Ex-NFL player Tillman killed in Iraq

[Zanshin]

Cut it out, kids.

[Diomedes]

Cut 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.  

[Rome]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2066326

Updated: 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.

[Diomedes]

U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!!

[phillymic2000]

Bunch of morons.

Glad to see you finally on board with the USA Dio!

[mussa]

american farg yea, coming the save the motherfargin day yea!

[Rome]

Bunch of morons.

His parents are morons?

[SD_Eagle5]

american farg yea, coming the save the motherfargin day yea!

I started to write that

[Drunkmasterflex]

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. 

[Reidme]

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.

[Diomedes]

The 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.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

This only happens with the American military.  All other countries are super-stellar number one!! 

[Diomedes]

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.

[General_Failure]

There's good Hoyda in other countries, but try to find a decent glass of tap water.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

We're no better.

Yeah, but we're really just as good, or at least close.