PsychoSword
Moderator
Just Like Jessica Lynch: Army Spun Web of Lies Around Death of Ex-football Star and Special Forces’ Pat Tillman
http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=475
Blue Lemur | December 7, 2004
In the second part of a two-part series, the Washington Post’s Steve Coll guts the military’s glittery narrative of the death of football star Pat Tillman who was killed by friendly fire in southeastern Afghanistan. Days after Pat Tillman died, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command released a brief account of his last moments, a narrative which the Post discovers was deliberately distorted and incomplete. The article is long and recommended reading in full for those registered with the Post.
The statement awarded Tillman a posthumous Silver Star for combat valor and described how a section of his Ranger platoon came under attack.
“He ordered his team to dismount and then maneuvered the Rangers up a hill near the enemy’s location,” the release said. “As they crested the hill, Tillman directed his team into firing positions and personally provided suppressive fire … Tillman’s voice was heard issuing commands to take the fight to the enemy forces.”
It was a stirring tale and fitting eulogy for the Army’s most famous volunteer in the war on terrorism, a charismatic former pro football star whose reticence, courage and handsome beret-draped face captured for many Americans the best aspects of the country’s post-Sept. 11 character.
It was also a distorted and incomplete narrative, according to dozens of internal Army documents obtained by The Washington Post that describe Tillman’s death by fratricide after a chain of botched communications, a misguided order to divide his platoon over the objection of its leader and undisciplined firing by fellow Rangers.
The Army’s public release made no mention of friendly fire, even though at the time it was issued, investigators in Afghanistan had already taken at least 14 sworn statements from Tillman’s platoon members that made clear the true causes of his death. The statements included a searing account from the Ranger nearest Tillman during the firefight, who quoted him as shouting “Cease fire! Friendlies!” with his last breaths.
Army records show Tillman fought bravely during his final battle. He followed orders, never wavered and at one stage proposed discarding his heavy body armor, apparently because he wanted to charge a distant ridge occupied by the enemy, an idea his immediate superior rejected, witness statements show.
But the Army’s published account not only withheld all evidence of fratricide, but it exaggerated Tillman’s role and stripped his actions of their context. Tillman was not one of the senior commanders on the scene – he directed only himself, one other Ranger and an Afghan militiaman, under supervision from others. And witness statements in the Army’s files at the time of the press release describe Tillman’s voice ringing out on the battlefield mainly in a desperate effort, joined by other Rangers on his ridge, to warn comrades to stop shooting at their own men.
The Army’s April 30 press release was just one
episode in a broader Army effort to manage the uncomfortable facts of Pat Tillman’s death, according to internal records and interviews.
During several weeks of memorials that followed Tillman’s death, commanders at his 75th Ranger Regiment and their superiors hid the truth about friendly fire from Tillman’s brother Kevin, who had fought with Pat in the same platoon, but was not involved in the firing incident and did not know the cause of his brother’s death. Commanders also withheld the facts from Tillman’s widow, his parents, national politicians and the public, according to records and interviews with sources involved in the case.
http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=475
Blue Lemur | December 7, 2004
In the second part of a two-part series, the Washington Post’s Steve Coll guts the military’s glittery narrative of the death of football star Pat Tillman who was killed by friendly fire in southeastern Afghanistan. Days after Pat Tillman died, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command released a brief account of his last moments, a narrative which the Post discovers was deliberately distorted and incomplete. The article is long and recommended reading in full for those registered with the Post.
The statement awarded Tillman a posthumous Silver Star for combat valor and described how a section of his Ranger platoon came under attack.
“He ordered his team to dismount and then maneuvered the Rangers up a hill near the enemy’s location,” the release said. “As they crested the hill, Tillman directed his team into firing positions and personally provided suppressive fire … Tillman’s voice was heard issuing commands to take the fight to the enemy forces.”
It was a stirring tale and fitting eulogy for the Army’s most famous volunteer in the war on terrorism, a charismatic former pro football star whose reticence, courage and handsome beret-draped face captured for many Americans the best aspects of the country’s post-Sept. 11 character.
It was also a distorted and incomplete narrative, according to dozens of internal Army documents obtained by The Washington Post that describe Tillman’s death by fratricide after a chain of botched communications, a misguided order to divide his platoon over the objection of its leader and undisciplined firing by fellow Rangers.
The Army’s public release made no mention of friendly fire, even though at the time it was issued, investigators in Afghanistan had already taken at least 14 sworn statements from Tillman’s platoon members that made clear the true causes of his death. The statements included a searing account from the Ranger nearest Tillman during the firefight, who quoted him as shouting “Cease fire! Friendlies!” with his last breaths.
Army records show Tillman fought bravely during his final battle. He followed orders, never wavered and at one stage proposed discarding his heavy body armor, apparently because he wanted to charge a distant ridge occupied by the enemy, an idea his immediate superior rejected, witness statements show.
But the Army’s published account not only withheld all evidence of fratricide, but it exaggerated Tillman’s role and stripped his actions of their context. Tillman was not one of the senior commanders on the scene – he directed only himself, one other Ranger and an Afghan militiaman, under supervision from others. And witness statements in the Army’s files at the time of the press release describe Tillman’s voice ringing out on the battlefield mainly in a desperate effort, joined by other Rangers on his ridge, to warn comrades to stop shooting at their own men.
The Army’s April 30 press release was just one
episode in a broader Army effort to manage the uncomfortable facts of Pat Tillman’s death, according to internal records and interviews.
During several weeks of memorials that followed Tillman’s death, commanders at his 75th Ranger Regiment and their superiors hid the truth about friendly fire from Tillman’s brother Kevin, who had fought with Pat in the same platoon, but was not involved in the firing incident and did not know the cause of his brother’s death. Commanders also withheld the facts from Tillman’s widow, his parents, national politicians and the public, according to records and interviews with sources involved in the case.
I was going to remark, "unbelievable", but I am hearing so much of this stuff, post 9/11, that it is getting downright scary! For example, "Well, I agree that the Patriot Act, and other post 9/11 legislation may be a violation of my Constitutional Rights, but if it will keep terrorists from attacking us, then I "guess" it's not so bad?" Yeah, and the former countries of East Berlin, and the U.S.S.R, and today's communist China, were/are pretty "safe & secure" places to live in too, (does it may you feel all warm and cozy?). So should we just turn America into a Police State and be "really secure"?? I hope not! 
If you want true freedom, then you must willing to allow for an increased level of risk (it's a fine balancing act). 