Remembering Former Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillman on Veterans Day
SEATTLE- Patrick Daniel Tillman, a former defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals and Corporal in the United States Army died on April 22, 2004 at the age of 27. Tillman, born in San Jose California was a true hero both in his playing days at Arizona State University and with the Arizona Cardinals as well as his service to his country after the September 11th attacks in 2001.
After playing three years in the National Football League with the Arizona Cardinals, Tillman decided after the September 11th attacks to turn down a three-year contract from the Cardinals to enlist in the United States Army.
Tillman’s decision to serve his country, turning down his dream to play in the NFL still sends a loud and pressie message beyond the grave. He never showed any regret about his decision, serving his country, giving everything he had to protect his family and this nation.
While his death was another example of everything wrong with the Bush Administration, a cover up for several years wasn’t fair to Tillman, or his family. On March 19, 2007 the U.S Department of Defense concluded that an investigation by Brigadier General Gary M. Jones confirmed that Tillman’s death was caused by friendly fire, and not by enemy fire as first reported.
Now six years after his death we still remember Patrick “Pat” Daniel Tillman’s decision to turn down a longer career in the NFL to serve his country after the devastating attacks on September 11, 2001.
There have been contradicting reports about Tillman’s religious beliefs but at his funeral service several friends that knew Tillman well while he was stationed in Iraq said that he was religious and “a transcendentalist”.
Reports came out that he had read parts of the Bible, Qur’an as well as the Book of Mormon. While his brother said at the funeral “Pat isn’t with God. He’s fucking dead. He wasn’t religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he’s fucking dead.”
Whether Tillman was religious or not his death still resonates today, and his ties to the State of Arizona are still remembered with his number at Arizona State retired (No.42) and his Arizona Cardinals number 40 also retired.
Pat Tillman was a veteran on and off the field as well as his service to this country.
*Tillman was awarded the Silver Star as well as the Purple Hart.
*Tillman promoted to Corporal after his death.
*Tillman served in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan
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| Arizona Cardinals, NFL, Pat Tillman, Veterans Day
Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Wednesday, November 10, 2010, that President Obama has nominated Colonel Jeffrey L. Bailey for his first star.
Bailey commanded Pat Tillman’s unit, the 2nd Ranger Battalion, during his friendly fire death. A memorandum of concern was placed in the file of then-Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bailey, the officer who explicitly threatened the local Rangers who knew what happened in the incident if they told anyone, specifically including Kevin Tillman, Pat’s brother who was in the same unit.
Bailey visited the site of the calamity the following morning and, a few hours later, he called his boss and said (according to Bailey’s sworn testimony), “My gut feeling was that Tillman had been killed by friendly fire…. There was no doubt about it. It was a case where there were six or seven Rangers that saw the vehicle shooting at them.” According to Army regulations, this information should have been immediately shared with the Tillman family, even if friendly fire was only a possibility. Instead, Bailey and others embarked on an elaborate campaign to suppress the truth and persuade both the family and the public that Tillman was killed by enemy fire. Tillman’s notebook, uniform, ammo vest, and body armor were burned, in clear violation of other important protocols. Within two days of Tillman’s death, Bailey initiated paperwork to give Tillman the Silver Star, the military’s third highest decoration for valor.
Bailey is currently serving as deputy commander (operations), 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized)/U.S. Division-North, Operation New Dawn, Iraq.
The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate.