[E. Pluribus Unum]

WWPD? (What would Pat do?)

[BurbankKarl]

Again? Isnt this like the third time?

[Liberty Valance]

Exactly.

[prairiebreeze]

"The government violated its most basic responsibility," said Waxman.

Waxman wouldn't have a clear concept of "basic responsibility" if it stepped up and punched him in the nose.

So the familie's main beef is that the friendly fire aspect wasn't publicized intially or perhaps wasn't publicized quickly enough?

[napscoordinator]

Don’t know what Pat would do. We will never know. I think the family is just upset because of the way they were lied to about the death. I am truly surprised that the Army did this. I typically think they are on the up and up on all information. The Army screwed up on this one.

[Primetimedonna]

I have the utmost respect and sympathy for the Tillman Family, and understand their ire at being lied to by the Government initially. It was a bad move on someone’s part. However, with that said, Friendly Fire injuries and deaths have unfortunately been part of every war and conflict known to mankind. The Government has come clean on the truth, so it is time for the family and everyone else to stop demanding hearings and apologies. I can’t help but think that Pat Tillman would be upset and embarrassed by his brother’s refusal to let the matter go, and his insistance on military bashing. Hopefully he can move forward and honor his brother as the hero he was in life, and try to accept the unbearable grief on his death.

[Jeff Chandler]

There reaches a point where I loose sympathy for the Sheahans of the world. I’m just about there with these narcissists.

[Antoninus]

What would Pat do? Personally, I think a better question would be "What wouldn't Pat do?"

Pat wouldn't want the story of his death to give aid and comfort to the enemies of America. If that means covering up the friendly-fire aspects of his tragic death, then so be it. This kind of thing was standard operating proceedure on all sides during WWII. But of course, since we have a political party and media establishment who thinks they can make political gains by helping our enemies kill our boys in greater numbers, it's no surprise that they'd use Tillman's family so disgracefully.

[Cailleach]

Thanks for posting this! I was in mid-read over on Yahoo, when our power went “poof!” When I got it back, and got the computer rebooted and all, there was a different article on Yahoo.

And now, that I look again...the new article is gone, and there is a 3rd in its place...which seems to be a combination of the other two. But, I am always bugged if I can’t finish reading something I started (especially if it is taken away from me in mid-sentence! :P

Thanks again! :)

[Ramius]

I’m not sure I get it. Sure, at first they announced merely that he was killed in action. But didn’t it come out within a couple of weeks that it had in fact been friendy fire?

Wouldn’t there have be an investigation before an official determination of fratricide was announced?

So what?

[Gay State Conservative]

Regardless of how he died...friendly fire or otherwise...I have enormous respect for Tillman.In the same set of circumstances I'm not certain I would have done what he did.

Either his brother needs to be educated regarding combat (including,unfortunately,the fact that "friendly fire" incidents *do* happen) or else he needs to be bi*chslapped for being a worthless punk.

[wideawake]

“Treason helps me deal with my pain/grief! Don’t question my motives!”

[Lijahsbubbe]

I see that Jessica Lynch testified and said that she was no hero, that she ducked and prayed and didn’t shoot, like Pentagon reports said she did.

Has anyone seen any threads on this?

[jakewashere]

Something that I actually heard them speculating about on the Today sh_t show - I was so aghast that I actually went to their website to see if they posted a story on it, but it looks like they pussed out... they were talking about this rumor currently (or so it would seem) going the rounds on the far-Left that Tillman's friendly-fire death wasn't an accident; he was fragged by his fellow Rangers because his views on the war had changed and he was starting to bitch about being over there. I can't find any information on this story even when I've Googled it - did anyone else see this dumb f__kin' thing?

[CCCnative]

The murky, heroic, rendition was circulated for a short time, if I remember correctly. Then the actual tragic facts came out later. So what is the problem? Part of me wishes a man who gave up his life did so in some storybook way. But in life tragic things happen. The question is: Why don’t thy just let it rest?

[ichabod1]

So it was fratricide. Happens. The real question is was he fragged?

[The_Republican]

His Death was still heroic - he was trying his best to protect his soldiers - it was unfortunate that because he had an Afghan Soldier with him, his own compatriates who were under fire, mistook him for Taliban and opened fire on him.

Stonewall Jackson had a similar end and he is no less of a hero. I believe the bullet that got him was from his own troops.

Whoever is in charge of these ‘war-stories’ is quiet stupid and goes for short term glory and long term embarrassment.

Here are few that I can remember that started out as dramatic heart wrenching stories and then required shameful back pedalling, Jessica, Conversation with British Pilot during Bush’s surprise Thanks giving trip to Iraq, Tillman.

Enough already you STUPID MORON, stop pedalling crap and digging bigger hole for administration.

[Tallguy]

I have a hard time seeing the 'Lie' in any of this. The initial reports of Tillman's death were incorrect. The Army was in the process of investigating and they were getting to the bottom of the incident, but were plagued by leaks at every turn. The burning of the uniforms is a case in point.

Waxman's investigation is not seeking to get at the Truth. They are seeking to put the worst possible face on this incident that the facts will allow. Frankly, I don't have a hard time believing that General McChrystal's memo to Gen. Abizaid had not been seen by the President (White House) just 2 days later. I'd have been amazed if they had.

BTW, when is Jessica Lynch giving her Silver Star back?

[RightWhale]

"The government violated its most basic responsibility," said Waxman.

What would that be, Senator? Any idea?

[Zhang Fei]

The traditional approach to friendly fire and accidents has been to tell the family a white lie to the effect that their loved one died heroically in combat. These days, some people call that a cover-up. I guess in the future, Congress will put up a law requiring the Army to tell parents that an M1 made a meat pie out of their son. There’s no two ways about it - Pat Tillman’s kin are a bunch of narcissists who can’t see the truth staring them in the face.

[macamadamia]

"Revealing that Pat's death was a fratricide would have been yet another political disaster in a month of political disasters ... so the truth needed to be suppressed."........."It's a little disingenuous to think the administration didn't know," Kevin Tillman told the committee. "That's kind of what we hoped you guys would get involved with and take a look," he said."




Interesting that he and the family are struggling to frame the incident itself in a context that is paranoid/conspiracy-minded speculation.