Pat Tillman's father to Army investigator: 'F— you … and yours'
Aug 13, 2010, 12:15 PM EST
No story in recent years has been as baffling, disheartening and frustrating as that surrounding the death of former NFL star Pat Tillman, who was killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in April of 2004 as a member of the Army Rangers. And as much as we think we know about the facts surrounding Tillman’s death, apparently we don’t know the half of it. The Tillman Story, an already-controversial documentary on his death and subsequent military coverup, premiered in New York on Monday. On Aug. 20 it debuts in Los Angeles and New York.
The Weinstein Company, which is distributing the film, sent the Huffington Post two previously unseen letters written by Tillman’s father, Pat Sr., to Brigadier General Gary M. Jones (the man spearheading the investigation) as well as the Senate Armed Services Committee (which oversaw Jones’s work). They posted them today, and they’re really worth a read. There has been much focus on Tillman’s mom, Mary, due mostly to her book Boots On the Ground By Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman, in which she examines the convoluted path of the military’s — and the Bush Administration’s — clumsy coverup. But the letters now shine a brighter light on the frustrations of the father, who time and again ran into brick walls trying to get straight answers on what happened to his son.
Excerpt from Tillman Sr.’s letters, via The Huffington Post:
“You are a General,” Tillman’s father writes Jones after being presented with a briefing book of his findings. “There is no way a man like you, with your intelligence, education, military experience, responsibilities (primarily for difficult situations), and rank… believes the conclusions reached in the March 31, 2005 Briefing Book. But your signature is on it. I assume, therefore, that you are part of this shameless bull****. I embarrassed myself by treating you with respect [on] March 31, 2005. I thought your rank deserved it and anticipated something different from the new and improved investigation. I won’t act so hypocritically if we meet again.
“The Rangers stand for something — to this day, in my mind, the best. None of the five (5) soldiers on the ground, nor anyone in a discretionary capacity involved in this “Briefing Book” deserves to be affiliated with the Rangers. If your uniforms are so decorated, you should remove those items.
“In sum: F*** you … and yours.”
Perhaps the most in-demand person at the documentary after-party on Monday was Russell Baer, an Army Ranger Specialist and good friend of Tillman’s who served alongside Tillman and his brother Kevin in Afghanistan.
In the film, Baer explains how his army commanders instructed him to lie to Tillman’s family about his death, propping up the myth that Tillman was killed during a Taliban ambush rather than by his fellow American soldiers.
And while the Tillman family cooperated with the documentary — Pat’s mother, Dannie, and father, Pat Sr. as well as younger brother Richard and his widow Marie all appear on-camera over the course of the film — none was in New York for the premiere.
“Their response was, ‘Why would we come to that?’” [director Amir] Bar-Lev said during a Q&A at Michael’s. “They have a really strong sense of what is public and what is private in a time when so many of us seem to have lost that.”
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Pat Tillman’s Father To Army Investigator: ‘F— You … And Yours’ [Huffington Post]
‘The Tillman Story’ Premieres In New York [Huffington Post]
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- Lion Woods - Aug 25, 2010 at 12:40 PM
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Tillman did a great service for his country and paid the ultimate price. As for giving up his career in the NFL to go fight the war in Afghanistan I thought was a boneheaded move to say the least.
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- DR17 - Aug 27, 2010 at 1:52 PM
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HE STILL FOUGHT/DIED FOR YOUR FREEDOM SO WHY DONT YOU SHUT THE HELL UP… THIS MAN LOST HIS SON.. WRAP YOUR DUMBASS HEAD AROUND THAT
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- Fire Fighter - Aug 27, 2010 at 8:25 PM
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Much of the problem is not just the self-induced stigma of friendly fire victims but the stigma attached by the military itself.
After getting out of the AF in 1991, I worked at Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center for a year. During a VIP visit all the friendly fire victims were placed in a separate ward and not allowed to see the touring VIPs. This WASN’T their choice; it was done too them. Of course, afterwards someone “apologized” but, of course, it was after the media and VIPs had left.
Add to that some of the impacts from the military characterizing battle and non-battle injuries and subsequent VA payments, medals, Purple Hearts etc. We had guys blown up mine clearing and the Army classified the injuries as from a training exercise, even though the minefield was in Iraq and they were clearing the field around burning oil fields. These men were not eligible to get a Purple Hearts or other battlefield awards.
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- PhilCo - Aug 31, 2010 at 1:34 AM
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mrtibbs is probably wrong about there being a conspiracy to off Tillman before he became a problem. I hope it isn’t true. But there can be NO DOUBT that to the neocon empire fellows, Tillman was worth more to them dead than alive.
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- ben - Sep 8, 2010 at 11:56 PM
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I realize this “Bob” guy up near the top is catching a lot of heat right now, but he’s unfortunately right. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he “deserted his family,” but apparently everyone missed the documentary that preceded this one several years ago, where soldiers admitted that Tillman was very egotistical, and not well-liked at all. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if the “friendly fire” were not so friendly. I realize that the truth does not often sit well with people who want a “feel-good” conclusion to the story, but the truth is the truth. I’m not taking anything away from the anger the family is feeling as a result of the cover-up, and they have every right to be angry, but I don’t think people are asking just WHY there was a cover-up to begin with. I suppose you’ll all start flaming me now, too, and so be it. But Bob, despite his intentions likely being self-hatred, is closer to the truth than the Tillman family will probably ever be.
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- geo75putz - Sep 10, 2010 at 2:52 PM
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Hey POP Backoff?? What are you some kind of PUTZ?? He is correct and within his rights to say it especially when even a General puts his signature on it and knows it is a false report. I think you are a smuck for even making that small but stupid comment….
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- VeteranUSMA76 - Sep 10, 2010 at 4:38 PM
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A bullet knowns not its victim. It doesn’t care about friendly, enemy, or non-combatant. It kills and that is tragic. As for the military cover up; that is senseless.
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- Robert - Sep 12, 2010 at 5:35 PM
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Are you really admitting to murdering, your fellow Americans simple because they disagreed with you. Lets find this man and begin an investigation!!!!!!!!
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- mskit - Sep 14, 2010 at 9:20 PM
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Both Tillman’s mother and Gen. Wesley Clark have opened the door to speculation that Tillman may have been murdered, rather than a victim of a purely accidental friendly fire incident. In a 2007 interview with Keith Olbermann on “MSNBC,” Clark called Mrs. Tillman’s suspicions “very possible.”
Some facts which remain unanswered to this day about Tillman’s death are:
The military doctor who ascertained Tillman’s death wounds as three, closely-spaced shots to the forehead, at a range of about ten yards, or closer, immediately suspected foul play and asked his command to open a criminal investigation. It was denied.
Tillman’s body armor and uniform were burned, completely contrary to regulations, and his diary never recovered.
It was revealed in 2007 that there were Special Operations Forces snipers in the area, possibly private contractors in uniform, though no one really knows why.
No evidence at all of enemy fire was found at the scene. No one was hit by enemy fire, nor was any government equipment struck.
Friendly fire? or an execution?
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- telefunkenu48 - Sep 14, 2010 at 10:20 PM
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Sorry Bob, but it’s more of an ego massage to play a stupid game than to serve your country. Even if that country doesn’t care about you, as some remarks here show. People like you are the greatest argument FOR euthanasia.
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- 35t10b - Sep 16, 2010 at 1:10 AM
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he got swept up in the emotional times during 9-11 and paid the ultimate price. It must have been hard for him as an older than usual soldier to see that the reasons he signed up for did not match up with the real reasons for the war. I enlisted in the army in 79 during the hostage crisis in tehran and i did not realize until years later how poorly we treated Iran for decades. It seems he became political during his time and that will never work for an infantry unit. no right and wrong only mission mission mission and save the doubts for later
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- william lawlor - Sep 20, 2010 at 4:44 AM
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typical response from a jingoist. My country right or wrong. People like you would have us still in Vietnam killing farmers in the name of “freedom”. yes , kill them all so they can be free. The only things we produce are weapons and war. God bless Amerika.
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- Sherry Shuster - Sep 29, 2010 at 2:48 AM
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To: geo75 and your comment “Hey pop you made your point,he did not play that great of football,so back off…………….”. This is America. The one that Pat Tillman believed he was fighting for and dying for. HIS FATHER can say whatever the hell he wants. His sone paid for that right with his BLOOD. So, I would say that it is YOU that needs to back off.
