Taken in, taken in again
Hey, remember Pat Tillman? The soldier who even I–“Mr. Progressive”–thought was a hero? The guy who gave up a million dollar athletic career to serve his country and ended up paying “the ultimate price.”
Well, it turns out there was a lot more to him than I even thought, as this column about his memorial service, from six months ago, points out. He genuinely sounds like a truly remarkable man, the kind you would want to sit and talk with, the kind who challenges your presumptions about jocks and jarheads.
Oh, and one other thing. The story of his death in combat, for which he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for valor? The one that portrays him in command, taking the battle to the enemy?
Complete, utter, and total crap. He was killed by “friendly fire,” and he died screaming at American troops to stop shooting at one another.
The story that we heard–and that I bought, for chrissakes–was concocted army spin, just like their version of Jessica Lynch’s story–somebody else who turned out to be both more and less than they made her out to be.
I read the news today (oh boy)…Rumsfeld says he wants the army out of Iraq by 2008.
Enjoy it, Bush-voting mothers of draft-age sons.
ETA: Further to the above, Oliver Willis has an entry on response by one or two of the rightward blogs to these revelations. I agree with every word he says.
