Pat Tillman: The Lie & the Legacy

History, Military 8 Minutes

From All That’s Interesting:

On April 22, 2004, former NFL star and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan — and it may not have been an accident. After the 9/11 attacks, Pat Tillman gave up a lucrative football career to join the U.S. Army. But in 2004, he was tragically killed by the Taliban — or so his family and the American public were led to believe.

As the story went, Tillman had bravely rescued dozens of his fellow soldiers before he was gunned down by enemy forces in Afghanistan. Unsurprisingly, the American media quickly hailed Tillman as a war hero. Helicopters flew over football stadiums in his honor. A televised memorial service was planned. Top-ranking officers called for Tillman to be posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart

But as Tillman’s family mourned their loss, they had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. And though his mother pressed the Army for more details, they stuck to their initial story about Pat Tillman’s death.

Around this same time, anti-war voices were getting louder in the United States. And photos of the torture at the Abu Ghraib prison were about to become public. Thus, Tillman seemed like the perfect poster boy for America’s “War on Terror.” But this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Several weeks later, the real story finally came out: Tillman had been killed by friendly fire, not the Taliban. As if that weren’t bad enough, the circumstances surrounding his death were highly suspicious.

The Story Of A Football Star Turned Soldier

Patrick Daniel Tillman was born on November 6, 1976, in San Jose, California. The oldest of three brothers, he was a natural athlete and led his high school football team to the Central Coast Division I Football Championship. As a result, he soon earned a scholarship to Arizona State University. While in college, Tillman led his team to an undefeated season and was named Most Valuable Player of the Year in 1997. After the Arizona Cardinals drafted him into the NFL in 1998, Tillman became a beloved starting player and broke the team record for the most tackles two years later.

However, everything changed for Tillman after he watched the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States play out on live television. “My great grandfather was at Pearl Harbor,” he told NBC News on September 12, 2001, “and a lot of my family has… fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that.”

Tillman famously turned down a $3.6 million, three-year contract with the Cardinals, choosing instead to enlist in the U.S. Army in May 2002.

Pat Tillman and his brother Kevin trained to become Army Rangers — elite soldiers who specialize in joint special operations raids. They were eventually assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, based in Fort Lewis, Washington. And in 2003, they were deployed to Iraq.  But significantly, Pat Tillman was against the Iraq War. He was prepared to go to Afghanistan — where the war effort had begun — but he was not happy to hear that the focus was now on a different country.

Tillman had intended to fight against Al Qaeda and bring Osama bin Laden to justice. But the Bush administration had pivoted to Iraq to track down Saddam Hussein and his alleged weapons of mass destruction. That wasn’t what Tillman had signed up for, but he went anyway.  Just one year later, Tillman’s second tour would take him to Afghanistan — where he would tragically die at age 27.

The Story Of Pat Tillman’s Death

As his service began, Tillman noticed differences between his experience in the war and its depiction in the media. For instance, he was assigned to a unit that would help release a POW named Jessica Lynch from Iraqi forces in 2003, and he saw firsthand the media’s sensationalized spin on the story. While the military portrayed Lynch as being in extreme danger, she had actually been taken care of by Iraqi doctors in a hospital. Lynch herself would later blast the national press for nurturing a skewed narrative before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in 2007.

“I’m still confused as to why they chose to lie and try to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were legendary,” she said, insisting that the sensationalization was unnecessary. “The truth of war is not always easy to hear but [it’s] always more heroic than the hype.” At the time the rescue was happening, Tillman described the military’s elaborate tale as “a big public relations stunt.” But after his death on April 22, 2004, he would become the subject of one himself.

Initial reports stated that Tillman was killed by enemy fire during an ambush in the Khost Province of southeastern Afghanistan. His family and the American public alike were told that Tillman had bravely hustled up a hill to force the enemy to withdraw — saving dozens of his comrades in the process. Tillman was quickly declared a hero.

Shortly after the 27-year-old’s death, top-ranking officers were saying that he should receive the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. And he was soon honored at a nationally televised memorial service on May 3, 2004. There, Senator John McCain, a veteran himself, delivered Tillman’s eulogy.  But despite the widespread praise and glory, Pat Tillman’s family couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t being told the real story about his death. And they were sadly correct.

How Did Pat Tillman Die?

About a month after Pat Tillman’s death, the Army came forward with a shocking announcement. Tillman had not been killed by insurgents — he was shot down by his fellow soldiers. As they took aim at him, he yelled, “I’m Pat f**king Tillman!” to get them to stop. It was the last thing he ever said. Tillman’s mother Mary was later asked how long she thought it took for the Army to realize what had really happened. And she responded, “Oh, they knew immediately. It was pretty evident right away. All the other soldiers on the ridgeline suspected that that’s exactly what happened.”

While the shooting has since been described as accidental, some have their doubts. Not only was Tillman shot three times in the head, but he was also shot at close range and there was no evidence of any enemy fire in the area — unlike the Army’s initial report of the incident. So if there were no enemies nearby, what were the American soldiers shooting at?

In 2007, it was revealed that Army doctors who examined Tillman’s body were “suspicious” of the close proximity of the bullet wounds on his head. They even tried — and ultimately failed — to convince authorities to investigate the death as a potential crime because “the medical evidence did not match up with the scenario as described.”

The doctors believed that Tillman had been shot by an American M-16 rifle from just 10 yards away. But despite the worrying details in this report, it was apparently shelved and not released to the public for years. Eerily, it was also discovered that Tillman’s personal items had been burned — including his uniform and private journals. And those who were present during his death were told to keep quiet about what actually happened.

As it turned out, Pat Tillman’s brother Kevin was on the same mission that day. But Kevin was not present when Pat was killed. So naturally, the secret had to be kept from him as well. Much like his mother, Kevin was initially left in the dark about how Pat Tillman died. And even when the truth came out about the friendly fire, they still felt like they weren’t getting all the details.

Desperate for answers, Tillman’s mother had to spend years fighting through multiple investigations and Congressional hearings to piece the whole story together. And she was horrified by the amount of Army misinformation that had clouded the truth about her son’s demise.

“They had no regard for him as a person,” Mary Tillman said. “He’d hate to be used for a lie.”

Indeed, Jon Krakauer’s Tillman biography Where Men Win Glory revealed that Tillman told a friend after enlisting: “I don’t want them to parade me through the streets [if I die].” Tragically, the government had done just that. And the fact that it was based on a false story made the situation even worse. While there were some soldiers who wanted to tell the truth, they were allegedly silenced. In April 2007, Specialist Bryan O’Neal — the last person to see Tillman alive — testified that his superiors had warned him not to tell the media nor the Tillman family about the friendly fire.

And in July of that same year, two prominent lawmakers of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform accused Bush officials and the Pentagon of actively withholding documents on the death. The actions of the military and government have led to the disturbing theory that Tillman was murdered for his views on the Iraq War.

The Legacy Of Pat Tillman

On the surface, Pat Tillman appeared to be the poster boy for America’s multiple wars in the Middle East. A clean-cut all-American, Tillman had gone from being a sports hero to a war hero. But the reality was more complicated. As an anti-war atheist who quickly became disillusioned with the War on Terror, Tillman was quite heterodox for someone in the military. And he wasn’t shy about sharing his views with fellow soldiers while he was deployed in Afghanistan.

While many American soldiers insisted that Tillman was a well-respected Ranger and had no major enemies in the Army, it’s not unreasonable to think that some officers may have had a problem with some of Tillman’s views — especially since he didn’t hesitate to speak his mind. During the lead-up to the 2004 election, Tillman was rumored to be planning to go public with his opposition to the invasion of Iraq and President Bush. He may have even planned to express these views in a televised meeting with Noam Chomsky. But this meeting never happened.

Because of all of this, some insist that Pat Tillman’s death was no accident. The cynicism behind this theory only worsened in 2007, when it was proven that “Army attorneys sent each other congratulatory e-mails for keeping criminal investigators at bay as the Army conducted an internal friendly-fire investigation that resulted in administrative, or non-criminal, punishments.”

While the particulars of the friendly-fire incident remain vague to this day, a few things are clear. Pat Tillman enlisted to fight against those who had planned the 9/11 attacks. Instead, he was deployed to Iraq during an invasion and occupation that he reportedly called “f**king illegal.”  Tillman was clearly disillusioned with the war and started to speak out about this — just before he was shot by his own men. But instead of being honest about Pat Tillman’s death and the events leading up to it, the Army transformed him into an unwitting advocate for the War on Terror.

That said, his family fought for the truth about what happened to their loved one — and they were able to expose many layers of deception along the way. Only time will tell if more revelations emerge in the years to come. But if they do, his family will surely be ready to tell the world. “This isn’t about Pat, this is about what they did to Pat and what they did to a nation,” said Tillman’s mother. “By making up these false stories you’re diminishing their true heroism. It may not be pretty but that’s not what war is all about. It’s ugly, it’s bloody, it’s painful. And to write these glorious tales is really a disservice to the nation.”

SOURCE: ALLTHATSINTERESTING.COM

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Published by pat frederick

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92 thoughts on “Pat Tillman: The Lie & the Legacy”

    1. Morning, Pat! Super windy today w/light snow predicted Saturday night, temp only @ 19…..brrrrrr! Yuck!!!

      “Mamdani is MAGA’s Golden Ticket to Win 2026”

      Clandestine, Nov 05, 2025

      (Video)

      “Now that the dust has settled, can you see how Mamdani helps us more than he hurts us? Yeah things are going to be terrible for NYC, but that place is already a hellhole.

      Now Trump gets to run on “Communism vs. Common Sense” in 2026.

      Mamdani just gave MAGA a golden ticket. Trump now has unlimited talking points and can draw more of the middle towards MAGA during the midterms. Now Trump can run on the Dems going full-blown Communist, which is a very easy sell.

      And what price do we Trump supporters have to pay for this? Absolutely nothing. Unless you live in NYC, it doesn’t affect your life at all. He is just a mayor of a city all of us avoid anyways. Trump is still POTUS and holds all the cards.

      Mamdani supplies us with significant political ammunition, at minimal to zero cost.”

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Good Morning Filly!

        yeah I’m not ready for snow yet!

        we’ll see what madmani’s effect will be. If POTUS cuts funding, dem congresscritters will be screaming. if could get tricky. hopefully madmani fails miserably but soros jr will prop him up.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. James O’Keefe:

    Caught on Hidden Camera: CA Dem Party Insider Admits to Intentional Gerrymandering & Reveals a Strategy for Newsom to Funnel Prop 50 Donations Into a 2028 Presidential War Chest.

    Ross Pike, Regional Director for the CA Democratic Party, details how Prop 50 funds could be redirected to support Newsom’s future campaign – Potentially Violating State Campaign Finance Law (Gov. Code §89519).

    “Yes, we’re [CA Dem Party] very intentionally gerrymandering”

    “He [Newsom] doesn’t have any committees open right now, but that doesn’t mean he can’t open a committee later and transfer the money.”

    “He’s [Newsom] trying to appeal, make it look like he’s not so left.”

    Liked by 1 person

  5. TheseTruths

    TheseTruths(@thesetruths)

    Offline

    Wolf

    November 6, 2025 01:02

    Catturd:

    I joined the army when I was 17-years-old and have taken care of myself my entire life without any financial help from anyone – so I’m immune to all the crying.

    When I was broke, which was many years, I ate peanut butter sandwiches for weeks. If that.

    I was even homeless, one time living in a tent by a lake for months.

    Not once during this time, did I think the government was responsible, or look to the government for solutions, or blame rich people. Or ask for a handout.

    Every bad place I’ve been in my life is because of bad decisions I’ve made.

    It was my fault and my fault alone.

    I’m financially successful now because of hard work.

    People who constantly blame others because they’re not successful, will never be succeed.

    Stop whining, stop looking for the government handouts and solutions to save you, stop being jealous of successful people, go to work, and figure it out.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hmmmmm…..IDK….

      EXCERPT: “The U.S. Supreme Court gave President Donald Trump’s tariff authority a chilly reception on Wednesday, with his economic agenda hanging in the balance and businesses and consumers watching for higher prices.

      After the president spent months talking about how much money his tariffs would generate, Trump’s Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the nation’s highest court Wednesday that the import duties are solely focused on regulation, not raising revenue.

      Even the conservative wing of the Supreme Court was skeptical. “The vehicle is imposition of taxes on Americans. That has always been the core power of Congress,” Chief Justice John Roberts said. Robert’s remark came early in the hearing, which was slated for 80 minutes, but ran almost three hours.

      “The justification is being used for the power to impose tariffs on any product, from any country, for any amount, for any length of time,” Roberts said. “I’m not suggesting it’s not there, but it does seem like that’s major authority.”

      Twelve states, five small businesses and two Illinois-based toymakers have challenged Trump’s authority to impose tariffs under a 1977 law without Congressional approval. That law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, doesn’t mention the word “tariff” and has never been used to impose tariffs. Trump’s legal team argues that the law is a clear delegation of emergency power, granting the president broad authority to act in times of crisis.

      Phillip Magness, a senior fellow at the Independent Institute, said the justices showed they had reservations about Trump’s claimed power under the law, frequently called IEEPA.

      “It’s always hard to predict from questions, but it was clear to me that several of the justices were not buying the arguments of Trump’s attorney John Sauer – particularly his claim that tariffs are regulations and not taxes,” he told The Center Square.

      Justices also shot difficult questions to the attorneys representing the states and small businesses that are challenging the tariffs.

      Justice Samuel Alito asked Neal Katyal, the attorney representing the small businesses, if Congress had given the president power to regulate admission to a national park, would that also grant the president the power to charge an entrance fee. Katyal said the president could charge an entrance fee so long as the fee was not intended to raise revenue. Alito also had sharp questions for Katyal on other issues…..”

      “…..Magness said he sees a path for Trump to win, but not much of one.

      “The Trump administration went all-in on its claim that tariffs are not taxes, but rather regulations. I believe that they did so because they see this as the only path to victory since the court has historically given more leeway to presidents in the foreign policy arena,” he told The Center Square. “I think the administration has a difficult path ahead, given how poorly their argument about tariffs not being a tax was received. Their best remaining argument is to hope that some justices grant them expansive foreign policy leeway in spite of the clear domestic tax policy implications. That path appears to have narrowed quite a bit in today’s hearing……..”

      https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/supreme-court-frosty-trumps-tariff-power-world-watches

      Liked by 1 person

  8. ahhh…the rut has started. LOLOLOL

    watching big bucks who were so coy in the last month hiding and only coming out early or late are now charging into the open to get a female who is standing still in the weeds and he looks clueless…LOL

    seen a 7 and an 8 pointer already this morning!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. IT DOES!

        this is my favorite time in the woods–the bucks are out in the open sniffing the breeze, the doe are hanging near the trees, standing still. and the bucks run right by them!

        I’m currently going from window to window to watch it unfold.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. “Trump knows he has just one year to fireproof his agenda, safeguard future elections”

    By Miranda Devine, Published Nov. 5, 2025

    President Donald Trump holds his fist up after delivering remarks at the America Business Forum in Miami, Florida, U.S., November 5, 2025.

    President Trump after delivering remarks at the America Business Forum in Miami, Florida, November 5, 2025.REUTERS

    EXCERPT: “AND SO IT BEGINS!” Donald Trump’s dramatic, four-word salvo on Truth Social just before midnight Tuesday means he knows the honeymoon is over. After thumping wins by radical Democrats — a tautology now, of course — the battle lines are clear. The president knows he has just one year until the midterms to ­fireproof his agenda and safeguard ­future elections against Democratic fraud.

    That’s why he wants to end the filibuster. The 60-vote Senate threshold is strangling Republican priorities and is allowing Democrats to shut down the government for the fifth week while blaming Trump.

    Yet too many Senate Republicans don’t know what time it is. They are clinging to outdated niceties that Democrats are itching to blow up as soon as they get their hands back on the reins — which will be soon if the GOP old guard doesn’t wake up.

    Trump has always known what time it is, from the day he glided into history aboard his golden escalator and was targeted for destruction every which way for the last 10 years. That’s why in every election they contested Tuesday, Democrats used Trump as their bogeyman.

    One year ago, Trump scored crushing victories across the board, winning the Electoral College, the popular vote, the House, the Senate, and every swing state, and gaining ground in nearly every demographic and region.

    America rejected Democrats’ menu, even after Dems jettisoned Joe Biden: the DEI liberal Kamala Harris and her running mate, the conservative-coded, gun-totin’ liberal dad Tim Walz.Two new leftist flavors

    But this time, Democrats offered two new flavors: a Muslim immigrant Communist for the big blue city and white liberal “national security moms” for the white-flight suburbs.

    They had one thing in common: hating Donald Trump…..”

    https://nypost.com/2025/11/05/opinion/miranda-devine-trump-knows-he-has-just-one-year-to-fireproof-his-agenda-safeguard-future-elections/

    Liked by 1 person

  12. “Democrats demand meeting to end government shutdown … the day after elections”

    Not The Bee, Harris Rigby, Nov 5, 2025

    Image for article: Democrats demand meeting to end government shutdown ... the day after elections

    “Well, look who wants to talk now that the elections are over.

    That’s weird….it’s almost like the government shutdown was nothing more than a political tool meant to mobilize voters, especially in Northern Virginia.

    Here’s Politico’s reporting:

    Fresh from the party’s victories in off-year elections across the map, top congressional Democrats are insisting on a meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss the shutdown.

    ‘We write to demand a bipartisan meeting of legislative leaders to end the GOP shutdown of the federal government and decisively address the Republican health care crisis,’ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote Wednesday in a letter to Trump …

    ‘Democrats stand ready to meet with you face to face, anytime and anyplace,’ Schumer and Jeffries said Wednesday.

    Anytime, anyplace….now that the elections are complete.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. hubby’s gonna love these!

      (he went in to work today–they are having their traditional Thanksgiving lunch today. Out in the parking lot (brrr) with turkey and the trimmings AND a seafood truck. (I dunno–not my circus, not my monkeys.)

      Liked by 1 person

  18. “Developer Isaac Toledano, CEO of Miami-based BH Group, told Fox News Digital that his company has closed more than $100 million in signed contracts from New York buyers in just the past few months – about twice last year’s volume. “I think the election accelerated how people make decisions,” Toledano said. “I think people are nervous [for] what’s coming, how it’s going to affect their lifestyle, the quality of life, taxes, potential of crime [or] no crime.”

    “This unknown in what’s coming, and the fact that Mamdani said loud and clear what he’s going to do and what he believes is the right thing for New York, make[s] a lot of people very nervous,” he continued.

    Of course it makes sense. The flood of people leaving the City will be mind-numbing. Polling data indicates as many as 800,000 New York residents – both in the City and Statewide – have already started their plans to beat feet to somewhere ‘friendlier.’ I made my move here ten years ago because of insane taxes, crime, traffic and over-crowding up there. Best move I ever made…”

    “Trump posted this yesterday on X with the caption ‘Screw this, I’m going back to France.’ Now, ya know he himself wouldn’t have the time or technology to pull this off, but he most certainly has someone on his staff that does it for him. He probably does have to see and approve them before they post, otherwise he’d be ‘pulling a Biden.’ You figure that one out…”

    Liked by 1 person

  19. H/T Marica

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Just The News: “A jury on Thursday awarded $10 million to former Virginia teacher Abigail Zwerner after she was shot by a 6-year-old student. The jurors found that a former assistant principal ignored warning signs that the boy brought a gun to school, an act of gross negligence that led to the avoidable shooting of Zwerner, the child’s first-grade teacher, NBC News reported.

    The jury of three men and four women sided with Zwerner, awarding her $10 million in damages stemming from her wounding on Jan. 6, 2023, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News.

    “We the jury on the issues joined find in favor of plaintiff, Abigail Zwerner, and assess her damages at $10 million and award interest beginning on June 1, 2024” the court clerk read. The jury spent a total of six hours deliberating between Wednesday and Thursday.

    According to Zwerner’s lawsuit, she was shot in the hand and chest by the boy, who could’ve been stopped by assistant principal Ebony Parker. Two teachers testified that they informed Parker about students telling them that the boy had a gun in his backpack. However, the weapon wasn’t taken from him until he shot Zwerner.

    Zwerner’s attorney, Kevin Biniazan, told jurors on Wednesday that there were clear school guidelines that called for Parker to take action once she was informed about a possible threat. “What does that mean? That means you can’t stick your head in the sand,” Biniazan said. “You cannot stick your head in the sand and then come into court and say, ‘I didn’t have the information when it was your job to find it.’”

    Parker’s lawyer, Sandra Douglas, argued that her client’s perceived lack of action wasn’t gross negligence. “Dr. Parker did not have a legal duty to protect Miss Zwerner,” Douglas said. “She did not volunteer to protect Miss Zwerner.”

    In a separate case that should start later this month, Parker is facing criminal charges of felony child abuse and neglect for her alleged indifference.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. what does the ass. principal think her job IS? she has to protect the entire school if someone tells her there’s a gun on school property!

      $10 million seems a little high though to me. it doesn’t say (or i missed it) what her injuries were.

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Mo
     November 5, 2025 2:37 pm

    Re-upping this post from yesterday with added video of Justice Alito and Section 338 of The Tariff Act of 1930

    President Trump’s Trump card: Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930
    Justice Alito made a very powerful point and it was the President can us Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the president to impose tariffs up to 50% on nations that discriminate against U.S. commerce.
    Sundance you say we should not use Ai but in this case i’m going to link a grok explanation of what exactly section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 does/says.
    Please forgive this non-attorney for using this this time here: https://x.com/i/grok/share/r3KwaByNbbhZiUyFs6GFqs1QR

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Just The News: “The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the State Department can ban transgender Americans from listing their gender identity on their passports for the time being.

    The ruling comes after the Trump administration appealed a lower court order from September that allows transgender or nonbinary people to request a male, female, or “X” identification marker on their passports, rather than choosing their biological sex.

    “Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth—in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment,” the court wrote in its majority opinion.

    The ruling was split 6-3, with Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting.”

    Liked by 1 person

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