Tillman's Parents Are Critical Of Army (Lies and a Cover-Up)

[MADem]

Family Questions Reversal On Cause of Ranger's Death

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 23, 2005; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/22/AR2005052200865.html

Former NFL player Pat Tillman's family is lashing out against the Army, saying that the military's investigations into Tillman's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan last year were a sham and that Army efforts to cover up the truth have made it harder for them to deal with their loss.

More than a year after their son was shot several times by his fellow Army Rangers on a craggy hillside near the Pakistani border, Tillman's mother and father said in interviews that 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 say the Army's "lies" about what happened have made them suspicious, and that they are certain they will never get the full story.

"Pat had high ideals about the country; that's why he did what he did," Mary Tillman said in her first lengthy interview since her son's death. "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 popular player for the Arizona Cardinals, gave up stardom in the National Football League after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to join the Army Rangers with his brother. After a tour in Iraq, their unit was sent to Afghanistan in spring 2004, where they were to 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.

[evlbstrd]

1. There was a made-for-TV movie called "Friendly Fire."

It starred Ned Beatty and Carol Burnett as the parents of a soldier killed in a friendly fire incident in Viet Nam.

This is all so fuckking familiar.

[Daphne08]

9. I remember that movie.

They spent years trying to find out what had happened to their son!

[evlbstrd]

12. And it was a part of turning Americans against the war.

[Debi]

60. I know the mother - she lives here in Iowa.

I'm wondering why there hasn't been a story on what happend thirty years ago....or will that make the administration mad and the paper or tv station would be shut down? The only difference between Tillman and Mullen is that the military admitted what happend on Tillman (after the tv cameras were shut off).

[Erika]

2. This has been posted at least twice tonight

The threads should be combined.

[MADem]

4. This is a direct link to WAPO, the other was RAWSTORY

...an interpretation of this coverage, with the link added on. What is important here is the lies, the coverup, and the outrage. They burned the guy's UNIFORM and BA...what ELSE don't we know???

The latest investigation, written about by The Washington Post earlier this month, showed that soldiers in Afghanistan knew almost immediately that they had killed Tillman by mistake in what they believed was a firefight with enemies on a tight canyon road. The investigation also revealed that soldiers later burned Tillman's uniform and body armor.....

Over the next 10 days, however, top-ranking Army officials -- including the theater commander, Army Gen. John P. Abizaid -- were told of the reports that Tillman had been killed by his own men, the investigation said. But the Army waited until a formal investigation was finished before telling the family -- which was weeks after a nationally televised memorial service that honored Tillman on May 3, 2004.

Patrick Tillman Sr., a San Jose lawyer, said he is furious about what he found in the volumes of witness statements and investigative documents the Army has given to the family. He decried what he calls 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," Patrick Tillman 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."

[RobertSeattle]

3. Start packing up your office Rummy

Whoever lets these lies go on and on should get the can and I bet this came from the top.

[erpowers]

31. Rumsfeld Will Stay

I contend Rumsfeld will stay in that if Bush fires Rumsfeld he will be tacticly saying that something was either wrong with the war from the beginning or something went wrong somewhere in the planning of the war. It is highly unlikely that Bush will admit that he is wrong; therefore, Rumsfeld will keep his job. I also do not see Rumsfeld resigning so he will most likely be there for about three more years.

[saigon68]

50. note to tillman family

when you sleep with dirty, foul, unkempt, dog

you get fleas

[oasis]

61. They will likely pin the blame on outgoing Gen. Myers. No one takes

a hit in Bush's cabinet.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. Now think about Flight 93 and what was obviously a cover-up of the...

...shooting down of that airliner. Cheney gave the order to shoot down any aircraft that failed to land at least three different times that morning. What better way to cover-up what would obviously be considered a very controversial act than to create instant heroes?

Think about it.

[MADem]

7. Well, they held this info, they KNEW about this info

Yet they had a big tearjerker ceremony on the football field, with Silver Star and marching and flags, KNOWING IT WAS A FRATRICIDE. KNOWING THAT, not suspecting it. KNOWING.

Man, this country is fucked. This is way worse than it seems on the surface, this is absolutely mind-numbing, and frightening. Can Democracy be saved?????

[LynnTheDem]

25. Sounds just like North Korea, doesn't it.

And the Soviet Union.

And Hitler.

[zulchzulu]

6. Are the rumors about the Tillman family being devil worshippers true?

Since they don't love America, there must be something we can demonize them with... we need to spin the argument back to them and falsely accuse them of...whatever...Fox News already has some placeholder graphics in place for the story showing that Pat Tillman was a womenizer and a democrat...his family haven't paid their country club memberships in a couple of...nah...not that one.

Please, if anyone knows any dirt about the Tillman family, who dare accuse our president of being a liar, please email rumors to these addresses:

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

You know the Tillman family had some history of alcoholism, heart disease or something...hurry!

[MADem]

8. I think Faux will play this carefully

Murdoch is all about money, if this story resonates, then he will run with it out of sheer corporate greed. I've noticed a small shift in their coverage...in between all of the Rah Rah bullshit, there have been a few brutal nuggets, ones that they would ordinarily ignore. It suggests chinks in the chimp armor, IMHO...

[wtmusic]

10. Funny you mention

Never watch it. But today I did, and there was actually some balanced coverage. Laura getting heckled and a fairly balanced story on the attacks in Palestine.

Their ratings are sinking and so they're grasping at straws. It's certainly not any move towards a journalistic ethic.

[MADem]

13. They are heading for where they think they can find customers

And their only hope is at the weekend, when stupid MSNBC and CNN have NO FUCKING NEWS. CNN ought to just quit with the Larry King reruns, the human interest stories, and flip the switch to CNN INTERNATIONAL on the weekend, so we can get some real goddamn news. From the REST of the PLANET. For a CHANGE.

What the hell good is a 24 hour news cycle if you are only gonna do three hours worth of work to fill it? Faux recycles, but they fill the plate with crap from their affiliates, MSNBC should do the same. And CNN should go INTERNATIONAL on the weekend, that way we would have some REAL CHOICE.

These bastards killed network news, now they need to bury the body and do the job they used to do...IMHO!

[wtmusic]

15. Good pt

Come to think of it that's probably why I ended up on FOX today. Sorry as it sounds, they probably had the best news at the time.

The news is so far behind the seriousness of the current Republican power grab I don't know if they could ever catch up.

[anitar1]

18. CNN = Hollywood or idiot Nancy Grace and her whining..

Not even pretense of news anymore. Not that they had much before. News 24/7--ha.

[LynnTheDem]

26. Now that's a bloody good post! Most normal SANE people will of course

see the dripping sarcasm.

The rightwingnuts will of course think what a great idea, and rush to try digging up dirt or inventing lies to smear Tillman's parent.

Rightwingnuts; stupidest MFers on the planet.

[alarcojon]

38. let's just wait and see

how low the right wingers will go. Hell, they might even go lower than we give them credit for on this one. Dissing the troops they allegedly "support" and all....

[LynnTheDem]

42. Like saying Tillman's parents should be given a Purple Heart Bandaid?

That would be lower than low. And I don't put that past them.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

33. Zactly. Look what they did to the 9/11 widows

who didn't side with the administration. They were made to look like gold diggers and wild eyed crazy women.

[Pachamama]

11. What if....what if Tillman who seems from all accounts to be the truest of

Patriots, had witnessed some of the atrocities we are hearing more and more about from Afghanistan & Iraq and he and his integrity were too much to keep him quiet....and what if, this "friendly fire" was a purposeful setup?

Seriously....think about it for a moment...why such elaborate efforts to cover up the truth?

Just a thought....something has never seemed right about this story from the beginning...the family of Pat Tillman should be angry...they demand answers and deserve them...I suggest there is even more there than what is known and been said...

Keep digging Tillman family...

[MADem]

14. Alternatively....

...he may have been a smug, better than thou, self righteous asshole who wouldn't take direction, and they fragged him for it.

We will never know, unless we hear from the people who killed him, stripped him of his uniform and body armor, and burned them.

[Pachamama]

20. Self-righteous asshole?

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and the rest of the neo-con chicken-hawks are smug, better than thou, self righteous assholes...not Pat Tillman...

I think this was a nasty and inappropriate description and characterization of a fallen soldier....

If Tillman was any of those alleged characteristics, he'd have stayed in his NFL job (or returned to it when he was given the opportunity and collected far more in salary....

I think that was a really nasty characterization...how patriotic....

[MADem]

22. Excuse the hell out of me, try READING the full post before you bust a nut

Reading IS fundamental. Go back and READ. I did not assert that that was his description or his characterization. How could I--I don't happen to KNOW him.

In response to the SPECULATION (you know, guess, conjecture???) that he was a PATRIOT who UNCOVERED THE TRUTH, I postulated an alternate scenario, another possible way of explaining the reason why he was shot by his own guys. A 'supposing' or a 'what if?'

I neither accused him of being a self-righteous asshole--or a saint, for that matter. I do not know, I was not there, neither were you.

The question was why, the response was one possibility of many still to be explored. The hero charging up the hill has been debunked, and the accidental friendly fire took its place. Next up, was he fragged? If so, why?

Get off your high horse, and please, READ AND COMPREHEND before you accuse people. It irritates, and makes you look inattentive, at best.

[LynnTheDem]

28. According to some troops who were there, it was a fragging.

What has patriotism to do with it???

[AtTheEndOfTheDay]

56. Really? Where can I read about that?

I have only heard of the friendly fire theory.

[LynnTheDem]

62. You can't. You can come here and talk to them tho.

But it's danmn HOT and HUMID right now. Blech.

[Swamp Rat]

90. Where did you read this?

I need this info. There seems to be a dispute here about Tillman's integrity and I would like more information on the matter. Have any soldiers mentioned this "fragging" under oath, in a deposition?

[erpowers]

34. Friendly Fire

It could just be a case of friendly fire. Things like that could happend in a war. A leader may come up with a plan and then only after starting to go forward with the plan realize that the plan was bad. People could have just been position in the wrong place and only after bullets starting flying did they realize it was a mistake. It would be very easy for a friendly fire incident like this to take place in the dark. I say in the dark because I believe that reports have all said this took place in the dark.

[burrowowl]

21. Maybe they only

wanted to cover up their goof-up, especially since he was well-known. I don't think they would troble themselves over an unknown soldier.
Tillman doesn't seem like he was the type to whistle blow.

[erpowers]

35. They Would

They would take the trouble for an unknown soldier you just would not hear about it. A hispanics family has been or had been fighting hard to find out exactly what happened to their son. At first they were told he had walked on a mine. Later they found out that was not true.

[hippiegranny]

47. yes, a cover-up

for starters, and then, as this group of bastards is so wont to do, they look for a way to spin the story to their advantage. And in this case, it was to make Tillman a poster boy for recruitment. They are so skilled at taking lemons and making freaking champagne...

[LynnTheDem]

27. From what my soldier hubby has heard from soldiers who were there...

MaDem is closer to the facts.

[erpowers]

32. Another Reason

The Army may have went through so much trouble to cover up things just because they did not want the story to end the other way. How do you tell people that this guy did because of chaos and maybe even a lack of training. I do not think he was going to tell things. I just think saying he was shot in a friendly fire incident was not as good as saying it happened another way.

[blondeatlast]

52. He had the media attention to give the story "legs," too.

I had the exact same disturbing thought this morning.

I hope it isn't true, I've never been a tf hatter, but it scares me that I can think this way now.

Tillman is a hometown hero here, I'll keep an eye on the hometown press. This is a pretty TRADITIONAL conservative area; no fondness for the NeoCons in AZ.

[ngGale]

16. Burning his uniform and body armor, makes no sense...

at all. Something is wrong with this picture, even during friendly fire another soldier would never burn his uniform. They have too much respect for their group. Something wicked this way comes!:tinfoilhat:

[MADem]

17. Too many bullets in the body armour, too much trajectory info to be

learned from the clothing??? How many rounds hit the guy's vest and never penetrated to the body? It ain't like they count bullets on the battlefield, like they do with the cops.

And I can understand not leaving anything behind, eradicating your traces per SF SOP, but a damn uniform does not weigh that much.

What did they do with the rest of his gear, I wonder???

[oasis]

19. "Uncommon Valor" the real-life story, complete with military cover-ups.

[Rainscents]

23. So now, ALL the Arizona Republicans... You should fucking shame of voting

for Bush. We all try to warn them, however, Guns, Abortion and God waa all that matter.:argh: I hate these basters!!!

[LynnTheDem]

24. But bush needed Tillman's dead body for his political propaganda.

Being a good American patriot, Tillman wouldn't have minded his dead body being used like that.

Tillman's parents must be liberal commie pinkos who hate America and just want us to fail.

[Al-CIAda]

29. Sickening propaganda. n/t

[erpowers]

30. I Do Have a Question

Was it just me or did the Army or a newspaper report say that when Tillman disobeyed an order when he separated his squad? I thought I had heard a report that claimed that Tillman was told not to separate his squad, but did so anyway. So what happened?

As far as the cover-up goes it seems that the Army came out with the facts months after the incident.

[rodeodance]

36. Parents: Army disrespected Tillman's memory

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/23/tilman.probe.ap/index.html

Parents: Army disrespected Tillman's memory
Monday, May 23, 2005 Posted: 9:10 AM EDT (1310 GMT)





WASHINGTON (AP) -- The family of former professional football 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."

[riverwalker]

37. powerful

Patrick Tillman Sr.: "..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."

Mary Tillman: "If this is what happens when someone high profile dies, I can only imagine what happens with everyone else."

[Danieljay]

39. He was Jessica Lynched! And the lies just keep coming...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,956255,00.html

Remember Jessica Lynch?

[Danieljay]

40. Now at Yahoo...rate it! (link here)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/washpost/20050523/ts_washpost/tillman_s_parents_are_critical_of_army

[Danieljay]

44. The Republican smear machine has started at the grass roots..yahoo posts..

Someone told me once..."dont argue with idiots, they only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience". So true.

Here are some real gems....



All staged
by: sector_tracker (20/M/CA) 05/23/05 01:14 pm
Msg: 2599 of 2599

I bet you that Tillman's parent staged their sorrow at their son's death and their real intent was to try to embarrass Bush.

Someone needs to find a link between his parent and the anti-war liberals and expose it.

God Bless America and no other country



Army is covering up Tillman's stupidity
by: czsisa 05/23/05 01:02 pm
Msg: 2575 of 2604

Standing up in combat is a stupid thing to do.

Flesh is not bulletproof. He almost got his whole squad killed.

The only thing the army is covering up is his stupidity


IF TILLMANS WERE SUPPORTIVE OF MILITARY
by: the_rc_collins_blowzameter (40/M/Thousand Oaks, CA) 05/23/05 12:27 pm
Msg: 2476 of 2610

You'd never hear so much as a hint of it from the "unbiased" media. That's all I need to know about this non-news.


LIBERALS CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH
by: icepic_jm (M/Maryland) 05/23/05 11:57 am
Msg: 2186 of 2648
2 recommendations

because they are too stupid


LIBTARDS USING TILLMAN LIKE ARMY DID.
by: the_pen_the_sword (34/F/Gods Country) 05/23/05 11:57 am
Msg: 2185 of 2648
1 recommendation

THEY ARE REALLY NO DIFFERENT. NEITHER ONE CARES ABOUT THE MANS MEMORY. BUT AT LEAST THE ARMY DID IT IN AN EFFORT TO DEFLECT CRITICISM OF THE JOB BEING DONE IN AFGHANISTAN. LIBTARDS ON THE OTHER HAND USE HIM IN THEIR TYPICAL ANTI-AMERICAN RHETORIC....SWINE

[MADem]

53. Wow, those are some of the most moronic thoughts EVER!

Such brave armchair warriors, such fierce keyboard commandos...you have to wonder when they are shipping out to boot camp!!!

[erpowers]

58. Ridiculous

That is just ridiculous. The person that made the first post should be ashamed of themselves.

[Rainscents]

41. Didn't this happened last spring (2004)? Bush poll numbers were plunging

and Kerry's numbers were going up... Ummmmmmm, now this all make sense!

[EndElectoral]

43. They killed their poster boy - Tillman's Dad

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7946201/

[lumpy]

45. Keep this kicked

Many of us didn't know all the facts of the case. Thanks for posting this.

[dmr]

46. So many people here on DU

predicted the government was captializing on the Tillman name. Just as they capitalized on the young, cute and white female soldier, I think her last name was Lynch, as being a hero, when she was not.

The US government. when they do this lying propaganda are betraying each and every soldier as they make the sacrifice to serve.

Tillman's parents have it right, when they say this: "After it happened, all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script this," Patrick Tillman 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."

[centristo]

48. i challenge you to not vomit on your keyboard after

reading some of these...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1408480/posts

[Contrary1]

49. Vomit away...

Freepers regurgitate their "compassion"...

To: drt1

Accidents happen in war, part of the "game". I was in the Army over 30 years ago. These parents have no clue. Their willingness to join the dark side show they aren't made of any "steel". I hope they are happy helping our enemies.

6 posted on 05/22/2005 9:39:55 PM PDT by Lockbar

To: nj26
More spoiled baby boomer's who never sacrificed anything for this country that basically handed them everything on a silver platter, then crying about the price of admission.

Much as Nick Berg's father complained

CPL Tillman was a Ranger, and he new the risks, and as a any good solider knows "Sh*T Happens".

They the parents deserve a him

25 posted on 05/22/2005 11:12:57 PM PDT by dts32041

[MADem]

54. I normally just refuse to look, but I did this time

What a bunch of MISGUIDED people! The ones that aren't blaming the media are actually blaming the parents for being unpatriotic. They dismiss the Army lies, minimize the coverup as a normal administrative error, and they really, truly, do not get it.

It's a bit disconcerting to read that kind of stuff. Talk about living in an alternate universe!

[AnneD]

51. EUHHHH what a lucky man he was......

That song pops into my mind every time I hear about this story....

[Danieljay]

55. check out the Washington Post story from December

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35717-2004Dec4.html

[MADem]

57. Good LORD, what a HORRIFIC CLUSTERFUCK!!!

No wonder they couldn't hide it from the family. His brother was there, and knew what happened.

From your cite:
"I could hear the pain in his voice," recalled the young Ranger days later to Army investigators. Tillman kept calling out that he was a friendly, and he shouted, "I am Pat < expletive > Tillman, damn it!" His comrade recalled: "He said this over and over again until he stopped." ....

Tillman and nearly a dozen other Rangers on the ridge tried everything they could: They shouted, they waved their arms, and they screamed some more. ....

Kevin Tillman declined to be interviewed...He learned that his brother was dead only when a platoon mate mentioned it to him casually, according to these sources.

It would take almost five more weeks -- after a flag-draped coffin ceremony, a Silver Star award and a news release, and a public memorial attended by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jake Plummer and newswoman Maria Shriver -- for the Rangers or the Army to acknowledge to Kevin Tillman, his family or the public that Pat Tillman had been killed by his own men.

On edit--I can't imagine how I missed this article the first time out. Man, it is damning!

[emad]

59. 'The Administration let him down'

From Roland Watson in Washington

THE parents of the most high-profile American casualty in Iraq or Afghanistan accused the Pentagon yesterday of lying about his death to bolster wartime patriotism.

Patrick Tillman Sr and his former wife, Mary, broke their silence to lambast US military chiefs, describing their actions as disgusting. The loss of their American football star son had become harder to bear because the Pentagon had sought to craft it into a false tale of derring-do, they said.

Mrs Tillman said that she was particularly galled when President Bush linked himself to the lies shortly before the presidential election last November. Both parents said that they no longer expected to learn the whole truth about how and why the former Arizona Cardinals player was shot dead by his fellow Army Rangers in Afghanistan last year.

“Pat had high ideals about the country. That’s why he did what he did,” she said.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,171-1624967,00.html

[rawstory]

63. Tillman's family critical of Army, 'lies'

WASHINGTON POST ADVANCE
Tillman's family critical of Army, 'lies'

http://rawstory.com/aexternal/tillman_family_army_lies_522

Former NFL player Pat Tillman's family is lashing out against the Army, saying that the military's investigations into Tillman's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan last year were a sham and that Army efforts to cover up the truth have made it harder for them to deal with their loss, the Washington Post will report Monday, RAW STORY has learned.

The piece, by Josh White, provides an intimate account of a family's struggle to deal with the loss of their son, an acclaimed football star who was shot by fellow troops.

"More than a year after their son was shot several times by his fellow Army Rangers on a craggy hillside near the Pakistani border, Tillman's mother and father said in interviews that they believe the military and the government created a heroic tale about how their son died to foster a patriotic response across the country," White pens.

http://rawstory.com/aexternal/tillman_family_army_lies_522

FULL STORY NOW AVAILABLE AT Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/22/AR2005052200865.html

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

64. When Jessica Lynch didn't pan out as a hero, they went to plan B

Wag the Dog, part deux.

[hatrack]

65. Having paid the price they did, they're free to "lash out" at will

The military's going to milk, milk, milk the tragedies - never mind whether they're true or not, because you can't worry about that when there's perfectly good propoganda points to squeeze from the suffering of others.

[Spazito]

66. What was done to this family is appalling, imo

I am glad they are speaking out and I hope it helps them with their loss.

[FreedomAngel82]

82. Me too

Hopefully this will help them have closure and get the press off their backs and they can go back to their private lives.

[alittlelark]

67. Good for them... if the MSM covers this I would be shocked- and happy.

These people paid the ultimate price, and deserve to know the truth.

[bpilgrim]

68. "lashing out" -> is always how the victims are portrayed by the M$MW

when speaking out against grievous wrongs done to them by our 'WONDERFUL' military/gov

:puke:


http://images.globalfreepress.com

peace

[paineinthearse]

69. WP has been consisitant on this story

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3594985

This did not get much attention by DU.

Army guilty of propagandizing Pat Tillman's death.

Edited on Wed May-04-05 07:59 AM by paineinthearse

Of course the truth could not be told, it would have interefered with the propaganda value, aka the "Courage, mom" scenerio.

========================================================

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

Army Withheld Details About Tillman's Death
Investigator Quickly Learned 'Friendly Fire' Killed Athlete

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 4, 2005; A03

The first Army investigator who looked into the death of former NFL player Pat Tillman in Afghanistan last year found within days that he was killed by his fellow Rangers in an act of "gross negligence," but Army officials decided not to inform Tillman's family or the public until weeks after a nationally televised memorial service. 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.


more.....

[kskiska]

70. From WP article:

(snip)

"Every day is sort of emotional," Mary Tillman said. "It just keeps slapping me in the face. To find that he was killed in this debacle -- everything that could have gone wrong did -- it's so much harder to take. We should not have been subjected to all of this. This lie was to cover their image. I think there's a lot more yet that we don't even know, or they wouldn't still be covering their tails.

"If this is what happens when someone high profile dies, I can only imagine what happens with everyone else."

[Erika]

71. This family and Tillman was used by W's administration

Create a poster boy, based on lies to foster patriotism of the masses. This family should be furious. With the constant lies of this administration coming out continually, we can see why enlistments are down and deserters are up.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

88. That's an understatement.

[tabasco]

72. Why do the Tillmans hate America?

Why don't they play their proper part in the propaganda play?

Don't they know that demanding the truth from the Army just means they hate America?

[Gyre]

86. Funny! NT

[KaliTracy]

73. my question is why did it take months to get this far -- I heard it on

Thom Hartman months ago - and they interviewed someone who was there(?) It was the first time I'd heard Air America -- but I remember specifically that this story was covered. I think it was the same day as the Conyers' hearings about Ohio, and that I left work early in order to hear them, but I could be wrong about that -- it's just that I was at home - during the week, and it isn't often that happens.

Maybe around Christmas time?

In any case -- it's not "new" news -- but it IS important, and should have been discussed/brought out sooner.

[Aviation Pro]

74. In my deepest, darkest....

...moments, I often ask myself which high profile soldier would the Bush cowards pick to assassinate during combat operations in order to whip up a nationalistic fervor. The answer is not Pvt. Joe Snuffy (afterall, 1600 anonymous heroes have already been wiped out with nary a word of outrage), but ex-football player Pat Tillman. Given Coward Bush's continuing track record - real good move there, wimp, sending your wife to do your job - I can't put this out of my mind.

[Erika]

79. Bush HAS lost the trust of the American people

His sending Laura to the ME was reckless endangerment. How far will he go to keep the profits rising for his corporate globalist friends?

When you lose trust, there's not much left. His ratings are diving, enlistments are low, and deserter numbers high. That's in the bright sunlight of the day. Our nighttime fears are also there.

[maddezmom]

75. WP - Tillman's Parents Are Critical Of Army

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 23, 2005; Page A01

Former NFL player Pat Tillman's family is lashing out against the Army, saying that the military's investigations into Tillman's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan last year were a sham and that Army efforts to cover up the truth have made it harder for them to deal with their loss.

More than a year after their son was shot several times by his fellow Army Rangers on a craggy hillside near the Pakistani border, Tillman's mother and father said in interviews that 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 say the Army's "lies" about what happened have made them suspicious, and that they are certain they will never get the full story.



"Pat had high ideals about the country; that's why he did what he did," Mary Tillman said in her first lengthy interview since her son's death. "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 popular player for the Arizona Cardinals, gave up stardom in the National Football League after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to join the Army Rangers with his brother. After a tour in Iraq, their unit was sent to Afghanistan in spring 2004, where they were to 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.

~snip~
more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/22/AR2005052200865.html

[mzmolly]

76. Recommended.

eom

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

77. Psssst....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1492624

[maddezmom]

85. got it

:hi:

[UpInArms]

78. also from the article:

"After it happened, all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script this," Patrick Tillman 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."

and this paragraph just about sums up the past 5 years:

"It makes you feel like you're losing your mind in a way," she said. "You imagine things. When you don't know the truth, certain details can be blown out of proportion. The truth may be painful, but it's the truth. You start to contrive all these scenarios that could have taken place because they just kept lying. If you feel you're being lied to, you can never put it to rest."

I am so sorry for their loss :(

[gratuitous]

80. Just appalling

I'm glad for the Tillman family that they're seeing what's been done to their son's memory for what it is. No, not all these people, and fans at football games, and the people on the newscasts give even the tiniest rip about Pat Tillman. He's become a totem to be honored in the social religion of redemptive violence. Who he was or what kind of person he was has been subsumed in the service of encouraging other people to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of a corrupt administration and the oligarchy it's trying to call into being.

[FreedomAngel82]

81. They did the same thing to Jessica Lynch

She was honest about it though. Al Franken had her on his show earlier this year or late last year and she was talking about what happened and she was really just hiding and trying to save her life and not be a hero or anything. Of course the Pentagon twisted the story around for their PR. She was saying on the show how disappointed she was. I thought she was really brave for being honest when she could've easily gone along with the Pentagon. With this story it seems to be the same way.

[tuckessee]

83. What did the family expect?

The military has a well established history of lying about just about everything (especially if saves official embarrassment and can be used for propaganda purposes) and they should've known friendly fire is an unusually frequent occurence in the American armed services.

Wake up, ya morons, this ain't the Army of Hollywood or Sgt. Rock!

[Rex]

84. Rove exploits 911 like a cheap whore.

Tillman gave up money to serve his country, it's an atrocity how the RW uses it for cheap propaganda.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

87. Kick and nominated

:kick:

[struggle4progress]

89. kick