Former NFL player Pat Tillman killed in action

Tillman killed in action

Former Cardinals safety was serving in U.S. Army in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former NFL player Pat Tillman was killed Thursday while serving as an Army Special Forces soldier on a mission in southeastern Afghanistan, Pentagon officials have told CNN.

Tillman, who walked away from a $3.6 million contract as a safety with the Arizona Cardinals to join the military, was in an area where numerous U.S. troops have been killed in battles with suspected al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

He was serving as an Army Ranger, part of the Army's Special Forces. Tillman played for the Cardinals from 1998-2001.

More details are forthcoming.



source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/nfl/04/23/tillman.killed/index.html?cnn=yes

 

Tillman follows beat of a different drum

By Tom Barnidge
NFL Insider

(March 20, 2003) -- Those who know Pat Tillman know that he always has welcomed a challenge.

As a youth, he high-dived from bridges and cliffs. At Arizona State, he hopped the fence at Sun Devil Stadium and climbed a light tower. Before reporting for training camp with the Arizona Cardinals two years ago, he competed in a 70-mile triathlon.

"He's like Forrest Gump. He tries everything," says Frank Sanders, his former teammate.

So no one should have been surprised last spring when Tillman, entering his fourth NFL season, shucked it all and joined his brother, Kevin, in setting out to become an Army Ranger. What's a three-year, $3.6 million pro football contract when you can collect $18,000 a year from Uncle Sam?


Pat Tillman gave up the glamour of the NFL to serve his country.

"Pat has very deep and true convictions," Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis said at the time. "He's a deep thinker, and believe me, this was something he thought out."

Tillman made no public statement. He wasn't in this for the publicity. But you didn't need to dig too deeply to find an explanation for his actions. Friends said that the 9/11 terrorist attacks had affected him deeply. Cardinals defensive coordinator Larry Marmie, after a conversation with his former player, said Tillman felt he needed to "pay something back" for the comfortable life he had been afforded.

Whatever his rationale, he clearly was serious about his pursuit. He and Kevin completed basic training in July and advanced through individual training in October. They graduated from parachute school in November, and completed the Ranger Indoctrination Program in December. Just that quickly, Tillman was assigned to the second battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington.

"He's a full-fledged Ranger now," Army spokesperson Carol Darby reported. "He's ready for combat. He will move with his unit for whatever that unit is involved in."

The 75th Ranger Regiment was deployed recently, presumably to the Middle East. If the description that the Army attaches to the unit ("flexible, highly trained, and rapidly deployed light infantry force with specialized skills") is any measure, the 75th likely will wind up in the middle of the most serious action.

You can be sure that Tillman will be prepared for the challenge. He succeeds at just about everything he sets out to do.

Consider…

He arrived at Arizona State in 1994 on the school's last remaining football scholarship, landing a spot on the end of the bench, where dreams go to expire. He left four seasons later as the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

He was selected by the Cardinals with the 226th pick of the 1998 draft -- the league packed up and went home after pick 241 -- and five months later, he was Arizona's starting strong safety.

This is a fellow who doesn't know the meaning of fail -- on the field, in the classroom, or anywhere else. He had a 3.84 grade-point average at ASU and graduated with a degree in marketing in 3½ years.

Pat Tillman is nothing if not unusual. In college, he played linebacker, where he was thought to be too small. In the NFL, he played safety, where he was thought to be too slow. When he set a club record for tackles in 2000 and attracted the interest of another team, the St. Louis Rams, he declined their five-year offer sheet out of loyalty to the club that had drafted him.

NFL players hardly have been strangers to military service. Roger Staubach served four years after graduating from the Naval Academy before joining the Dallas Cowboys as a 27-year-old rookie in 1969. Rocky Bleier of the Pittsburgh Steelers nearly lost a leg to a land mine when he did a tour of duty in Vietnam.

But the list of names grows a little shorter when it comes to NFL players who have walked away from million-dollar contracts in the prime of their careers.

The story that comes to mind is one told by Bruce Snyder, Tillman's coach at Arizona State. It seems that Snyder planned to redshirt Tillman as a freshman, extending his eligibility by a season. Of course, that would necessitate Tillman remaining in college for an extra year.

"You can do whatever you want with me," Tillman said, "but in four years I'm gone. I've got things to do with my life."

Obviously, he still does.



Source: http://www.nfl.com/insider/story/5701425

[ 23. April 2004, 10:13 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

The NFL’s Lonely Hero

By Paul Beston

Watching football on Thanksgiving weekend reminded me of younger days when the NFL was a passion of mine. In recent years it has become more of a diversionary interest, and I no longer know who is who, or which teams are the ones to beat. While the league is still blessed with some admirable players, the ones I tend to remember now, unfortunately, are those who behave notoriously off the field or insufferably on it. But sitting among family on the holiday, I happily remembered Pat Tillman, the best story the NFL has had in many years.

Pat Tillman was the starting strong safety for the Arizona Cardinals when the 9/11 attacks occurred. He played out the 2001 season and then with his brother Kevin, a former minor league baseball player, enlisted in the Army Rangers. In doing so, Tillman walked away from a three-year, $3.6 million dollar contract with the Cardinals for an $18,000 salary and plentiful opportunities to get his head shot off. That hasn't happened yet, and God willing it won't. But the pay cut kicked in right away.

Some Internet surfing revealed that the Tillman brothers are currently deployed somewhere in the Middle East with the elite 75th Ranger Regiment. On the weekend before Thanksgiving, the brothers spoke briefly with their parents, who do not know where they are or what mission they are pursuing. They do know that their sons were in Iraq in the spring during the height of the fighting, and that this summer they were briefly stateside at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington.

Outside of an ESPY award earlier this year and the occasional column, Tillman's story has gotten little press, but it's not all the media's fault. For one thing, as Tillman's parents well know, there is precious little information. For another, the Tillmans have not granted a single interview since their enlistment. Apparently determined that their endeavor not be construed as self-aggrandizing or insincere, they have simply done what they said they would do -- leave behind the fantasy world of sports to serve their country.

It would be a remarkable story in any time, but in a more cynical age it is nothing short of breathtaking. Imagine a 26-year old American male, talented enough to play in the National Football League and earn millions of dollars, leaving because he felt he had more important things to do. What could be more important than riches and fame? Why sacrifice when our culture so often portrays sacrifice as the preserve of misfits and losers? For many observers, Tillman's decision had to have an explanation more rational, and less abstract, than mere nobility.

Certainly that was the attitude of Tillman's former teammate Simeon Rice, who now plays with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rice suggested that Tillman might be joining the army because he wasn't a very good football player anyway. While Tillman was not an All-Pro, he did set a Cardinals team record with 224 tackles in 2000. Even if Rice's charge were true, it takes an especially small person to voice such a thought publicly. But then the NFL happens to be densely populated with such men, including Rice's Tampa Bay teammate, the repulsive Warren Sapp.

In his inability to understand Tillman's patriotism, Rice no doubt spoke for many of his NFL colleagues. His incomprehension was further in evidence when, prompted by an interviewer, he acknowledged that his former teammate's decision was "admirable." Did Rice belatedly realize that it was patriotism -- one of the oldest virtues -- that had motivated Tillman? Of course not:

"Maybe it was the Rambo movies?" he asked. "Maybe it's Sylvester Stallone and Rocky?"

Right. If it isn't pure self-interest, then it must be unadulterated fantasy. Such is the mentality of a good portion of professional athletes today, particularly in the NFL, a once-proud league now overrun by exhibitionists whose constant preening is often difficult to distinguish from professional wrestling.

While media coverage of the Tillman story has been very positive, a subtle "wait and see" attitude prevails in some of the pieces that have been written, as if some revelation about a big-bucks contract, or perhaps a movie deal, will surface sooner or later to compromise his decision. The "mystery" some commentators see in Tillman's actions is almost certainly the result of his refusal to grant interviews; if he would only sit for a weepy tell-all, all of their doubts could be put to rest.

For most normal people, though, the story is pretty simple -- somewhere in the Middle East, Pat Tillman is serving the United States because he believes it is his duty. Meanwhile, back in the NFL, a contingent of helmeted narcissists -- Rice, Sapp, Jeremy Shockey, take your pick -- grow rich. The closest any of them will come to war is in the numbing military metaphors that have long been part of the repertoire of NFL players, coaches and broadcasters.

Pat Tillman knows where the real war is, which is why he left the fake one behind. If he decides to return to football when his three-year tour of duty is up, he would have the impact of a human disinfectant on the NFL. And his fellow players would owe him their gratitude -- even Simeon Rice, assuming he can reach that high.


Paul Beston, formerly of New York City, is now a writer in Michigan.


Source: http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=5857

[ 23. April 2004, 10:18 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

In the Army

Cardinals' Tillman gives up NFL career to serve country
Posted: Thursday May 23, 2002 8:40 PM
Updated: Friday May 24, 2002 4:43 PM

PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman is giving up the NFL for the Army.

Tillman said Thursday he is enlisting in the Army for three years. Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis said Tillman, a two-year starter at free safety, wants to go through boot camp and join the elite Rangers program with his younger brother, Kevin, an infielder who spent last year with the Cleveland Indians' organization.

"This is very serious with Pat," McGinnis said. "It's very personal, and I honor that. I honor the integrity of that. It was not a snap decision he woke up and made yesterday. This has been an ongoing process, and he feels very strongly about it."

Tillman, a California native who was married two weeks ago and returned from a honeymoon in Bora Bora on Monday, talked to Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill, McGinnis and defensive coordinator Larry Marmie in separate interviews Wednesday. He could not be reached for comment.

His agent, Frank Bauer, called the decision consistent with his client's contemplative, nonmaterialistic nature.

Most football players fit into a box. They're big, fast and strong (duh); they submit to authority without resistance; and if asked to define introspection, they would say it's what happens when the defense picks off a pass. Those who don't fit into the box rarely succeed at a major program. Then there is Arizona State senior linebacker Pat Tillman. Full Story

Tillman, an unrestricted free agent, spurned a $9 million, five-year offer sheet from the St. Louis Rams in 2001 and allowed a multiyear deal with the Cardinals to sit on the table this spring despite Bauer's urging to sign.

"This is very consistent with how he conducts his life," Bauer said. "Patty is the type of guy who is very smart and very loyal. I remember when the Rams made their offer, he said, 'No, I want to stay with the Cardinals. If I have to play for the minimum, I don't care.' He axed the offer sheet and played another year. But he's always had a blueprint for what he wants to do. Now everything else is on the back burner."

Tillman, 25, never tired of football, but felt his hand was forced by the military's age restriction on entry in special forces units, Bauer said. The agent said Tillman hopes to resume his NFL career when his enlistment is up.

Newlywed Marie Tillman supports her husband's decision to leave one rugged profession for a more dangerous one, Bauer said.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Tillman has always been distinguished by his appetite for rugged play and intelligence. As an undersized linebacker at Arizona State, he was the Pac-10's defensive player of the year in 1997.

He warmed up for last year's training camp by competing in a 70.2-mile triathlon in June, and he finished his fourth NFL year with 478 career tackles and three interceptions.

As a scholar, Tillman carried a 3.84 grade point average through college and graduated summa cum laude in 31/2 academic years with a degree in marketing.

"The guy has got something to him, and that's why I wanted him on the team all these years," McGinnis said.

source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2002/05/23/cards_tillman_ap/

 

Yeah, I justb heard this sad news on the radio on my way here to use the library computer.

If anyone can now be called a HERO, it is this guy. Jessica Lynch should be embarassed for accepting and not returning that Bronze Star.

 

So what about the other 100something soldiers killed in Afganistan? Or the other 700something soldiers killed in Iraq? No movies or books about them.

 

True, Framert. But books will be written en BS movies made on what is going on and the people whose lives were lost.

My point; how many millionairs walk away from their 'chusy' jobs to enlist and put their lives on the line?

Here are some sites which honor ALL KIA's in Iraq and Afganistan. Mind you, Crapgame did a great job honoring EVERY casualty on this very site untill that thread was lost to insanity:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/iraq/casualties/facesofthefallen.htm

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/

http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/chronlist.html

http://www.lvmv.com/killed_in_iraq.htm

http://www.army.mil/features/gratefulnation/

[ 23. April 2004, 01:17 PM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

No dis-respect intended. But what about Joe "average" who joins the National Guard to make a little extra money for his family only to get it by a sniper,human-bomb,car-bomb or RPG? His death is just another statistic on the back page of the newspaper. So was J.Lynch the only "celebrity" taken hostage?

 

Your BOTH correct but, Stevin really does hit on a great point here. WHat he is basically trying to say is, just how many others would have thought so much about their country like Pat did, giving up becoming a millionnaire, to join the military to fight for his country and possibly give his life for us. I cannot see many people doing that these days.

For what he did, in my book more than makes him a hero. A Hero jessica lynch is not.

Pat, this is for you buddy Rest in Peace.

I almost forgot to add that the others definately are not forgotten. As long as we think about them, they are still alive.

 

Thank goodness there are a few die-hard patriots left in America who know what is REALLY important for claiming to be a citizen of this great and mighty land!

 

Not in my book, by NO means. Their efforts and sacrifices are just as valid as those of the likes of Tillman. In death it doesn't matter anyway. What remains is the pain with those who who loved and cared for them.

As I said, Deep Web Driver, formally known as Crapgame, had a great thread going here, listing every casualty.

This very subject, the "Joe Average" casualties of war, are very much of interest to me. For the last 17 years I have been researching the lives of the Allied soldiers KIA in the Netherlands during WW2. My parents took me to a cemetery when I was young and when we walked along those rows of white markers, I wanted to know who these people actually were. They are more than just a name on a marker. They were somebody's son, brother, uncle, husband, father...

I m still working on my site, trying to make it into a fitting tribute to those people who live in the hearts of their loved ones, but are buried here in my country were few, if any people, know who they are.

I very much get your point, framert. And I couldn't agree with you more. I was just struck by this story...as Carl said, that kind of 'weighing the priorities', I don't see that often. Again, taking nothing away from the sacrifices of the less well-to-do servicemen and -women. Tillman's sacrifice is not bigger because he walked away from a wife, family, a NFL career and $3.6 million. It was just the priorities he set for himself that struck me.

[ 23. April 2004, 02:24 PM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

I'm European.

I never knew a Pat Tillman before I read his name here.

After reading this, I know that Pat Tillman was a popular sportsman.
I did not know Pat Tillman before I read his name here.

A lot of good people have lost their lifes in the war against terror.

Pat Tillman is one of them.

I never knew a Pat Tillman before I read his name here.

I know other names, not as familiar to the masses as Pat Tillman was, people who lost their lifes and health in the war against terror.

Nobody mentioned their names. And if they are mentionioned, they were forgotten in a second.

Maybe Pat Tillman was a star, a celebrity, certainly he wasn't one for me. He was just another guy dying for me. Not better than the others, not worse.

I would be ashamed onf myself if I would remeber _HIS_ name and not the one of all the others.


Cheers,

[ 23. April 2004, 05:38 PM: Message edited by: AndyW ]

 

United States Department of Defense
News Release

No. 366-04
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2004

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Patrick D. Tillman, 27, of Chandler, Ariz., died April 22, in Afghanistan when his patrol vehicle came under attack. Spc. Tillman was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.

The incident is under investigation.

* * * * * * * * * *

NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND

April 23, 2004
Release Number: 04-04-35C

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COALITION SOLDIER KILLED IN ACTION

KABUL, Afghanistan - On April 22nd, at about 7:30 PM local time, a coalition combat patrol was ambushed near the village of Sperah, 40 kilometers Southwest of Khowst.

The enemy action was immediately responded to by the coalition patrol with direct fire and a firefight ensued.

During the engagement, one coalition soldier was killed and two wounded. One Afghan Militia Force soldier was also killed. The enemy broke contact during the engagement.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of the fallen soldier.

* * * * * * * * * *

U.S. Senator John McCain
Arizona

MCCAIN STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF PAT TILLMAN

For Immediate Release
Friday, Apr 23, 2004

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) issued the following statement on the combat death of Pat Tillman:

"I am heartbroken today by the news of Pat Tillman's death. The tragic loss of this extraordinary young man will seem a heavy blow to our nation's morale, as it is surely a grievous injury to his loved ones. Many American families have suffered the same terrible sacrifice that Pat's family must now bear, and the patriotism that their loved ones' exemplified is as fine and compelling as Pat's. But there is in Pat Tillman's example, in his unexpected choice of duty to his country over the riches and other comforts of celebrity, and in his humility, such an inspiration to all of us to reclaim the essential public-spiritedness of Americans that many of us, in low moments, had worried was no longer our common distinguishing trait.

"When Pat made his choice to leave the NFL and became an Army Ranger, he declined requests for interviews because he viewed his decision as no more patriotic than that of his less fortunate, less renowned countrymen who loved our country enough to volunteer to defend her in a time of peril. It is that first lesson of patriotism that we should reaffirm in our own lives as we celebrate the courageous life and mourn the heroic death of this most honorable American."

* * * * * * * * * *

Defend America
U.S. Department of Defense News About the War on Terrorism

U.S. Army Spc.'s Kevin & Pat Tillman; Ranger Brothers Get ESPY Award

July 2003

By Alfonso Lopez / Army News Service

WASHINGTON -- Brothers Kevin and Pat Tillman, both Army specialists with the 75th Ranger Regiment, were presented with a distinctive award July 16 during the 2003 ESPY Awards on ESPN.

The brothers were chosen as the recipients of the 11th annual Arthur Ashe Courage Award. This award is given to those who serve a greater good outside the sporting arena, officials said.

The two are known for trading in their team uniforms for BDUs. Both had flourishing sporting careers. Pat played football for four seasons as a safety for the Arizona Cardinals. Kevin played baseball for the Cleveland Indians' minor league team.

The brothers were deeply impacted by the Sept. 11 attacks, according to family and friends. It was the catalyst for pushing them to enlist. Pat turned down a $3.6 million contract with the Cardinals to join the Army. Kevin ended his baseball career for the same reason.

Pat and Kevin both signed up for three years with the Army. They soon earned their place with the elite Army Rangers. There they were able to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom, from where they recently returned.

They maintained a low profile while they served, said Lt. Col. Don Sondo, deputy commander of Infantry Trainning Brigade. They did not want special treatment for their celebrity status. The difference between sports and combat is the cost of being wrong, said Sondo. In a sport, you lose a game, Sondo said, adding that in combat you lose lives.

Sondo said the Tillman brothers fully integrated themselves to the Ranger team.

Younger brother Richard Tillman was not shocked when he heard of Kevin and Pat's decision. They had talked about it for a long time, he said. He pointed out that they would look up at pilots flying over the stadium during their games and think, "this is a game, what am I doing...I'm playing a sport."

Throughout their enlistment and service, the brothers have refused to give interviews.

"Pat and Kevin don't think they are better than anyone else," said Richard.

They do not feel that the soldiers fighting alongside them are giving any less than they themselves are, he said.

Family and friends said the brothers are no strangers to obstacles. "No one could be harder on them than them," Richard said. Pat for one attended Arizona State, being the last chosen scholarship recipient.

Actor Keifer Sutherland presented the Espy award to Richard. He said that he proudly accepted the award on behalf of his brothers. The ceremony was the first public discussion by family and friends about Pat and Kevin.

A video presentation showed clips of the Tillmans from youth to enlistment. Family and friends spoke highly in the video.

"You'll spot a Tillman from a mile away," said high school coach Scott Gillis, mentioning how they stuck out in crowd.

"Pat and Kevin always try to save the day," said Richard.

The three brothers were very close growing up and never had jealousy issues, said their father Patrick Tillman. "They believed family was more important than everything," added Richard.

Richard concluded by thanking the Ashe family, his parents, and his sister-in-law. He then thanked the men and women of, "special operations for the freedoms we've become accustomed to."



National Infantry Museum: Ranger Memorial

Ranger Memorial.
Dedicated to all Rangers
Past, Present and Future

[ 24. April 2004, 01:26 AM: Message edited by: Deep Web Diver ]

 

the point is that he turned down 3.6 million dollars to be a ranger. Name anyone who's done that? Pat Tillman is a hero who served his coutry with pride and unlike Lynch he had his weapon loaded and he was a RANGER.

[ 24. April 2004, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: VYACHESLAV ]

 

To those who are bad-mouthing Jessica Lynch, or any other member of the military services, please establish your credentials by identifying your unit, rank, and dates of service in the Armed Forces of your country.

To those who can't, please remove one unearned medal or rank from your displays here.

- Patrick Skelly
9377th Ordnance Technical Unit, US Army Ballistic Missile Agency;
SP-5, 1954-1957 active plus 5 years reserve.

 

United States Department of Defense
American Forces Information Service

Former Football Star Killed in Afghanistan

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2004 - He was so moved by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, that he turned down a $3.6 million professional football contract to become an Army Ranger.

Spc. Pat Tillman, 27, who was deployed with the 75th Ranger Regiment from Fort Benning, Ga., was killed April 22 during a firefight in southeastern Afghanistan. The Defense Department confirmed the soldier's identity late April 23.

U.S. Central Command officials said Tillman was part of a coalition combat patrol that was ambushed near the village of Sperah, 40 kilometers southwest of Khowst. The patrol responded immediately with direct fire, and a firefight ensued before the enemy broke contact. Tillman and an Afghan Militia Force soldier were killed during the engagement, and two coalition soldiers were wounded, officials said.

Tillman and his brother, Spc. Kevin Tillman, made national news when they walked away from careers as professional athletes to join the Army. Pat Tillman played four seasons with the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals before enlisting in May 2002. Kevin Tillman played minor league baseball in the Cleveland Indians organization.

Both brothers earned their place among the elite Army Rangers and served together in the same battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Last July, the Tillman brothers also won the Arthur Ashe Courage award at the 11th annual ESPY Awards on ESPN. The award is presented to those who serve a greater good outside the sporting arena, officials said.

Officials said both brothers shunned publicity and maintained a low profile while they served. Army Lt. Col. Don Sondo, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Infantry Training Brigade at Fort Benning, Ga., told the Army News Service neither wanted special treatment for their celebrity status. The difference between sports and combat is the cost of being wrong, said Sondo. In a sport, you lose a game; in combat, you lose lives, he said.

Today the military and sports communities alike mourned the loss of a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror.

Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwell remembered Tillman's determination, focus and fierce sense of competition and called his death "a terrible loss for the National Football League and the Arizona Cardinals." "In sports, we have a tendency to overuse terms like 'courage' and 'bravery,' and 'heroes,'" Bidwell said. "Then someone special like Pat Tillman comes along. And it reminds us what those terms really mean." Bidwell said the Cardinals and the NFL "were privileged to have Pat Tillman in its family and we are all weaker today following his loss."

The Cardinals announced the team is retiring Tillman's number 40, and that the perimeter of their new stadium, scheduled to open in 2006, will be named "Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza." The team also is joining with Arizona State University, where Tillman played his college football, to establish a scholarship.

"Pat knew his purpose in life," said former Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis. "He proudly walked away from a career in football to a greater calling, which was to protect and defend our country. Pat represents those who have and will make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I am overwhelmed with a sense of sorrow, but I also feel a tremendous feeling of pride for him and his service."

Pete Kendall of the Arizona Cardinals, Tillman's former teammate, said Tillman's loss underscores the sacrifices America's armed forces make on a daily basis during the war on terror. "My thoughts and my prayers go out to his wife, his brother, his family, and to all the servicemen and women who are making this sacrifice for us every day," he said.

"Pat Tillman personified all the best values of his country and the NFL. He was an achiever and leader on many levels who always put his team, his community and his country ahead of his personal interests," said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "Like other men and women protecting our freedom around the world, Pat made the ultimate sacrifice and gave his life in the service of our country."

White House spokesman Taylor Gross called Tillman "an inspiration both on and off the football field."

"As with all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror, his family is in the thoughts and prayers of President and Mrs. Bush," Gross said.

 

If we're going down this path, we'd better restrict all future subjects like "Best General", or "Best Weapon", to members who have actually been in the forces. Then the forum really will go to Hell in a handcart as well as being sued for misrepresenting itself as a "discussion" forum.

Regards,

Gordon

 

MHN, im GOING to continue to "bad mouth" lynch untill this non hero returns a Bronze Star that is not rightly hers. The proper Laurels that belong to those killed in action are not theirs BECAUSE they want to give it all to her.

You forget, I was given that right by said soldiers to speak my opinion. That is an exercise I plan on continuing to do Mr Spec 5. THAT is my given right because I am an American.

[ 25. April 2004, 02:59 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]

 

Gents, come on! With all respect but Jessica Lynch was in Iraq defending that right, Carl! She was out there, supporting her combat colleagues when she got caught in the shit herself and saw half her unit wiped out. She was wounded taken POW. More than enough in my book to earn my respect. No matter what happened to her afterwards.

If you want to be upset, be upset with the people wagging the dog and putting her in that situation. Getting the Bronze Star wasn't her idea either. As for her giving it back...I think that would be a bit much to ask, don't you think? A lot of soldiers (do I dare mention the rear area officers in HQ's?) got that medal and other for far, far less.

I really don't think it is our place to be her judge.

Anyway, I would appreciate it if we could keep this thread OT, please.

 

Front page article of today's newspaper reads:"Boats explode near oil facilities". Suicide attackers detonated explosive-laden boats near oil facilities,killing two US Navy sailors.Blah,blah.Elsewhere,violence across Iraq killed at least 33 Iraqis and four American soldiers. Blah,blah....contined on back page. No names. No pictures.No continuing coverage on every news channel.That's my point. The media has alot to do with this, I'm sure.