Pat Tillman's Family Demands The Truth

[NATO AIR]

wow, tillman was not what we thought he was. And this is a good thing. So much more of his character and life is revealed in this story, it makes you appreciate the complexity of his beliefs and thoughts. (chomsky, aww, c'mon pat?!) The coverup behind his death is a disgrace.
And I personally appreciate how his parents have been graceful despite all the BS they've gone through, BS that would break cindy sheehan in a minute.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/25/MNGD7ETMNM1.DTL

FAMILY DEMANDS THE TRUTH
New inquiry may expose events that led to Pat Tillman’s death
Robert Collier, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, September 25, 2005
The battle between a grieving family and the U.S. military justice system is on display in thousands of pages of documents strewn across Mary Tillman’s dining room table in suburban San Jose.

As she pores through testimony from three previous Army investigations into the killing of her son, former football star Pat Tillman, by his fellow Army Rangers last year in Afghanistan, she hopes that a new inquiry launched in August by the Pentagon’s inspector general finally will answer the family’s questions:

Were witnesses allowed to change their testimony on key details, as alleged by one investigator? Why did internal documents on the case, such as the initial casualty report, include false information? When did top Pentagon officials know that Tillman’s death was caused by friendly fire, and why did they delay for five weeks before informing his family?

“There have been so many discrepancies so far that it’s hard to know what to believe,” Mary Tillman said. “There are too many murky details.” The files the family received from the Army in March are heavily censored, with nearly every page containing blacked-out sections; most names have been deleted. (Names for this story were provided by sources close to the investigation.) At least one volume was withheld altogether from the family, and even an Army press release given to the media has deletions. On her copies, Mary Tillman has added competing marks and scrawls — countless color-coded tabs and angry notes such as “Contradiction!” “Wrong!” and “????”

A Chronicle review of more than 2,000 pages of testimony, as well as interviews with Pat Tillman’s family members and soldiers who served with him, found contradictions, inaccuracies and what appears to be the military’s attempt at self-protection.

For example, the documents contain testimony of the first investigating officer alleging that Army officials allowed witnesses to change key details in their sworn statements so his finding that certain soldiers committed “gross negligence” could be softened.

Interviews also show a side of Pat Tillman not widely known — a fiercely independent thinker who enlisted, fought and died in service to his country yet was critical of President Bush and opposed the war in Iraq, where he served a tour of duty. He was an avid reader whose interests ranged from history books on World War II and Winston Churchill to works of leftist Noam Chomsky, a favorite author.

Unlike Cindy Sheehan — who has protested against President Bush because of the death of her son Casey in combat in Baghdad — Mary Tillman, 49, who teaches in a San Jose public junior high school, and her ex-husband, Patrick Tillman, 50, a San Jose lawyer, have avoided association with the anti-war movement. Their main public allies are Sen. John McCain, RAriz., and Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, who have lobbied on their behalf. Yet the case has high stakes because of Pat Tillman’s status as an all-American hero.

CONTINUE AT LINK

 

[speederdoc]

Pat Tillman was obviously a great American hero, as are all those brave soldiers who gave everything they had. I don't think that necessarily gives his parents the right to review all the documents regarding his death in a raw uncensored format.

I respect his parents for the way they are dealing with their son's loss and the unfortunate and inexcusable coverup afterwards, which obviously must be very difficult for them.

I hope they can find some peace and closure in all of this somehow.

 

[ElWingador]

Wow an enlisted man was critical of bush and doesnt like the war..what do you think of that folks ? You mean everyenlisted man doesnt like this war ? WOW guys, who would have thought that. How can troops not support the war ? Amazing.

 

[manu1959]

Wow an enlisted man was critical of bush and doesnt like the war..what do you think of that folks ? You mean everyenlisted man doesnt like this war ? WOW guys, who would have thought that. How can troops not support the war ? Amazing.

i think everyone is entitled to their opinion......just beacuse you have an opinon doesn't mean we have to do what you say

 

[ElWingador]

I never said you did. Nor did I say Simon says.

i think everyone is entitled to their opinion......just beacuse you have an opinon doesn't mean we have to do what you say

 

[trobinett]

I`m sure Pat Tillman is turning in his grave.

What ever happened to showing some respect for the dead?

Anyone ever hear of the "fog of war"?

Pat Tillman is a "hero", plain and simple.

All that`s happening now is a total disgrace.

It`s the liberal media, that push`s this kind of news, they are the one`s that should be ashamed.

My heart goes out to Pat Tillman`s family, but they aren`t helping matters. They need to put a period on it, and go on.

Damn people, we don`t have hero`s anymore, just targets for the media to tear down.

What a monster, and it devoures all in its sights.

I fine the whole matter sad beyond words.

 

[Gunny]

Pat Tillman's Family Demands The Truth

Truth: He's dead.

 

[trobinett]

GunnyL states:

Truth: He's dead.

I`d say that covers the subject about as well as it can be covered.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Truth: Your son gave up a $3.6 million, three year contract to tromp around a desert and get shot by his own side.

 

[trobinett]

Truth: Your son gave up a $3.6 million, three year contract to tromp around a desert and get shot by his own side.

Well, at least your honest.

We know from which direction your loyalities lie.

When in doubt, follow the money.

 

[Gunny]

Truth: Your son gave up a $3.6 million, three year contract to tromp around a desert and get shot by his own side.

What's your point? He gave up $3.6M to do what he thought was right. Some of us aren't so damned self-centered that we think this Nation is all about "me."

He was killed by accident. It happens. I realize you lefties think war should be conducted in a compltetely antiseptic, surgical manner with no overspill, but reality kind of slaps you in the face, don't it?

 

[NATO AIR]

What's your point? He gave up $3.6M to do what he thought was right. Some of us aren't so damned self-centered that we think this Nation is all about "me."

He was killed by accident. It happens. I realize you lefties think war should be conducted in a compltetely antiseptic, surgical manner with no overspill, but reality kind of slaps you in the face, don't it?

Gunny, I respect your opinion, but from the beginning, the Army bungled this thing with shameless disregard. His family has every reason to be outraged, as should every American. I hope beyond hope it was civilians at the Pentagon, not military brass, who pushed the debacle on and on.

Pat Tillman and his fellow Rangers, along with all of our men and women fighting overseas, are definite heroes. We don't need the Army whitewashing over details of their own mistakes that got him killed in order for us to be reminded of that.

The Army leadership dishonored Tillman's memory and service by pulling this crap.