So now the Army is going to do yet another investigation into the death of Pat Tillman. The fifth one.
Tillman was the National Football League player who put his professional career on hold to volunteer for the Army Special Forces after the terrorism at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. He was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004.
Some credit must be given for the willingness to perform investigation number five but, realistically, this is the least the Pentagon could do and it is taking place because of political pressure–not because it is the correct and moral thing to do.
Simply and directly put, the military powers-that-be have desecrated Pat Tillman and his family. Yes, desecrated. Harsh but deserving.
Within the military, it was known something was highly irregular soon after Tillman’s unfortunate death. The initial investigation spilled some of the truth–that Tillman’s death was due to “gross negligence.”
Did that stop the military from ‘using’ the casualty of Pat Tillman for outlandish selfish purposes? Not a bit. The PR machines overheated, lauding Tillman for giving his life in a heroic fight against the enemy. ESPN televised Tillman’s funeral. The ruse was working.
But in June, 2005 the Army apologized for providing such a misleading impression.
But by then, the Tillman family had experienced enough. They prevailed on various politicos to pressure the Army to look further into the actual scenario surrounding Tillman’s fatality.
Now, an Army inspector general has determined a criminal investigation is appropriate. Some in Tillman’s unit have already been disciplined, some removed from the unit.
But there is no interest or intent to determine who was behind the heartless charade that had led to five investigations and a torturous path for the Tillmans..
What does this tell to others in service to our country?
You don’t matter, nor do your survivors and their feelings.
Rank has its privilege.
