hippie like yourself would think that I was not only completely serious but also completely unjustified.
Back to the name calling, eh? You haven't met me yet. Hang on to the "hippie" moniker until you do, Nazi. ;D
Quote from: Diomedes on April 29, 2004, 10:40:37 AM
Quote from: FastFreddie on April 29, 2004, 10:33:42 AMIt's only natural that a neo-hippie like yourself would think that I was not only completely serious but also completely unjustified.
Back to the name calling, eh? You haven't met me yet. Hang on to the "hippie" moniker until you do, Nazi. ;D
Only a hippie in denial would think a fair way to respond to being labeled as such would be to label your labelor a "Nazi".
But hey... If having respect for men with more courage than myself that put their lives on the line to defend me makes me a Nazi, then I guess I am one.
I was joking bro, as I took you to be doing the same. Hence the smiley (and the bald-faced double standard).
Quote from: Diomedes on April 29, 2004, 10:45:02 AM
I was joking bro, as I took you to be doing the same. Hence the smiley (and the bald-faced double standard).
I wouldn't have used the word "label" about 12 times in a row if I weren't joking.
But I am serious about the writer of that editorial being a jackass and having no right to live in America under the protection of our military. I am, unfortunately, unable to be serious about him deserving death.
Quote from: FastFreddie on April 29, 2004, 10:47:20 AMBut I am serious about the writer of that editorial being a jackass and having no right to live in America under the protection of our military.
Are you saying that U.S. citizens shouldn't be allowed to write articles such as the one above?
Dio i think your missing FF's point. It is this "journalists" right to print that article, just like it is for me to get a Nazi flag and parade around a synagouge. The point is that would be in bad taste, just like this article.
Quote from: New Green Monster on April 29, 2004, 11:14:23 AMDio i think your missing FF's point. It is this "journalists" right to print that article, just like it is for me to get a Nazi flag and parade around a synagouge. The point is that would be in bad taste, just like this article.
Maybe I am missing his point. Let's see what FF says...
Is he still around?
You're right, NGM. What I was trying to say is that just because you have the right or ability to say/do something doesn't mean that it's the right thing to do.
This person only has the freedom to write this article because of people like Pat Tillman. He (the writer) at least deserves a spit in the face and a kick to the nuts... from an Army Ranger.
Quote from: FastFreddie on April 29, 2004, 11:41:44 AM
You're right, NGM. What I was trying to say is that just because you have the right or ability to say/do something doesn't mean that it's the right thing to do.
This person only has the freedom to write this article because of people like Pat Tillman. He (the writer) at least deserves a spit in the face and a kick to the nuts... from an Army Ranger.
Agreed. Or at least hopefully his popularity will decrease to the point he is fired. He disrespected our Armed Services and the Flag. Regardless of who the current leadership is the soldiers are doing what they are told whether they agree or not and thats true patriotism. Sacrificing for the greater good, a concept this guy doesn't seem to grasp.
Quote from: New Green Monster on April 29, 2004, 11:49:51 AM
Agreed. Or at least hopefully his popularity will decrease to the point he is fired.
It's an editorial in a college newspaper. Something tells me that this person doesn't actually "work for" the paper... and even if he does, he probably doesn't get paid.
So, simply being "fired" is too good for him.
I guess i was to disgusted by the content to read where the POS article came from. We should at least consult Hbionic to get the Journalism gods sicked on this guy
Lost in the controversy is a dissenting opinion piece. (http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/28/40900a3ea5eb4)
The paper ran this op-ed at the same time it ran a "pro-Tillman" op-ed.
My problem with this douche-bag is the condescending, faux-compassion, he treats the military with. Only poor people and Rambos could possibly join a volunteer military. When I was 18, I saw things were pretty good for my family (and nation) and wasn't naive to think it was the result of luck. Some realize it takes personal sacrifice to ensure freedom and properity for the next generation(s). It wasn't the only reason I joined, but it was certainly a strong reason.
This douche-bag doesn't have a clue about what it takes to make a nation great, as most douche-bags don't. To them, sacrifice means participating in a campus "die-in" and ladelling soup once a year at a soup kitchen. They rarely regard the military in everyday conversations and thoughts, but leap to exploit the military when it fits the moment.
Rene is a product of modern America's freedom. He can be a complete ass because he knows more responsible people are taking care of the important things and ensuring prosperity and freedom for America, including douche-bags. He is never asked for personal sacrifice and wastes more than most people around the world have. But it's okay, because people like Tillman are willing to look at a serious situation, weigh the consequences, and decide the burden will be carried for those that cannot or will not carry it.
Eff this douche-bag.
Well said, AE. Very well said.
Quote from: Airborne Eagle on April 29, 2004, 12:48:01 PM
My problem with this douche-bag is the condescending, faux-compassion, he treats the military with. Only poor people and Rambos could possibly join a volunteer military. When I was 18, I saw things were pretty good for my family (and nation) and wasn't naive to think it was the result of luck. Some realize it takes personal sacrifice to ensure freedom and properity for the next generation(s). It wasn't the only reason I joined, but it was certainly a strong reason.
This douche-bag doesn't have a clue about what it takes to make a nation great, as most douche-bags don't. To them, sacrifice means participating in a campus "die-in" and ladelling soup once a year at a soup kitchen. They rarely regard the military in everyday conversations and thoughts, but leap to exploit the military when it fits the moment.
Rene is a product of modern America's freedom. He can be a complete ass because he knows more responsible people are taking care of the important things and ensuring prosperity and freedom for America, including douche-bags. He is never asked for personal sacrifice and wastes more than most people around the world have. But it's okay, because people like Tillman are willing to look at a serious situation, weigh the consequences, and decide the burden will be carried for those that cannot or will not carry it.
Eff this douche-bag.
I didn't grow up in the lap of luxury, but, knowing of the struggles of my forebears, I took full advantage of the things that they couldn't. The right to vote, the freedom to go to school wherever I chose, the right to work wherever I'm eligible, and, as silly at may sound, the right to try on clothes at various stores are things I take seriously. Not because I do all of these things frequently, but because they were unavailable to my parents and anyone else who looked like me. When I hear stories of the not-too-distant past from older people, it makes me thankful that I live in the times which I do. Again, I think that there's a price to be paid for these things which we all take for granted. I chose to enlist in the military. It turned out to be the best choice of my life.
Some people see the military as something people join because they don't have an alternative, like a flop-house for people who are down on their luck. They don't see that patriotism not only involves the ability to question authority at times, but it also involves giving something of yourself in order to make this country a better and safer place in which to live. If one wants to do so by working in a soup kitchen (regularly, not just a few times a year), becoming a doctor or teacher, or serve in the military is up to the individual, in my opinion. The writer of the first article doesn't get that point. He doesn't seem to understand that there are people in this world who are principled enough to serve in the military without some exterior motive.
On another note...AE, for some reason, your post reminds me of the rant by Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men." :)
It's apt in this case. :yay
UMASS president answers... (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/nfl/04/29/bc.fbn.umass.tillmanfla.ap/index.html?cnn=yes)
QuoteUMass president Jack Wilson issued a statement saying Rene Gonzalez' comments in The Daily Collegian "are a disgusting, arrogant and intellectually immature attack on a human being who died in service to his country."
Well put.
I agree with NGM you hold the right to say as you please, but that doesn't mean you need to, it is poor taste. I would love for this jerk to say this in front of a military man, but we all know that wouldn't happen he has the luxury of hiding behind his pen and paper. I would imagine this piece of shtein comes from the same cloth as the people who spit on father and fellow servicemen coming home from Vietnam. They all have one thing in common they are all cowards.
Here is a nice link about Tillman
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1792419 (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1792419)
A local story about an National Guardsman killed in an explosion in Bagdahd. I just hope that this poor mother's grief is eased someday in knowing that her son's death helped to keep us a free nation.
Posted on Thu, Apr. 29, 2004
Mother loses son to war she opposes
She blames the U.S. government for the deaths in Iraq.
By Natalie Pompilio
Inquirer Staff Writer
She didn't want him to go. What mother would?
But Sherwood Baker, a sergeant in the National Guard, was an honorable man, and Celeste Zappala, a longtime Philadelphia peace activist, respected that.
When the call to Iraq came, she let him go.
Now he's gone forever.
Baker, 30, was killed Monday when a suspected chemical warehouse exploded in Baghdad. He left behind a wife, a son, his parents, two brothers and countless friends. He was an Eagles fan, a rap music aficionado, and a technology fiend.
Yesterday, state flags in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties were flown at half-staff in Baker's honor.
At her Mount Airy home - where a sign in a window reads "Peace is patriotic" - Zappala talked about "Sher" with love, and she talked about the war with anger.
"Hundreds of parents around the country are going through this. They love their kids just like I love my kids. There has to be a better way," she said through tears. "I'm angry at the U.S. government. I'm angry at the people who got us into this war... . How do we get to peace in this world when we're making enemies faster than we can kill them?"
Monday, she remembered, began as a good day. She had talked with her son on Saturday, and he had sounded well. He had shipped off in March, and after weeks of being so upset, she had managed to concentrate at her job as executive director of the Mayor's Commission on Aging. She got home about 6 p.m., sat in her car and listened to the news. Iraq, it seemed, had been fairly quiet.
She was in the kitchen, washing mushrooms for her dinner salad, when the dog started barking. It was raining, the porch light was off, and she thought the man outside was a salesman.
Then she saw the Army uniform. The medals.
And she knew.
"I was laying against the door, and I started to scream and scream," she said. "I could hear myself screaming. I couldn't believe it would happen so fast. He just got there."
Baker was 13 months old when the Zappalas - Celeste and husband Al, now divorced - took him in as foster parents on Veterans Day, 1974. He was their first child.
"We just fell in love with him," she said. "We were incredibly happy he was with us."
He was soon joined by two brothers the couple had: Dante, now 28, and Raphael, 25. They were simply brothers, no "foster" involved, Raphael Zappala said.
The Zappalas had stood up for civil rights and stood against the Vietnam War, and they continued their activism while raising their sons. Dante Zappala remembered the Christmas season when the brothers were armed with stickers that read "Warning: This toy is dangerous to your child's health" and were set loose inside stores to affix them on "war toys," such as plastic pistols.
"I was a kid, and I wanted a G.I. Joe," he said, laughing. "My buddy down the street had one, so I played with his."
Still, the Zappalas say they did not force their views.
"We just did what we did. They watched what we did. But we never told them there was one way of thinking, one way of doing things," Al Zappala said.
Baker grew to 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, but he was gentle, Dante Zappala said. He now sees that same trait in Baker's 9-year-old son, J.D., a football player who doesn't really like to make tackles.
"He's a big kid, but he's afraid to hurt people," he said. "That's the way Sherwood raised him."
•
Sherwood Baker graduated from Roman Catholic High School. After getting his bachelor's degree from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, he stayed in the area, settling in nearby Plymouth with his wife, Debbie. He was a popular local disc jockey, spinning at weddings, and worked with the mentally handicapped.
He joined the Army National Guard in 1997 to pay back his student loans and to help his small community, where many of his friends were already guardsmen, his family said.
"I don't think this is how anybody thought this would end, when somebody joins the National Guard in Wilkes-Barre," Dante Zappala said.
The order to go to Iraq was a surprise, but Baker was ready. He went to Fort Dix for training, let his hair be shorn. Last month, before he shipped out, he assured his mother he would be fine. After all, he said, his unit - First Battalion, 109th Field Artillery - had not lost a soldier since 1945.
"I really banked on that," she said.
Kid (http://www.local6.com/news/3252841/detail.html) issues an apology.
Reader to kid: Bite my shiny metal ass.
According to this CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/05/29/tillman.report/index.html) article, Pentagon says Tillman was likely killed by friendly fire.
jesus :boom
heros killing heros
If only you joined.
NY Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/30/national/30TILL.html). Points out something I didn't see in the CNN article.
You have to sign up to read it, but going through google news I didn't have to.
QuoteFormer N.F.L. Player's Death Was Likely From Allied Fire
By WARREN E. LEARY
Published: May 30, 2004
WASHINGTON, May 29 — Patrick Tillman, the former football star turned Army Ranger who died in Afghanistan last month, was probably killed by allied fire while leading his unit in combat, the Army said on Saturday.
Corporal Tillman, who died on April 22, "probably died as a result of friendly fire while his unit was engaged in combat with enemy forces," the Army said in a statement. An investigation made no specific finding of fault in the incident, the statement said.
Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr., head of the Army Special Operations Command, read a statement summarizing an investigation into Corporal Tillman's death at a brief news conference at the command's headquarters at Fort Bragg, N.C.
General Kensinger, who did not take questions, said the manner of Corporal Tillman's death did not diminish the bravery and sacrifice of someone who responded to enemy fire "without regard to his own safety."
The allied-fire account of Corporal Tillman's death was first reported on Saturday by The Arizona Republic and The Argus of Fremont, Calif..
Corporal Tillman, who gave up a lucrative National Football League contract with the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army, is one of the highest profile soldiers to die during the war on terrorism. He served in Iraq during his first tour of duty, and was sent to Afghanistan for a second tour.
The athlete, who joined the Army in June 2002, was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal and awarded a Purple Heart and the Silver Star for valor because of his actions.
At the time of his death, the Army said Corporal Tillman and an Afghan soldier had been killed, and two other Americans had been wounded, when they came under attack southwest of their base in the town of Khost, near the Pakistan border. The Army said that his platoon had not initially been in danger, but that Corporal Tillman had led his unit up a hill and directed their fire to support another unit that had been ambushed.
Near the top of the hill, he was shot while firing his rifle, the service said.
An unclassified summary of the Army's investigation into the incident, also released on Saturday, said the platoon had been moving to another sector when one of its vehicles broke down and could not be repaired in the field. On April 22, the platoon was split, with one section towing the incapacitated vehicle and the other moving to the next operations area, in a different direction.
A half-hour later, the report said, the tow unit came under attack and Corporal Tillman's portion of the platoon came back to help. During the resulting clash, it continued, a Ranger squad leader mistakenly identified an Afghan soldier ally as part of the enemy force and fired at him. Other members of the platoon, seeing the squad leader's direction of fire, shot in the same direction, killing Corporal Tillman and the Afghan soldier, the report said.
Cut it out, kids.
Quote from: Zanshin on May 31, 2004, 07:25:06 AMCut it out, kids.
Trying out the Father voice, eh? Sheesh...one kid and all of a sudden you have the tone of a peacekeeping (or else) Dad. ;)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2066326
QuoteUpdated: May 23, 2005, 8:27 AM ET
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.
" 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. "
— Patrick Tillman Sr.
"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."
Whew. Not good.
U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!!
Bunch of morons.
Glad to see you finally on board with the USA Dio!
american farg yea, coming the save the motherfargin day yea!
Quote from: mussa on May 23, 2005, 02:21:31 PM
american farg yea, coming the save the motherfargin day yea!
:-D
I started to write that
I certainly can understand why his parents are upset, but they seem to act like the medal was totally for show. IMO it was given for a valid reason he showed no regard for himself trying to save the other men he was with. Whether he was killed by friendly fire or not is irrelevant imo, he still deserves it.
It's always bad news to interview parents who have lost their son or daughter in service to the country. How can they possibly feel good about it, the best they can do is deal with the fact that it was their choice, and a noble loss. What you have to remember is the soldier does not choose the cause or the mission, he simply executes his orders for his country. Afganistan troops are there specifically to weed out the Taliban and restore a semblence of order to a country that was being used as a harbor and base of operations for terrorist attacks here and around the world. Wether or not you believe in our presence in Iraq or not, which he was not involved in, he died serving our country, and I feel for his parents, abhor the media hordes, and the military propaganda machine, and remember him as someone who died trying to protect our freedom.
Friendly fire shouldn't result in deaths, but it does, and the way they fight wars today, it will happen again. Hopefully his parents can find some peace, and move on, remembering him as a hero, and if this outlash helps them do it, we should try to understand that.
QuoteThe fact that he was the ultimate team player and he watched his own men kill him is absolutely heartbreaking and tragic.
That's a fact, jack.
This only happens with the American military. All other countries are super-stellar number one!! :-*
Quote from: FFatPatt on May 23, 2005, 10:40:39 PM
This only happens with the American military. All other countries are super-stellar number one!! :-*
Nor is free speech, freedom of religion, or good Hoyda limited to the United States. You miss my point: We're no better.
There's good Hoyda in other countries, but try to find a decent glass of tap water.
Quote from: Diomedes on May 23, 2005, 10:42:08 PM
We're no better.
Yeah, but we're really just as good, or at least close. :-D
Army opens criminal investigation (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/04/tillman/index.html) into cirumstances surrounding Tillman's death.
Quote from: Diomedes on March 04, 2006, 06:31:25 PM
Army opens criminal investigation (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/04/tillman/index.html) into cirumstances surrounding Tillman's death.
Great now some low level enlisted man will get to go to Levenworth.
Brilliant.