Pat Tillman

[jasonxctf]

Report of Tillman's death describes friendly fire horror

Sunday, December 5, 2004 Posted: 9:55 PM EST (0255 GMT)

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The last minutes of Pat Tillman's life were a horror of misdirected machine-gun fire and signals to firing colleagues that were misunderstood as hostile acts, according to an account published Sunday of the death of the NFL player-turned-soldier.

 

It took the Army a month to change the record to show that Tillman, the Arizona Cardinals defensive back who gave up a $3.6 million contract to become an Army Ranger, was killed last April not by Afghan guerrillas but by his Ranger colleagues.

 

Even then, the statement by Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr., head of the Army's Special Operations Command, gave few specifics of the corporal's death and implied that he was trying to suppress enemy fire when he "probably died as a result of friendly fire."

 

The Washington Post on Sunday, in the first article of a two-part series, published what it described as the first full telling of how and why Tillman died. The newspaper said it had access to "dozens of witness statements, e-mails, investigation findings, logbooks, maps and photographs."

 

A series of mishaps and missteps began the chain of events that resulted in Tillman's death in eastern Afghanistan, the newspaper said. A Humvee broke down, which led to the splitting up of his platoon.

 

The segment of the platoon with Tillman, Serial One, passed through a canyon and was near its north rim. The other segment, Serial Two, changed its plans because of poor roads and followed the same route into the canyon. It came under fire from Afghan Taliban fighters.

 

Men in Serial One heard an explosion that preceded the attack, and Tillman and two other fire team leaders were ordered to head toward the attackers, the Post said. The canyon's walls prevented them from radioing their positions to their colleagues, just as Serial Two had not radioed its change in plans.

 

Tillman's group moved toward the north-south ridge to face the canyon, and Tillman took another Ranger and an Afghan ally down the slope.

 

"As they pulled alongside the ridge, the gunners poured an undisciplined barrage of hundreds of rounds into the area Tillman and other members of Serial One had taken up positions," the Post said Army investigators concluded. It said the gunner handling the platoon's only .50-caliber machine gun fired every round he had.

 

The first to die was the Afghan, whom the Americans in the canyon mistook for a Taliban fighter.

 

Under fire, Tillman and almost a dozen others on the ridge "shouted, they waved their arms, and they screamed some more," the Post said.

 

"Then Tillman 'came up with the idea to let a smoke grenade go.' As its thick smoke unfurled, 'This stopped the friendly contact for a few moments,"' a Ranger was quoted as saying.

 

Assuming the friendly fire had stopped, the Ranger said, he and his comrades emerged and talked with each other, the Post reported.

 

"Suddenly, he saw the attacking Humvee move into 'a better position to fire on us.' He heard a new machine gun burst and hit the ground, praying, as Pat Tillman fell," the Post reported.

 

The Ranger said Tillman had repeatedly screamed out his name and shouted for the shooting to stop, the Post said. He and others waved their arms, only attracting more fire. Tillman was shot repeatedly by rifles, finally succumbing to the machine gun.

 

Early in the firing, the Post said, the driver of one of the Serial Two vehicles pulled out of the canyon and recognized the parked U.S. Army vehicles in front of him.

 

"The driver shouted twice: 'We have friendlies on top!' ... Then he yelled several more times to cease fire, he recalled.

 

"'No one heard me."'

 

The second part of the Post series, published on the newspaper's Web site Sunday night, tells of "a broader Army effort to manage the uncomfortable facts of Pat Tillman's death."

 

"Commemorations of Tillman's courage and sacrifice offered contrasting images of honorable service, undisturbed by questions about possible command or battlefield mistakes," the Post reported.

 

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, told the Post, "You may have at least a subconscious desire here to portray the situation in the best light, which may not have been totally justified."

 

Mary Tillman told the Post that when she learned friendly fire had killed her son: "I was upset about it, but I thought, 'Well, accidents happen.' Then when I found out that it was because of huge negligence at places along the way -- you have time to process that and you really get annoyed."

 

Eventually, one member of Tillman's platoon received formal administrative charges; four others, including an officer, were discharged from the Rangers but not from the Army; and two additional officers were reprimanded, Lt. Col. Hans Bush, chief of public affairs for the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, told the Post.

[Goldmember]

wow, really sad...

[southsider2k5]

Its sad how people are using this kids death to further their own causes. All Tilman wanted to do was, what was right. And this is the thanks he gets. :headshake

[CubKilla]

Its sad how people are using this kids death to further their own causes.  All Tilman wanted to do was, what was right.  And this is the thanks he gets. :headshake

Yep. The mere fact that Tillman gave his life fighting for a cause he believed so strongly in makes him a hero in my eyes .

[southsider2k5]

Yep. The mere fact that Tillman gave his life fighting for a cause he believed so strongly in makes him a hero in my eyes  .

Absolutely. If more profesional athletes had the balls and bravery that Pat Tillman did, they might deserve some of the adoration and hero worship they recieve.

[Goldmember]

Yep. The mere fact that Tillman gave his life fighting for a cause he believed so strongly in makes him a hero in my eyes  .

agreed.

[Rex Kickass]

Its sad how people are using this kids death to further their own causes.  All Tilman wanted to do was, what was right.  And this is the thanks he gets. :headshake

Who is using his death here?

[southsider2k5]

Who is using his death here?

The media.

[Kid Gleason]

Aren't they just reporting the facts? He was killed by friendly fire. I don't think anybody is exploiting the fact, but rather letting people know what happened. It was a major story, as well as it should have been, and I am sure many people would want to know this. True that we don't know of every friendly fire incident, but this was a case where more people than just the friends and family knew the person. If this was an idol of yours, wouldn't you like to know the exact situation? It will be wrong if the media now tries taking away from what he did or was doing over there, but from what I read, it is placing a little bit more of a human side to the story. I think Tillman, from what I have read about him, would not mind people knowing he was a person, and not some deity or martyr.

[jasonxctf]

I agree with Kid Gleason here SS2K4. It's sad the guy died, however that doesnt mean that we shouldn't report the truth about his death.

 

It was a nice story about him dying for his country, it's a sad story hearing the truth about how he really died.

[Rex Kickass]

The media.

How?

 

It bothers you that the media is reporting that the Army allegedly tried to cover up a friendly fire death in Afghanistan? Why doesn't it bother you that the Army may have tried to cover up a friendly fire death in Afghanistan instead?

[Texsox]

It is a credit to our military that more servicemen and women are not killed in non combat accidents. The travel alone, the millions of miles of driving, setting up cities in the middle of no where, all the cooking, etc. Combat accidents are also few and far between, at least the ones we hear about. I give a lot of credit to their training and skill.

 

Unfamilar terrain, poor communication conditions (not equipment) nerves, etc. all came into play here. I also wonder, if intelligence is so important, why he didn't have a chance to "surrender".

 

As far as Tillman being a hero because he had a choice for a lucrative career or service and he chose service. I don't believe what he did was any more heroic than Juan Gonzalez from Mission, TX. who enlisted.

[southsider2k5]

How?

 

It bothers you that the media is reporting that the Army allegedly tried to cover up a friendly fire death in Afghanistan? Why doesn't it bother you that the Army may have tried to cover up a friendly fire death in Afghanistan instead?

Where did I say I wasn't? You're really digging for bias where there is none. Go back and read my original statement, there is plenty of blame for everyone, the military included. I don't know why you all have to put words into my statement.

 

I answered your particular question on who was using him here, and you morphed that answer to mean everything. The original answer was plural people and causes. I wish you wouldn't make assumptions based on a your leading question.

[Rex Kickass]

Sorry, I did make a leap of faith I guess. But maybe its because I don't think he's being used in this story. Quite the contrary, by exposing the truth over what really might have happened, I feel he's being honored further. He fought for this country, he died for this country. He deserves to have his story told, even if it doesn't make us look the best.

[Texsox]

Let me see if I understand how he has been used by the media.

 

They cover him entering the military. People thought it was heroic and wanted to read the story, it boosted circulations and they "used" him to sell newspapers, magazines, and increase viewers. Of course if they hadn't covered it, they would have been ignoring a positive military story and been criticized for that.

 

He is killed in action and they cover the event and everything that went along with it. people were interested, consider him a hero. By publishing his story, it sold newspapers, and they "used" him again. Of course if they didn't cover his death, they would have been accused of ignoring an American hero and playing politics.

 

Now the death has been ruled as being caused by friendly fire. People are still interested in his story, and again it sold newspapers, increased viewership, and he was being used. Of course if the ignored the story, they would have been accused of not telling the whole story.

[YASNY]

Personally, I don't think a friendly fire death on the battlefield is a newsworthy event. It's also one not worthy of a coverup by the military. At least not to the extent that someone in the defense department would be worried about it being a "scandal". Friendly fire deaths have always been a part of war. It happens.

 

Now, on the other hand, if the military wanted to cover this up out of respect to Pat Tillman and his family, then I could understand that motivation without having any qualms about it.

 

When it comes down to it, this a personal tragedy for this family of which the public had no business knowing the details and the media had no business reporting.

[Texsox]

When it comes down to it, this a personal tragedy for this family of which the public had no business knowing the details and the media had no business reporting.

That would apply to every military death. Every cop, every firefighter, every teacher, bus driver, or delivery worker.

 

Sunlight is the best disinfectant. We rid our society of problems and mistakes by making ourselves aware of them. Perhaps this morning, some inventor is puzzeling over why communications failed. He was have the next advancement in military communications technology.

[Rex Kickass]

yas:

 

If it weren't for Tillman's mom saying basically that she was lied to over the circumstances of his death, I'd agree with you. But, being ever conscious of public perception - it seems like the Pentagon tries to make things look better than it is sometimes. Unfortunately, the military is not good at that kind of P.R. And it shows.

[YASNY]

Texsox and winodj, you both make great points. I just happened to put myself in Tillman's parents shoes when this hit the media. I wouldn't want it happening to my family ... but that is only on a certain level. If I was lied to, I'd want it ALL exposed.

[Texsox]

Texsox and winodj, you both make great points. I just happened to put myself in Tillman's parents shoes when this hit the media.  I wouldn't want it happening to my family ... but that is only on a certain level.  If I was lied to, I'd want it ALL exposed.

I do feel some empathy for private people who are thrust into the limelight through no fault of their own. The Senatorial candidate (Ryan?)'s wife comes to mind. Her private divorce records were made public because her ex-husband ran for office. Sometimes a free and open society has it's drawbacks.

 

But as I wrote earlier I believe sunshine is the best disinfectant.

[Rex Kickass]

Yas:

 

I see your point too. If this didn't point to something kinda shabby about the way we present the fight in this war - I'd agree with you that the story is needless, a non-story.

 

But it seems, too often, that the government is willing to put a sunnier face on the war than it deserves or it demands. War is tough and I think sugarcoating reality with lies is an insult to the people our elected officials are supposed to represent.

[YASNY]

Yas:

 

I see your point too. If this didn't point to something kinda shabby about the way we present the fight in this war - I'd agree with you that the story is needless, a non-story.

 

But it seems, too often, that the government is willing to put a sunnier face on the war than it deserves or it demands. War is tough and I think sugarcoating reality with lies is an insult to the people our elected officials are supposed to represent.

Agreed. Conversely, I don't think we are getting an accurate description of what's going on with the Iraqi people. I have listened to a few local servicemen that say the media is neglecting to report that the Iraqis are generally very glad we are there. I think the uniting of Shia, Kurds and Iragi Turks into a single party for the elections is a sign of that.

[Texsox]

Agreed.  Conversely, I don't think we are getting an accurate description of what's going on with the Iraqi people.  I have listened to a few local servicemen that say the media is neglecting to report that the Iraqis are generally very glad we are there.  I think the uniting of Shia, Kurds and Iragi Turks into a single party for the elections is a sign of that.

As long as we are in their homes, their schools, their shops, and traveling their roads with tanks, guns, airplanes, etc. I doubt the Iraqi people feel free to express their true feelings. They understand power, tyranny, and guns. They see pictures of the prison abuse, they see buildings knocked down, and are asked to trust us, that it will be better. That is a huge leap of faith for a society that has no basis in which to understand this "freedom" They have nothing to compare it to.

[YASNY]

As long as we are in their homes, their schools, their shops, and traveling their roads with tanks, guns, airplanes, etc. I doubt the Iraqi people feel free to express their true feelings. They understand power, tyranny, and guns. They see pictures of the prison abuse, they see buildings knocked down, and are asked to trust us, that it will be better. That is a huge leap of faith for a society that has no basis in which to understand this "freedom" They have nothing to compare it to.

But as I said, that's the only side we are getting. These soldiers can't all be full of s***.