Was Pat Tillman Killed By Friendly Fire Or Assassinated Because of His Changed Views On The War?

Was Pat Tillman Killed By Friendly Fire Or Assassinated Because of His Changed Views On The War?

And, If So, How Will We Ever Find Out?

In his column, "The Mysterious Death of Pat Tillman," Sunday 06 November 2005, By Frank Rich The New York Times, Rich quotes Pat Fitzgerald as saying, of the narrative Scooter Libby used to allegedly mislead investigators in the Valerie Wilson leak case: "It would be a compelling story, if only it were true."

Rich then goes on to say, "The medium is the message. This administration just loves to beguile us with a rollicking good story, truth be damned. The propagandistic fable exposed by the leak case - the apocalyptic imminence of Saddam's mushroom clouds - was only the first of its genre. Given that potboiler's huge success at selling the war, its authors couldn't resist providing sequels once we were in Iraq."

Rich also discusses the "tragic example of Pat Tillman..." that according to army view of the battle, he, "personally provided suppressive fire with an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon machine gun..." and that, " The records show that Tillman fought bravely and honorably until his last breath," 'That too would be a compelling story, if only it were true.' That Tillman's superior's stretched/burnished the truth, would be an understatement, at best. What is worse, they appear now to have been suppressing details and covering a much "darker" reality.

Steve Coll wrote in The Post in December 2004. "They also show that his superiors exaggerated his actions and invented details as they burnished his legend in public, at the same time suppressing details that might tarnish Tillman's commanders." Less than two months later, the army, without fanfare, blurted out that Tillman, may have been killed by friendly fire.

Both of Tillman's parents, divorced, reluctantly came forward because of conflicting reports, concerning three separate army investigations of the incident, which were strongly censored. They say that Tillman's uniform and gear were destroyed almost immediately after Tillman's death, destroying imperative evidence.

The following quotes from Patrick Tillman, have been published everywhere and are now well known, "The administration clearly was using this case for its own political reasons," and, "This cover-up started within minutes of Pat's death, and it started at high levels."
"They blew up their poster boy," Patrick Tillman said to The Post; he was convinced that "all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script" the false tale "outright lies."

Although General J, Abizaid, the chief American officer in Iraq at the time, knew a day before the army released its bogus report about the "real truth," the family; his brother Kevin, who was also serving in Iraq and Senator John McCain, speaking at Tillman's Memorial, did not hear until weeks later

Patrick Tillman went on the attack, saying that all of those in positions of authority lied, and his son was, even in death, being heavily exploited. Even the president wanted to share the false by taping a tribute to him for a Cardinal's upcoming game. (Pat Tillman's mother, Mary. said "NO!" to that scurvy effort.

All of this against the alleged words of both of this brothers that pat had regretted is entry into the military and was, before his death, against the entire concept of the war in/on Iraq.

Apparently, Pat Tillman shortly before his accidental, fratricidal death declared that he now wanted out. It was reported that he was also sorry his influence had gotten his brother involved

His parents, and both of Pat Tillman's brothers, in quotes were now apparently angry at the administration and against the war. Citing Pat and Kevin's assessment, the war was wrong and a pack of lies, some reports have stated. "They blew up their poster boy," Patrick Tillman told The Post; he is convinced that "all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script" the fake narrative (or, as he puts it, "outright lies") that followed. Pat Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, was offended to discover that even President Bush wanted a cameo role in this screenplay: she told The Post that he had offered to tape a memorial to her son for a Cardinals game that would be televised shortly before Election Day. (She said no.)

Being interviewed Mary Tillman told The Arizona Republic: "They could have told us upfront that they were suspicious that it was a fratricide but they didn't. They wanted to use him for their purposes. It was good for the administration. It was before the elections. It was during the prison scandal. They needed something that looked good, and it was appalling that they would use him like that. I was used as a symbol."

Pat Tillman went from a Rambo-like figure, walking away from a $3.6 million dollar contract in Professional football, to become the quick and successful superhero, to a young man sadly disabused of his visions of heroism and altruism of striking back at an enemy which had tried to destroy America and finally to a young man at his physical peak, disillusioned by the entire experience. Would that we heard more from him on his feelings those last few weeks before his death. Why did he not speak out publicly? Maybe that was a part of his plan.

Now the news seems to be saying that Tillman was killed by friendly fire, a regrettable, episode, of accidental, fratricidal death.

 1  |  2

 

Professor Bagnolo has majored in: Cultural Anthropology, Architectural design, painting, creative writing. As a child prodigy, abed with polio for almost two years, he was offered an opportunity to skip three grades at age 8.
Later He was a (more...)
 

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

Contact Author

Contact Editor

View Authors' Articles