Tillman Tale Tells Truth of Pentagon ©

by: Betsy L. Angert

Wed May 04, 2005 at 11:45:00 AM EDT

Pat Tillman, the patriot, left a lucrative career to serve his country. His brother joined him; they each enlisted in the Army and served as Rangers. The brothers wanted to participate, to express their love of country; they chose to protect and defend and to do so with honor. They were stationed in Afghanistan; they were actively supporting this nation. However, there is reason to believe that this nation did not fully support them.

They, the Army, knew within days, though they chose not to tell the tale of "gross negligence." While investigating the death of former National Football League player, Pat Tillman, Army investigators quickly discovered that "friendly fire" was the cause of his death. Army officials realized that fellow Rangers killed the famous serviceman. However, they did not disclose this truth; they destroyed it. Officers did not tell the Tillman family or friends what really happened. They intentionally led the public astray for they feared retribution. They waited; they waited for weeks.

The Pentagon and Whitehouse promoted the Tillman passing; ceremonies were televised. It was, it is, a great story.

The nation honored the life and passing of a great man. Yet, the true tale was not told until later. Those in power dreaded a candid accounting, what might it mean for the "war effort."

Soldiers on the scene knew and said so immediately. According to a 2000 page report, Tillman "was killed by a barrage of American bullets as he took shelter behind a large boulder during a twilight firefight." Nonetheless, officials did not deliver the truth. Instead, erroneous information was released, the facts deliberately suppressed. "Critical evidence" was destroyed!

Army officers concealed the facts from Tillman's brother who was also serving as an Army Ranger. Tillman's brother was nearby during the attack, though he did not witness it. Paul Boyce, an Army official stated, "Notifying families in a timely way that they have had a loved one killed or severely injured is complex and imperfect work. We can do better." The telling is complex. It affects more than friends and family; it affects public support.

If we, the people knew the truth of war, particularly of this war, would we support our President, our Pentagon, or the "theoretical" cause for all this killing?