How Many Former Army Football Players Were Killed In Service

American football game histrion and U.s.a. Army soldier (1976–2004)

Pat Tillman
Tillman in 2003, as a specialist
Nascence name	Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr.
Nickname(s)	"Pat"
Born	(1976-xi-06)November vi, 1976 Fremont, California, U.Due south.
Died	Apr 22, 2004(2004-04-22) (anile 27) Spera, Khost Province, Afghanistan
Allegiance	Usa of America
Service/branch	United States Regular army
Years of service	2002–2004
Rank	Corporal (posthumous)
Unit of measurement	2nd Ranger Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment
Battles/wars	Iraq State of war War in Afghanistan †
Awards	Silverish Star Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal
Football game career
No. forty
Position:	Rubber
Personal data
Height:	5 ft xi in (1.80 thousand)
Weight:	202 lb (92 kg)
Career data
High school:	Leland (San Jose, CA)
Higher:	Arizona State
NFL Typhoon:	1998 / Circular: 7 / Choice: 226
Career history
Arizona Cardinals (1998–2001)
Career highlights and awards
Arizona Cardinals No. 40 retired Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honour Sports Illustrated All Pro (2000) Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Honour (1997) Arizona State Sun Devils No. 42 retired
Career NFL statistics
Tackles: 340 Interceptions: 3 Sacks: 2.5 Forced fumbles: 3
Player stats at NFL.com
College Football game Hall of Fame

Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American professional football game player in the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United states of america Ground forces in May 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. His service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and subsequent death, were the subject field of national attention when he was killed in action every bit a result of friendly fire.^[1]

Tillman joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in gainsay before he was killed in the mountains of Afghanistan. At first, the Army reported that Tillman had been killed by enemy fire. Controversy ensued when a month later, on May 28, 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman family that he had been killed past fire from his own side; the family and other critics allege that the Department of Defense force delayed the disclosure for weeks later Tillman'southward memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.South. armed forces.

Tillman was the first professional football role player to be killed in gainsay since Bob Kalsu, who died in the Vietnam War in 1970. Tillman was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal. He also received posthumous Silvery Star and Purple Heart medals.

Early life and education [edit]

Tillman was born on November half-dozen, 1976,^[2] in Fremont, California, the son of Mary (Spalding) and Patrick Kevin Tillman.^[3] The oldest of three sons, with Kevin and Richard as the other two, Tillman played competitive football. He went to Bret Harte Middle School and helped lead Leland Loftier Schoolhouse to the Central Coast Sectionalisation I Football Championship. Tillman did not always play football. In his freshman yr of high school he was catcher for his baseball team, merely did not make the varsity squad. In his sophomore year he decided to concentrate on football.^[4] Tillman and so went to Arizona State Academy on a football scholarship.^[5]

Tillman was very close to his family and high school friends. He repeatedly mentioned in his personal journals during wartime service that he drew strength from and deeply valued his closest friendships, parents, wife and family. Tillman was very committed to his high school sweetheart whom he married but prior to enlistment in the Army Rangers, Marie Ugenti Tillman. He also was very shut with his brother, Kevin Tillman, who enlisted with and served alongside him.^[6]

College career [edit]

He started his college career as a linebacker for Arizona Land Academy in 1994, when he secured the last remaining scholarship for the team. Tillman excelled as a linebacker at Arizona Country, despite being relatively pocket-size for the position at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 thou) tall. As a junior, he helped his team become undefeated that season as well as helping them make information technology to the Rose Basin that year. In 1997, he was voted the Pac-10 Defensive Histrion of the Year. In the aforementioned twelvemonth, Tillman was also named Arizona State'southward MVP.^[7] Academically, Tillman majored in marketing and graduated in 3 and a one-half years with a 3.85 GPA. He also earned many bookish awards including: the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award in 1996 and 1997; the Sporting News Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Yr in 1997; and the 1998 Sun Angel Student Athlete of Year. He was inducted into the Higher Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Tillman was besides posthumously inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Professional career [edit]

In the 1998 National Football League Draft, Tillman was selected as the 226th pick by the Arizona Cardinals. Tillman moved over to play the prophylactic position in the NFL and started x of xvi games in his rookie season.^[8]

At one signal in his NFL career, Tillman turned downwardly a 5-yr, $9 million contract offer from the St. Louis Rams out of loyalty to the Cardinals.^[ix]

Sports Illustrated football author Paul Zimmerman named Tillman to his 2000 NFL All-Pro team after Tillman finished with 155 tackles (120 solo), 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, ii fumble recoveries, 9 pass deflections and 1 interception for 30 yards.^[10]

Tillman finished his career with totals of 340 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 interceptions for 37 yards, three forced fumbles, xv pass deflections, and 3 bollix recoveries in lx career games. In addition he also had i rush attempt for 4 yards and returned 3 kickoffs for 33 yards.^[11]

In May 2002, eight months after the September eleven attacks and after completing the 15 remaining games of the 2001 season which followed the attacks,^[12] Tillman turned down a contract offer of $iii.half-dozen million over three years from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Regular army.^[13]

Armed forces career and decease [edit]

Tillman and his brother Kevin enlisted on May 31, 2002. In September 2002, they completed basic training together.^{[fourteen] [15]} The two brothers completed the Ranger Cess & Selection Program in tardily 2002 and were assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington. Tillman resided in Academy Place with his wife before being deployed to Iraq. After participating in the initial invasion of Iraq equally office of Performance Iraqi Freedom, in September 2003, he entered Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and graduated on Nov 28, 2003.^[xvi]

Tillman was subsequently deployed to Afghanistan, and posted at Play tricks Salerno.^[17] On April 22, 2004, he was initially reported to have been killed past enemy combatants. An Afghan Militia Force allied soldier was also killed in the action. Tillman'due south platoon leader First Lieutenant David Uthlaut and his radiotelephone operator (RTO), 19-year-old Jade Lane, were wounded in the incident. The Army initially claimed that Tillman and his unit were attacked in an apparent ambush on a road outside of the village of Sperah nigh 25 miles (twoscore km) southwest of Khost, nearly the Islamic republic of pakistan edge. Information technology was not until after his burying that investigations by the Department of Defense and U.S. Congress were launched, eventually ruling his death equally having come by friendly fire.

An investigation by the U.S. Ground forces Criminal Investigation Division (CID) concluded that Tillman and the Afghan militia soldier were killed by friendly burn when i allied group fired upon another in confusion after nearby gunfire was mistakenly believed to be from enemy combatants. The CID Report summary, dated March nineteen, 2007, stated that:

... during their movement through the canyon road, Series 2 [Tillman's platoon had to split up because of a cleaved HMMWV; the parts were chosen Series one and 2] was ambushed and became engaged in a running gun boxing with enemy combatants. Serial 1 [Tillman'southward portion of the platoon] had just passed through the same canyon without incident and were approximately ane kilometer ahead of Serial ii. Upon hearing explosions, gunfire, and sporadic radio advice from Series 2, Serial one dismounted their vehicles and moved on foot, to a more advantageous position to provide overwatch and burn support for Serial 2'southward movement out of the deadfall. Upon exiting the gorge, and despite attempts by Serial 1 to signal a "friendly position", occupants of the lead vehicle of Serial 2 opened fire on Tillman'southward position, where he was fatally shot.^[18]

The Army Special Operations Command initially claimed that there was an exchange with hostile forces. After a lengthy investigation conducted past Brigadier General Gary M. Jones, the U.S. Department of Defense concluded that both the Afghan militia soldier's and Tillman's deaths were due to friendly burn aggravated by the intensity of the firefight, even though FOIA requests have shown that there was no evidence that enemy combatants were present, as no United states personnel nor equipment were striking by enemy fire and that Tillman'southward wounds were consistent with an M16 rifle beingness fired from about 10 yards away.^[nineteen]

Awards and decorations [edit]

Silver Star Citation [edit]

Citation:

The President of the Us of America, authorized by Deed of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an deed of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Corporal Patrick D. Tillman, United States Ground forces, for gallantry in activity while serving with the 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, during action in Afghanistan on 22 April 2004, against an armed enemy while serving as a Rifle Team Leader in support of Operation ENDURING Liberty. Caught between the crossfire of an enemy near ambush, Corporal Tillman put himself in the line of devastating enemy fire as he maneuvered his burn team to a covered position from which they could effectively employ their weapons on known enemy positions. His audacious leadership and courageous instance under fire inspired his men to fight at great take chances to their own personal safety, resulting in the enemy'south withdrawal, his platoon's safety passage from the ambush kill zone, and his mortal wound. Corporal Tillman'southward personal courage, tactical expertise, and professional person competence straight contributed to his platoon's overall success and survival. In making the ultimate sacrifice for his team and platoon, Corporal Patrick D. Tillman reflected smashing credit upon himself, the Joint Task Force, and the The states Army.^[20]

Awards [edit]

		Combat Infantryman Bluecoat
	Silver Star		Purple Eye
Meritorious Service Medal		Ground forces Achievement Medal		National Defence Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal		Global War on Terrorism Service Medal		Regular army Service Ribbon
	Parachutist Badge with 2nd Ranger Battalion trimming		Expert Marksmanship bluecoat with burglarize component bar
second Ranger Battalion Gainsay Service Identification Badge		75th Ranger Regiment Distinctive unit insignia		Ranger Tab
Army Presidential Unit Citation w/ 1 Oak leaf cluster		Joint Meritorious Unit Award		Army Superior Unit of measurement Honor west/ 2 Oak leaf clusters

In addition to his military awards, Pat Tillman received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN in 2003, as part of that year's ESPY Awards ceremony.^[21]

Backwash and legacy [edit]

Questions surrounding Tillman'due south death [edit]

Tribute to Cpl Tillman at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia. The plaque that was initially displayed inaccurately stated Tillman was in an enemy ambush. The plaque has since been corrected to accurately reflect the circumstances surrounding Corporal Tillman'south expiry.

A study described in The Washington Postal service on May 4, 2005, prepared at the asking of Tillman's family by Brigadier General Gary M. Jones, revealed that in the days immediately post-obit Tillman'south death, Army investigators were enlightened that Tillman had been killed by friendly fire, shot three times in the head at less than 10 yards away, according to Army doctors.^{[22] [23]} Jones reported that senior Regular army commanders, including General John Abizaid, knew of this fact within days of the shooting, but nevertheless canonical the awarding of the Silver Star, Purple Eye, and a posthumous promotion to the rank of Corporal.^[24]

Lieutenant Full general Stanley McChrystal approved the Silver Star citation on Apr 28, 2004, which gave a detailed account of Tillman'south death including the phrase "in the line of devastating enemy fire," but the next day he sent a P4 confidential memo alert senior regime members that Tillman might actually have been killed by friendly burn.^[25] Senior commanders within the U.Due south. Fundamental Command, including former Commander of the United States Central Control (CENTCOM) General John Abizaid, were notified by the P4 memo,^[26] which described Tillman's "highly possible" fratricide, four days before Tillman'south nationally televised memorial service during which he was lauded as a state of war hero for dying while engaging the enemy.^{[27] [28]}

Jones reported that members of Tillman's unit of measurement burned his body armor and uniform in an apparent endeavor to hide the fact that he was killed by friendly burn.^[29] His notebook, in which, according to author Jon Krakauer, Tillman had recorded some of his thoughts on Afghanistan, was also burned; "a blatant violation of protocol."^[xxx] Several soldiers were subsequently punished for their deportment by being removed from the United States Army Rangers. Jones believed that Tillman should retain his medals and promotion, since, according to Jones, he intended to engage the enemy and behaved heroically.^[29]

Tillman'south family was not informed of the finding that he was killed by friendly fire until weeks afterwards his memorial service, although at least some senior Army officers knew of that fact prior to the service.^[29] According to Krakauer in his book Where Men Win Glory, the extensive coverup that followed Tillman's expiry included the military's gild to Tillman's comrades to lie to his family at the funeral.^[30] Tillman'south parents have sharply criticized the Army'south handling of the incident; Tillman's mother charges that "this lie was to cover their image,"^[31] while Tillman's male parent charges that the Regular army "purposely interfered in the investigation" considering of the effect it could have on their recruiting efforts

After it happened, all the people in positions of potency went out of their way to script this. They purposely interfered with the investigation; they covered information technology up. I call up they thought they could control information technology, and they realized that their recruiting efforts were going to get to hell in a basket if the truth nigh his death got out. They blew up their poster boy.^[31]

He also blamed high-ranking Army officers for presenting "outright lies" to Tillman's family unit and to the public.^[31]

On March 4, 2006, the U.S. Defense force Department Inspector Full general directed the Army to open up a criminal investigation of Tillman'due south decease. The Army's Criminal Investigative Division was to determine whether Tillman's death was the result of negligent homicide.^[32]

On March 26, 2007, the Pentagon released their report on the events surrounding Tillman'southward death and coverup. The report reads in office:

... we emphasize that all investigators established the bones facts of CPL Tillman's death – that it was caused by friendly burn, that the occupants of one vehicle in CPL Tillman's platoon were responsible, and that circumstances on the ground caused those occupants to misidentify friendly forces as hostile. None of the investigations suggested that CPL Tillman'southward death was anything other than accidental. Our review, as well as the investigation recently completed by Army CID, obtained no evidence contrary to those key findings.^[33]

Tillman's blood brother Kevin testified earlier the United States House Committee on Oversight and Regime Reform that:

The deception surrounding this [Tillman] instance was an insult to the family: but more importantly, its master purpose was to deceive a whole nation. We say these things with disappointment and sadness for our country. Once over again, we have been used as props in a Pentagon public relations exercise.^[34]

Subsequently Kevin'due south testimony Pete Geren, acting secretary of the Regular army stated to reporters, "We equally an Army failed in our duty to the Tillman family, the duty we owe to all the families of our fallen soldiers: give them the truth, the all-time we know information technology, as fast as we can."^[34]

Tillman's diary was never returned to his family unit, and its whereabouts are non publicly known.^[35]

One investigation of the autopsy study and photographs past two forensic pathologists in November 2006 ended that Tillman was near likely killed as a effect of burn from a M249 light machine gun. The M249 uses the same ammunition as the M16 rifle and M4 carbine, but is capable of higher rates of burn down. This would allow a competent user to place three bullets within a several-inch target from xl or 50 yards abroad, even from a moving vehicle.^{[half dozen]}

On July 26, 2007, Chris Matthews reported on Hardball that Tillman'south death may have been a example of deliberate murder by Tillman's fellow soldiers – specifically that the bullet holes were tight and neat, suggesting a shot at close range. Matthews based his speculation on a written report from the doctors who examined Tillman's body. The following mean solar day the Associated Printing reported that a doctor who examined Tillman's body after his death wrote, "The medical evidence did not match upwardly with the scenario as described",^[19] also noting that the wound entrances appeared as though he had been shot with an M16 rifle from fewer than 10 yards (9.1 m) away. A possible motive was non identified. When officers and soldiers were asked during a criminal investigation, they said they were certain the shooting was accidental. According to i of his young man soldiers, Tillman "was popular among his young man soldiers and had no enemies."^{[19] [36]}

In addition, in response to a Liberty of Information Act request filed by the Associated Press, the Defense force Department released two,300 pages of documents which were reported to point:^[19]

• There has never been evidence of enemy burn constitute on the scene, and no members of Tillman's group had been striking by enemy burn.
• The iii-star full general who withheld details of Tillman's death from his parents for a number of months told investigators approximately lxx times that he had a bad memory and could non recall details of his actions.
• Ground forces attorneys sent each other congratulatory due east-mails for keeping criminal investigators at bay as the Army conducted an internal friendly-fire investigation that resulted in administrative, or not-criminal, punishments.
• Army doctors told the investigators that Tillman'due south wounds suggested murder considering "the medical show did not match-upwards with the scenario as described."^[19]

According to Prof. Michael I. Niman:^{[37] [ unreliable source? ]}

As both wars droned on, Tillman, the picture perfect recruiting poster boy, evolved into somewhat of a wild card. With a Chomsky meeting on the horizon, there existed a very real possibility that Tillman might go public with his anti-war anti-Bush stance in the weeks leading upwardly to the 2004 presidential election, dealing a fatal blow to the very foundation of the Bush administration'south propaganda pyramid. That mean solar day, nonetheless, never came. On April 22nd, 2004, Tillman was killed on patrol in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan by 3 American bullets to the head.

Congressional inquiries [edit]

On April 24, 2007, Specialist Bryan O'Neal, the last soldier known to run across Pat Tillman alive, testified before the Firm Committee on Oversight and Authorities Reform that he was warned by superiors non to divulge data that a swain soldier killed Tillman, especially to the Tillman family. Afterwards, Pat Tillman's brother Kevin Tillman, who was also in the convoy traveling behind his brother at the time of the 2004 incident in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan just did not witness it, testified that the military tried to spin his brother'south decease to deflect attention from emerging failings in the Afghan state of war.^[38]

On July thirteen, 2007, Henry Waxman and Tom Davis, the leading members of the House Commission on Oversight and Government Reform, revealed that the Bush administration and the Pentagon had withheld primal documents relating to Tillman'southward death and denied any new document release asking from Congress citing executive privilege.^{[39] [40] [41]}

On August 13, 2007, the Associated Press reported that on behalf of VoteVets, xx U.S. military veterans who fought in Republic of iraq and Afghanistan asked the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, to help secure the release of all documents relating to the expiry of Pat Tillman.^{[42] [43]}

On July fourteen, 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released a proposed report titled "Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman and Lynch Episodes".^{[44] [45]} The committee stated that its "investigation was frustrated by a near universal lack of call back" among "senior officials at the White House" and the military. It concluded:

The pervasive lack of recollection and absence of specific information makes it incommunicable for the Committee to assign responsibility for the misinformation in Specialist Tillman's and Individual Lynch's cases. It is articulate, notwithstanding, that the Defense Department did not meet its most bones obligations in sharing accurate information with the families and with the American public.

Memorials and tributes [edit]

Afterwards his decease, family unit and friends of Tillman including his widow Marie Tillman established the Pat Tillman Foundation to deport forward Tillman'southward legacy by inspiring and supporting those striving for positive change in themselves and the world. Marie would serve as executive director and then chair of the board.

A highway bypass around the Hoover Dam has a bridge bearing Tillman'south name. Completed in October 2010, the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge spans the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona.

Lincoln Law School of San Jose has established the Pat Tillman Scholarship in honor of Tillman. Tillman's male parent earned his Juris Doctor from Lincoln in 1983.

On Lord's day, September 19, 2004, all teams of the NFL wore a memorial decal on their helmets in honor of Tillman. The Arizona Cardinals continued to wear this decal throughout the 2004 season. Former Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer requested to also wear the decal for the entire flavor, but the NFL turned him down, saying his helmet would not be uniform with the rest of the Denver Broncos. Plummer subsequently grew a full beard and his pilus long in honor of Tillman, who had such a style in the NFL before cutting his hair and shaving his beard off to fit military uniform guidelines.

A memorial to Tillman was created at Dominicus Devil Stadium, where he played football for the Sun Devils and the Cardinals.

The Cardinals retired his number 40, and Arizona State did the aforementioned for the number 42 he wore with the Sun Devils. The Cardinals take named the plaza surrounding their State Subcontract Stadium in Glendale Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza. Afterwards, on Nov 12, 2006, during a Cardinals game versus the Cowboys, a statuary statue was revealed in his laurels. ASU too named the football locker room entryway to Sun Devil Stadium the "Pat Tillman Memorial Tunnel" and made a "PT-42" patch that they place on the neck of their uniforms as a permanent feature. In 2011, Pat Tillman Veteran'southward Center in the lower level of the Memorial Marriage opened on the Tempe campus.^[46] Before the 2013 flavor, the Tillman Tunnel was renovated with graphics, signage, double doors separate the locker room from the tunnel, and television replaying Tillman'southward career highlights, sound system and a gate opens upward to the field featuring an image of him looking as if he'due south leading the team out.^[47]

On Saturday, April fifteen, 2005, five,000 participants turned out for the countdown Pat'south Run (which has become the annual fundraising consequence for the Pat Tillman Foundation) in Tempe. The racers traveled along the iv.2-mile (6.8 km) course effectually Tempe Boondocks Lake to the cease line, on the 42-yard line of Sun Devil Stadium in social club to commemorate the number which Tillman wore as a Sunday Devil and which was afterwards retired in his honor. A second race took identify in San Jose. Sponsored by the Pat Tillman Foundation, Pat'south Run has connected to grow every yr, with more than 28,000 attendees in April 2019.^[48] Various "accolade runs", in locations such as Austin, Texas, take place around the state at the same fourth dimension as Pat'due south Run and are supported by Arizona State Academy's Alumni Association.

In 2004, the NFL donated $250,000 to the United Service Organizations to build a USO middle in retentivity of Tillman. The Pat Tillman USO Eye, the start USO center in Afghanistan, opened on Bagram Air Base on April one, 2005.^[49] As of 2019, the NFL continues to back up the Pat Tillman Foundation through its Salute to Service campaign honoring United states military service members along with other military machine and veteran nonprofits.^[l]

The Pacific-10 Briefing renamed its annual defensive player-of-the-yr honour in football to the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year.^[51]

Forward Operating Base Tillman was close to the Pakistan border, most the village of Lwara in Paktika Province, Afghanistan.^{[52] [53]}

Tillman'south high school, Leland High School in San Jose, renamed its football field after him. In New Almaden, an unincorporated community adjacent to San Jose, where Tillman grew up, a memorial was constructed nearly the Almaden Quicksilver County Park. This memorial was dedicated in September 2007 during the almanac New Almaden Day celebration.^{[54] [55]} In Phoenix, the Balsz Schoolhouse District named a middle school in 2018 after Tillman.^[56]

The skateboarding bulldog featured on YouTube and in an Apple tree iPhone commercial was named after Tillman.^[57]

Two books about Tillman were published in 2009. Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, chronicles Tillman's story in Where Men Win Celebrity: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, published past Doubleday on September 15. Meanwhile, Tillman's female parent, Mary Tillman, also wrote a book about her son, Boots on the Ground by Sunset, which was released in April 2008.

Following Tillman's death, the Ohio State Linebackers Corp consisting of A. J. Militarist, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel, likewise as center Nick Mangold, grew their hair in tribute to Tillman, imitating Tillman'southward trademark locks.^[58]

In September 2008, Rory Fanning, a fellow Army Ranger who was stationed with Tillman in Fort Lewis, Washington, began his "Walk for Pat", a walk across the Us in an effort to raise money and awareness for the Pat Tillman Foundation. The stated fundraising goal is $iii.6 meg, the value of the contract Tillman turned down when he decided to enlist in the military.

The Arizona State Academy Sunday Devils football game team wore special uniforms made by Adidas to honor Tillman and his career on October 29, 2015, when they faced the Oregon Ducks. All proceeds from the uniforms went to the Pat Tillman Foundation.^[59]

Criticisms [edit]

Subsequently reports of Tillman'south anti-war views became public, Ted Rall, who had previously written a comic calling Tillman a "fool" and "idiot", said that he was incorrect to have assumed Tillman to be a "right wing poster child" when Tillman regarded the invasion of Iraq as illegal.^{[60] [36]}

Then-Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Kauzlarich, Regimental Executive Officer at Forwards Operating Base Salerno on Khost, Afghanistan, under which Tillman was serving at the time of his death, and who led the 2nd investigation into Tillman'due south expiry, made statements about the Tillman family'south search for the truth based on Tillman's atheism. In comments to ESPN, Kauzlarich said: "These people have a difficult fourth dimension letting it go. It may be considering of their religious beliefs" and "When y'all die, I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if y'all are an atheist and yous don't believe in anything, if you die, what is there to become to? Nix. You are worm dirt. So for their son to die for nothing and now he is no more than ... I do not know how an atheist thinks, I can simply imagine that would be pretty tough."^[61]

Kauzlarich conducted the second investigation into Tillman'due south death which lasted a week, from May 8 to 15, 2004.^[62] Brigadier Full general Rodney Johnson, the Commanding Full general of the United States Army Criminal Investigations Command, testified before Congress that he found these statements "totally unacceptable". Acting Section of Defence force Inspector General Thomas Gimble too testified that he was "shocked" that Lieutenant Colonel Kauzlarich would make these statements.^[63] According to AP assay, three lower-level officers are expected to exist punished, and Kauzlarich may be i of the three. Tillman's mother continues to reject the Pentagon'southward characterization of the officers' offenses as "errors" in reporting Tillman'southward death, because several officers accept said they fabricated conscious decisions not to tell the Tillman family that friendly fire was suspected.^[64]

Media analyses [edit]

Reviews past The New York Times reporter Dexter Filkins of Jon Krakauer's book Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman noted that the volume did well to compile the facts and "nauseating" details regarding the coverup of Tillman's death. "Later Tillman'southward death, Ground forces commanders violated many of their own rules, not to mention elementary standards of decency, to turn the killing into a propaganda coup for the American side," Filkins wrote.^[65]

A documentary pic, The Tillman Story, was shown at the Sundance Motion-picture show Festival on Jan 23, 2010, and was released in August 2010.^[66]

On October nineteen, 2006, Kevin Tillman broke his silence about his brother's death, lashing out at the Iraq War in a 660-word essay published on Truthdig, a progressive online periodical of news and opinion.^[67] The essay was widely distributed and was cited in The New York Times and Associated Press.^[68]

Personal life [edit]

Tillman was an atheist.^{[69] [lxx] [71] [72]} According to speakers at his funeral, he was very well-read, having read a number of religious texts including the Bible, Quran and the Book of Mormon besides equally transcendentalist authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Nonetheless, responding to religious overtones at the funeral by Maria Shriver and John McCain, his youngest brother, Richard, asserted that "Just make no mistake, he'd desire me to say this: He'due south not with God, he's fucking dead, he's non religious." Richard added, "Cheers for your thoughts, merely he's fuckin' dead."^[73] Another article quotes Tillman as having told then-full general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, Bob Ferguson, in December 2003, "You lot know I'g non religious."^[74]

The September 25, 2005, edition of the San Francisco Chronicle paper reported that Tillman held views which were critical of the Iraq War. According to Tillman's mother, a friend of Tillman had arranged a meeting for Tillman with author Noam Chomsky, a prominent critic of American strange and military policy, to have place afterward his return from Afghanistan.^[36]

See too [edit]

• James Traficant
• Paul Wellstone

• A Second Knock at the Door

References [edit]

1. ^ Multiple sources:
   • Rickey, Carrie (September ii, 2010). "Pat Tillman Documentary Follows Family's Quest for Answers". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved May 28, 2020.
   • Fish, Mike (July 19, 2006). "A Case of Fratricide: Who Killed Pat Tillman?". ABC News. ESPN. Retrieved June one, 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-condition (link)
   • "Soldier: Army ordered me not to tell truth nearly Tillman". CNN Inside Politics. April 25, 2007. Retrieved June i, 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
   • Devereaux, Ryan (August 28, 2017). "The NFL, the Military, and the Hijacking of Pat Tillman'due south Story". The Intercept . Retrieved June 1, 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
2. ^ Packwood, Hayden (November six, 2019). "On this day in 1976, an Arizona sports legend was born". KPNX 12News . Retrieved June 1, 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. ^ "Mary Tillman". The Women's Conference. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
4. ^ Johnson, Rafer (2010). Slap-up Athletes, Football. Pasadena, California: Salem Press. pp. 484, 485. ISBN9781587654763.
5. ^ "Pat Tillman Biography". 2006 A&E Boob tube Networks. Archived from the original on August thirteen, 2010. Retrieved August eleven, 2010.
6. ^ ^{a b} Krakauer, Jon (September sixteen, 2009). Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. Doubleday. p. 317. ISBN978-0-385-52226-7.
7. ^ Carson, Cunningham (2017). Fallen Stars: Five American Athletes Who Died in Military Service. Texas A&M University Press. p. 179. ISBN978-1623495602.
8. ^ Cluff, Jeremy (Apr nineteen, 2018). "Arizona Cardinals drafted Pat Tillman 20 years ago". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved June one, 2021. {{cite spider web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
9. ^ Stannard, Matthew B. (March 27, 2007). "In football and in life, Tillman was adamant, independent". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 25, 2007. Retrieved October i, 2017.
10. ^ Zimmerman, Paul (January 8, 2001). "Dr. Z'southward All-Pro Squad". Sports Illustrated Vault . Retrieved May 17, 2021. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-condition (link)
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Books [edit]

• Krakauer, Jon (2009). Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. Doubleday (September 15, 2009). ISBN978-0-385-52226-7.
• Tillman, Mary; Narda Zacchino (2008). Boots on the Ground past Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman. Modern Times. ISBN978-1-59486-880-one.
• Tillman, Mary; Narda Zacchino (2010). Boots On The Ground Past Dusk: Searching for Answers in the Expiry of Pat Tillman. Blurb, Inc.
• Towle, Mike (2004). I've got things to do with my life: the making of an American hero. Triumph Books. ISBN978-i-572-43708-i.

External links [edit]

• Career statistics and histrion information from NFL.com · ESPN · Yahoo! Sports · SI.com · Pro Football Reference
• Pat Tillman at the College Football Hall of Fame
• Pat Tillman Foundation
• Pat Tillman at Discover a Grave

How Many Former Army Football Players Were Killed In Service,

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman

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