Brother of Pat Tillman speaks out

[Tossica]

After Pat’s Birthday


Posted on Oct 19, 2006
Pat and Kevin Tillman
Courtesy of the Tillman Family


By Kevin Tillman

Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.



It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we got out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.



Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday.



Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,

Kevin Tillman

[Narrock]

What really stinks is that Pat was killed by friendly fire. I'd be friggin pissed off too if I was a Tillman family member.

[Tossica]

No what REALLY sucks is that he was killed by friendly fire AND instead of being honest about it, they lied and tried to turn him in to a war hero to further promote the bullshit.

[Minrott]

^

[Tikker]

No what REALLY sucks is that he was killed by friendly fire AND instead of being honest about it, they lied and tried to turn him in to a war hero to further promote the bullshit.

what are you talking about?

the USA never uses propoganda to further it's imperialistic ambitions

[Gargamellow]

that was a good one tikker

[Lueyen]

No what REALLY sucks is that he was killed by friendly fire AND instead of being honest about it, they lied and tried to turn him in to a war hero to further promote the bullshit.

In my opinion no one can try and turn Pat Tillman into a war hero, he already is. Despite his feelings about the war in Iraq he still honored his commitments. Regardless which side fired the bullets that killed him he was still killed in the line of duty, friendly fire makes his death all the more tragic, but does not in any way shape or form diminish his sacrifice.

An investigation into the situation has concluded that there was no coverup... fine give his family any and all information surrounding his death. If mistakes were made, own up to them, our country and our military owe them that at the very least.

[Evermore]

For the clueless:

what really sucks is the FACT THAT WE ARE FUCKING THERE AT ALL

thanks

[Lueyen]

For the clueless:

what really sucks is the FACT THAT WE ARE FUCKING THERE AT ALL

thanks

That goes without saying, however the fact that we are there is not a choice we made (that is unless you consider anything less then military action against the Taliban after 9-11 a choice). In being there our hand was forced, we were not forced into friendly fire nor the blunder that was the inital reports of how he died. While it both both being there and the situation resulting in the loss of the mans life suck, I think the fact that it was our own actions not those of our enemies creating the situation that makes his death worse.

[Tossica]

I was not trying to take anything away from Pat Tillmans death. Everyone that puts their life on the line for their fellow man is a hero.

[Harrison]

I addressed this on another forum.

I equate this to that cunt Cindy Sheehan's bullshit.

[Arlos]

So, you're saying that a man who volunteered to go fight, spent years there, saw combat, and not only saw his brother killed by friendly fire, but the military initially try and cover it up has *NO RIGHT* to speak out against war?

What the fuck? Get off your fucking high horse, you goddamn alcaholic dropout waste of flesh. If *ANYONE* has the right to speak out against the war, it's someone who has been there and FOUGHT IN IT.

-Arlos

[Harrison]

He has the right to say it, it doesn't mean I agree with what he is saying.

You're reading too far into my statement. I said what I said. No more...no less...

Get off YOUR high horse.

[Arlos]

You've stated before that you thought Sheehan was doing what she's doing solely for publicity and to be in the public eye, and called her, among other things, a hypocrite and a leech, as I recall. IF not those exact terms, that was very much the gist of your opinion of her and her efforts.

You then proceed to state here that you equate Kevin Tillman speaking out to be an equivalent to Sheehan. Thus, since you are equating them, you are saying that Kevin Tillman is doing it for the same reasons, is no better than her and indeed, no different than her.

That is HUGELY different than "I don't agree with what he says". In Sheehan's case, you slammed the bearer of the message as well as the message itself. You then said you felt the same about Kevin Tillman, thus slamming the messenger once more.

So which is it? Is it the same as Sheehan, or is it something different that you just don't happen to agree with? It can't be both, make up your fucking mind. Oh wait, you never do, you just *nod* after stuff other people here say.

-Arlos

[Harrison]

It must be "fucking psycho retard" month or some shit around the world.

Everyone is going batshit insane.

[Lueyen]

Harrison Kevin Tillman is very different from the likes of Dolores Kesterson and Cindy Sheehan in so many ways. Although it's true that their messages are similar, as far as I know that is pretty much where the similarity ends.

Pat Tillman didn't support the war in Iraq as Kesterson's son did, and Kevin Tillman isn't busy saying his brother was brain washed as Sheehan has said about her son. Most who read this board are probably aware I wouldn't agree with a lot of what Kevin Tillman has said, but I refuse to break it down and take issue with it, if I were in the room with the man and he said what he said here I would remain silent out of respect and so I choose here to do the same on the matter. This is not the case with Sheehan or Kesterson, both dishonor the memory of their lost sons, Kevin Tillman DOES NOT dishonor the memory of his brother.

The only thing that I've seen that anyone could really take issue with Kevin Tillman's actions was in an AP report that Truthdig.com had purchased this letter from him. First I've been unable to verify this, and second I have no way of knowing the amount or what it was ultimately used for (perhaps it went to charity ect), and third it may have been done so that Truthdig.com had some sort of exclusive rights to the material. Frankly judging by the character the man demonstrated in taking the personal responsibility he did in joining the military to directly combat the attacks on this country, and then even though he didn't agree with the action in Iraq putting foot to ass to do what was asked of him still, my guess is that the above reasons are likely. I seriously doubt he's trying to somehow gain something by his brothers death. The message is, based on what I've read, one that his brother would approve of; of course his brother can't get it out now himself.