Pat Tillman

Most BSC's hail Pat Tillman as an "American Hero". Hate to tell you - Tillman was a very courageous man, but he was more unlucky than hero.

I have been well aware of Pat Tillman for quite a while. I attended Arizona State for a year, before leaving it for another college, and ASU is in my home town. Tillman made a big impact when he played for ASU. He was a star linebacker, and played on the '97 Rose Bowl team. That season began by beating Nebraska and was just magical. Jake Plummer was the quarterback, and boy was that whole group something special.

Then the 4th quarter meltdown, pass interference calls all the way down the field, and Ohio State won the game at the last second. It was devastating.

The Arizona Cardinals drafted both Tillman and Plummer. We were hoping that same magic would happen for the Cardinals, who have been inept for as long as I can remember. Tillman was undersized to play linebacker in the NFL, so they moved him to safety. He was known for his thunderous hits.

To everyone's surprise, Tillman gave up his 3 million a year contract and joined the army. I must say, however, that it was no more, nor less, a "heroic" act then any other of the thousands of young men and women that enlisted in the Army. Giving up 3 million a year does not make one more of a hero than someone giving up 20 thousand a year.

I have a great deal of respect for those people, and a great deal of disdain for those that type out their "support the troops", but are unwilling to join the military.

I remember when the news reports came in detailing that Tillman had been killed in a firefight in Afghanistan. I was upset because I had a hometown connection with him. I had watched him play a lot of football, and from all the accounts I read of him, he seemed like the kind of guy I could hang out with. He was all about living life and enjoying it.

The news reports said he had died in a firefight with AQ. They gave him the Silver Star, which we all know is a very high honor indeed. It wasn't until some time later that we learned that there was no firefight with AQ. There was no AQ. Tillman had been killed by American's who panicked and shot him to death. Not the most nobel of deaths. Getting fragged does not earn one the Silver Star.

Today, the Washington Post is reporting that the Army knew all the details and intentionally covered it up.

A new Army report on the death shows that top Army officials, including the theater commander, Gen. John P. Abizaid, were told that Tillman's death was fratricide days before the service.

The Death of Pat Tillman
In a two-part series, the Post examines the death of Cpl. Pat Tillman by friendly fire and how the Army spun an incomplete narrative after his death.

IN THE KILL ZONE : The Unnecessary Death of Pat Tillman: Barrage of Bullets Drowned Out Cries of Comrades

Soldiers on the scene said they were immediately sure Tillman was killed by a barrage of American bullets as he took shelter behind a large boulder during a twilight firefight along a narrow canyon road near the Pakistani border, according to nearly 2,000 pages of interview transcripts and investigative reports obtained by The Washington Post.

The Army intentionally lied in describing Tillman as being killed by enemy combatants, and intentionally lied when awarding him the posthumous Silver Star.

There are two obvious questions:

Why did they lie? Public relations. Tillman was the most famous soldier in the middle east. He was killed by his own troops. It was a PR nightmare - so they lied.

What are the consequences of the lie? There are none. It's a report in the Washington Post, and then it's a footnote in history.

Meanwhile, the fine man that was Pat Tillman is dead, along with so many other fine men and women who we don't know. Each death as tragic.

We like to think that in war, each casualty is noble. I really don't think I would describe them that way. Necessary? Sometimes. Tragic? Always.

Pat Tillman was very close to his little brother. At Pat's funeral, his brother wanted to say a few words, so he stepped up next to the coffin and he told those assembled:

Thanks Pat. [toasting him with a glass of Guiness beer] I didn't write shit because I'm not a writer. I'm not just going to sit here and break down on you. But thanks for coming. Pat's a fucking champion and always will be. Just make no mistake, he'd want me to say this: He's not with God. He's fucking dead. He's not religious. So, thanks for your thoughts, but he's fucking dead.

That from a young man whose adoration of his older brother knew no bounds; a brother senselessly shot to death at the age of 27. And the truth of what Rich Tillman said about his brother was buried too.. after all, it didn't match up to the Christian Conservative concept of the great American war hero.

And the truth is, Pat died senselessly at the hands of his own side, and the truth is Pat wasn't out there fighting Muslims for God. Pat Tillman lived for human beings, and cared about human beings. He joined the army because he cared about this country and he cared about those who died in the 9/11 attacks. He lived life for those around him, not some esoteric entity that really has nothing to do with the way each new day dawns.

And the final disgrace that the world does for this man that gave his life, is surround his death with lies.