Pat Tillman

Pat Tillman was "the Arizona Cardinals defensive back who famously volunteered for the Army in the spring after 9/11, giving up a $3.6 million N.F.L. contract extension. Tillman wanted to pay something back to his country by pursuing the enemy that actually attacked it, Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda," Frank Rich wrote in the November 6, 2005, New York Times. "Instead he was sent to fight a war in Iraq that he didn't see coming when he enlisted because the administration was still hatching it in secret. Only on a second tour of duty was he finally sent into Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan, where, on April 22, 2004, he was killed.

Death by fratricide
On April 30, an official Army press release announcing his Silver Star citation filled in vivid details of his last battle. Tillman, it said, was storming a hill to take out the enemy, even as he 'personally provided suppressive fire with an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon machine gun.'"

However, Rich wrote, "It would be a compelling story, if only it were true. Five weeks after Tillman's death, the Army acknowledged abruptly, without providing details, that he had 'probably' died from friendly fire."

On March 4th, 2006, the Pentagon's Inspector General announced that after review, further investigation of Pat Tillman's death would be necessary to decide whether members in Tillman's unit should be charged with negligent homicide. 

SourceWatch Resources

 * Bush administration opportunism
 * Jessica Lynch
 * Operation Enduring Freedom
 * Taylor Gross

2004

 * News Release: "Biography of Cpl. Patrick D. Tillman." Killed in action on April 22, 2004. Operation Enduring Freedom, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, April 23, 2004; Updated April 28, 2004.
 * "Ex-Cardinal Tillman killed in Afghanistan," NFL News, April 23, 2004; "Remembering Pat Tillman".
 * "Tillman killed in Afghanistan. Former Cardinals safety walked away from NFL to join Army Rangers," CNN (Sports Illustrated.com), April 23, 2004.
 * "Ex-NFL player Tillman dies during military action in Afghanistan," USA Today, April 23, 2004.
 * Bob Cohn, "NFL's Pat Tillman killed in Afghanistan," Washington Times, April 24, 2004.
 * Kurt Nimmo, "Blowback in Afghanistan. The CIA Killed Pat Tillman," Counter Punch, April 24/25, 2004.
 * "Ex-NFL star Tillman makes 'ultimate sacrifice'. Safety, who gave up big salary to join Army, killed in Afghanistan," NBC/MSNBC, April 26, 2004.
 * Billy House, "Pat Tillman awarded Silver Star for valor," Arizona Republic (Seattle Times), May 2, 2004.
 * "Army finds Tillman probably killed by friendly fire. Former pro football player killed in Afghanistan," CNN, May 31, 2004.
 * Steve Coll, "Barrage of Bullets Drowned Out Cries of Comrades. Communication Breakdown, Split Platoon Among the Factors Contributing to 'Friendly Fire'," Washington Post, December 5, 2004.
 * "Misdirected U.S. machine-gun fire killed Tillman," ESPN, December 5, 2004.
 * "Pat Tillman killed by friendly fire. Army changes record to reflect new account of former NFL player's death," Associated Press (Boston Globe), December 6, 2004.
 * Barbara Starr, "Army reopens investigation of Tillman death," CNN, December 7, 2004.
 * Steve Coll, "Part 1: The errors that killed Pat Tillman"; "Part 2: In midst of ambush, deadly errors"; and "Part 3: Managing a 'friendly-fire' death," Washington Post (Seattle Times), December 8, 2004.
 * Patrick Martin, "The death of Pat Tillman: military mythmaking and the 'war on terror'," WSWS, December 14, 2004.

2005

 * Sgt. 1st Class Darren D. Heusel, USA, "Pat Tillman USO Center Opens in Afghanistan," American Forces Press Service, April 5, 2005.
 * Alec Russell, "Pentagon faked heroic death for icon shot by fellow Rangers," Telegraph (UK), May 24, 2005.
 * Greg Mitchell, "The Tillman Scandal: 'Newsweek' Error Bad, Pentagon Lying OK?" PrisonPlanet.com, May 25, 2005.
 * Robert Scheer, "A Cover-Up as Shameful as Tillman's Death," Los Angeles Times (prisonplanet.com), June 1, 2005.
 * "Pat Tillman's Family Demands The Truth," San Francisco Chronicle (propagandamatrix.com), September 26, 2005.
 * Frank Rich, "The Mysterious Death of Pat Tillman," New York Times (InformationClearingHouse), November 6, 2005.

2006

 * Mark Mazzetti, "Army to Launch Criminal Probe of Tillman's Death", Los Angeles Times, March 5, 2006.
 * Monica Davey and Eric Schmitt, "2 Years After Soldier's Death, Family's Battle Is With Army," New York Times, March 21, 2006.

2007

 * Lolita C. Baldor, "Officers blamed for Tillman case errors," Associated Press (Boston Globe), March 23, 2007.
 * "AP: Pentagon to cite 9 officers in ex-NFL star's death,", CNN, March 23, 2007.
 * Julian E. Barnes, "Tillman's death mishandled, Pentagon says. Army officials misled the public after the football star died in a 'friendly fire' incident in Afghanistan, a report concludes," Los Angeles Times, March 24, 2007.
 * Greg Mitchell, "The Pat Tillman Case Reaches a Climax: 'They Blew Up Their Poster Boy'," Editor & Publisher, March 25, 2007.