WP: Army Spun Tale Around Ill-Fated Mission (Pat Tillman death)

[kskiska]

Second in a two-part series.

Just days after Pat Tillman died from friendly fire on a desolate ridge in southeastern Afghanistan, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command released a brief account of his last moments.

The April 30, 2004, statement awarded Tillman a posthumous Silver Star for combat valor and described how a section of his Ranger platoon came under attack.

"He ordered his team to dismount and then maneuvered the Rangers up a hill near the enemy's location," the release said. "As they crested the hill, Tillman directed his team into firing positions and personally provided suppressive fire ... Tillman's voice was heard issuing commands to take the fight to the enemy forces."

It was a stirring tale and fitting eulogy for the Army's most famous volunteer in the war on terrorism, a charismatic former pro football star whose reticence, courage and handsome beret-draped face captured for many Americans the best aspects of the country's post-Sept. 11 character.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37679-2004Dec5.html

[maddezmom]

1. It was also a distorted and incomplete narrative

It was also a distorted and incomplete narrative, according to dozens of internal Army documents obtained by The Washington Post that describe Tillman's death by fratricide after a chain of botched communications, a misguided order to divide his platoon over the objection of its leader and undisciplined firing by fellow Rangers.

The Army's public release made no mention of friendly fire, even though at the time it was issued, investigators in Afghanistan had already taken at least 14 sworn statements from Tillman's platoon members that made clear the true causes of his death. The statements included a searing account from the Ranger nearest Tillman during the firefight, who quoted him as shouting "Cease fire! Friendlies!" with his last breaths.

Army records show Tillman fought bravely during his final battle. He followed orders, never wavered and at one stage proposed discarding his heavy body armor, apparently because he wanted to charge a distant ridge occupied by the enemy, an idea his immediate superior rejected, witness statements show.

But the Army's published account not only withheld all evidence of fratricide, but it exaggerated Tillman's role and stripped his actions of their context. Tillman was not one of the senior commanders on the scene -- he directed only himself, one other Ranger and an Afghan militiaman, under supervision from others. And witness statements in the Army's files at the time of the press release describe Tillman's voice ringing out on the battlefield mainly in a desperate effort, joined by other Rangers on his ridge, to warn comrades to stop shooting at their own

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. Jessica Lynch revisited

They're nothing but liars, all of them.

[saigon68]

21. Ah yes shades of Ms Lynch

I predicted a while ago the TRUTH would come out.

Killed by his own men. Not killed Bayoneting some Rag Head


THE TRUTH WAS COVERED UP BY THE HERO WORSHIP. THIS HERO IS NOW DEAD.

Remember Jessika Lynch BAYONETING THE RAG HEADS?????

SOUND FAMILIAR

GOEBBELS NAZI PROPAGANDA.

[MisterP]

23. by the way, where is she?

covers of all the magazines, endless stories; then "oops, we lied to you again." Now not a peep.

[saigon68]

24. SHE'S back IN HER SINGLE WIDE TRAILER

Awaiting a movie offer.


And the band "played on".

[ooglymoogly]

26. why rag on jessica ,she didn't buy into the lies either

and it was because she didn't that the truth came out, some nice folks live in trailers because they can't afford anything else. in other words because you live in a trailer does not make you trailer park trash.

[saigon68]

27. Yes you are RIGHT I am Sorry

I had her confused with the other PFC Lynndie England--- The Perky Princess of Abu Ghraib.

[ooglymoogly]

28. that one . yes trailerpark trash does have meaning

[ECH1969]

3. This reminds me of what happened to Stonewall Jackson

I can tell you who killed Jackson and it sure as hell wasn't a Northern soldiers.

[Tinoire]

4. Oh well, the right wing will fabricate more "heroes"

They need to... Not even the freeper idiots are enlisting!

[Erika]

5. Bush needed to fabricate heroes and villains

to keep his insane wars going. Why are we still in Afghanistan? Remember the flag in Kabul? Why are still in Iraq? Didn't we capture Saddam?

When will Americans wake up?

[Dem2theMax]

6. "When will Americans wake up?"

I fear that the only ones who will EVER be awake are us.
And the rest? They'll start to wake up when they hear the bombs exploding in their back yards. Make that 'our' back yards.
As it will be all of us paying the price for the idiots
who voted for *. Of course, waking up THEN will only give them the time to bend over and kiss their own asses goodbye.

I wonder, can we try them all for treason for voting for him?

[Tinoire]

10. Sad comment but all too true

They'll pay for their vote I'm sure. Either in this life or the one to come.

[daleo]

7. Is it good to die for one's country?

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

[saigon68]

22. DEATH IN AFGHANISTAN

DEATH IN AFGHANISTAN

AFGHANISTAN, is a ruthless, vicious place that asks No Quarter and Gives None.

It is ruled by Puppet Kharzai, appointed by Cheney Caesar, in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand Four A. D.

Death here rides a Pale Horse.

Death claims in no particular order, the Innocent, the Guilty, the Unlucky and the Careless.


MR TILLMAN WAS VERY VERY UNLUCKY-----

[neverforget]

8. You'd think that a free media's next question would be "what else are

they lying/exagerrating about?" I won't hold my breath.

[burrowowl]

9. I wonder if

his brother is still in the army?

From first aricle of series:

His brother Kevin arrived on the scene in Serial 2's trailing vehicle.

Kevin Tillman declined to be interviewed for these articles and was not asked by Ranger investigators to provide sworn statements. But according to other statements and sources familiar with the investigation, Kevin was initially asked to take up guard duty on the outskirts of the shooting scene.

He learned that his brother was dead only when a platoon mate mentioned it to him casually, according to these sources.

[LynnTheDem]

11. WMD..Lynch..Saddam statue..bush Square..petals & choccie..cakewalk

Lie after lie after lie after lie after lie piled on top of corpse after corpse after corpse after corpse.

You have to be one incredibly dumb fck to swallow the bullshit. Which of course explains freeping rightwingnuts.

[llmart]

12. Look around you each day.....

there are millions of "incredibly dumb fucks" in this country.

[pokercat999]

16. It amazes me and pisses me off,

with all these stupid, stupid Americans how come I'm not a millionaire? I need to find a business that will appeal to these stupid rightwingnuts. Of course when I find it I would never want to have anything to do with that kind of business.....didn't want to be a millionaire anyway.

[DS1]

29. Invent something that's cheap, easy to administer/manipulate/wear

and suggests NOT having one is a sign of patriotic mediocrity.


You'll be swimming in cash.

[acmavm]

13. As always, it 's the low ranking troops who get identified and disciplined

the higher up commanders, the real imcompetents who called for this action, skate. They aren't even identified.

But Sgt. Baker, well...

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. and the bush* voters staters will still NOT see the LIES from their godly

leader

[SpiralHawk]

15. All lies, all the time

BushCo

[0007]

17. Boy 'O Boy, will the freepers jump out of their fucking skins

over this one.

"Investigators had to decide whether low-ranking Rangers who did the shooting had followed their training or had fired so recklessly that they should face military discipline or criminal charges. The investigators also had to decide whether more senior officers whose decisions contributed to the chain of confusion around the incident were liable."

Sounds like the keystone kops!

[0007]

18. Photos from Fallujah

http://www.fallujahinpictures.com/

[UpInArms]

19. related: Army Opens New Probe of Tillman's Afghan Death

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7008693

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has opened a new investigation into the circumstances of the April death in Afghanistan of Cpl. Pat Tillman, a former professional football player killed in a "probable" friendly fire incident, officials said on Monday.

The investigation was ordered on Nov. 3 by then-acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee and was prompted by questions raised by Tillman's family about his death in a remote canyon in southeastern Afghanistan, Army officials said. One official said the investigation could trigger criminal charges if any U.S. personnel are deemed culpable in his death.

<snip>

His mother has accused the military of burning her son's uniform to try to hide the circumstances of his April 22 death, and his father has said the initial investigation was a lie.

<snip>

One person from Tillman's platoon faced formal administrative charges, while four others, including an officer, were discharged from the Rangers but not kicked out of the Army, said Sgt. Kyle Cosner, a spokesman for Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Two other officers were given reprimands, Cosner said.

...more...

[Sara Beverley]

20. And Rumsfeld is asked to stay on. Does he have any responsibility for

anything at all concerning the military. If Kofi has to go, so does Rummy!

[gratuitous]

25. Why izzit?

Presumably, Mr. Tillman had the advantages of a college education, a high personal income, and access to the latest and best information available. Yet, when the idea of "serving his country" occurred to him, his only choice appears to be putting on a uniform, picking up a rifle, and going off to kill people who never did or meant him any harm.

Is that "serving your country"? Is that the sum and substance of what it means to be a "hero"? Engaging in personal combat with a bunch of people defending their homes with inferior armaments and tactical capability is the standard for "sacrifice"?

To whom do I call bullshit?