On the Tillman Death

Daytona Beach News-Journal Online -- Columns:

"Betraying an American hero in the fanciful Army of One
By PIERRE TRISTAM

If Peter could betray Christ three times before the rooster crowed, and still be forgiven, maybe the U.S. military, in these days of faith-based deceptions, thought it could do the same to the family of Pat Tillman and get away with it. And if the military could do that in Tillman's case -- a hero from the day he enlisted as he gave up a $3.6 million NFL contract to join his brother in the trenches -- imagine the fate of less famous families. Imagine the fate of non-Americans.

Dirty wars make for dirty stories. Tillman's is one of them, not only for the way the Army initially covered up his death by 'friendly fire,' then whitewashed investigation after investigation, but for the way a whole narrative was invented and imprinted on Tillman as the prototypical 21st century American soldier fighting the 'global war on terror.' He was to be the embodiment of that virtuous 'Army of One' making the world safe from terrorism. What a crock that has turned out to be. What a waste Tillman's service turned out to be, down to his killing in 2004 on an Afghan hill as craggy as that country's stability..."

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