THE TILLMAN STORY-- SCREENPLAY

An Amir Bar-Lev Film

The Tillman Story, An Amir Bar-Lev Film -- Illustrated Screenplay & Screencap Gallery
Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman, by Mary Tillman with Narda Zacchino
The Tillman Fratricide: What the Leadership of the Defense Department Knew -- Hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, 110th Congress, August 1, 2007
Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman and Lynch Episodes -- United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Proposed Committee Report, July 14, 2008
The Torture Papers:  The Road to Abu Ghraib, edited by Karen J. Greenberg, Joshua L. Dratel
Standard Operating Procedure, directed by Errol Morris -- Illustrated Screenplay & Screencap Gallery
Taxi to the Dark Side, directed by Alex Gibney -- Illustrated Screenplay & Screencap Gallery
Interview with Pat Tillman's Parents, by Larry King
Killing Pat Tillman, by J. Bruce Campbell
Was the Pin-Up Boy of Bush's War on Terror Assassinated?, by Charles Laurence

A & E IndieFilms

The Weinstein Company

and A & E IndieFilms present

a Passion Pictures / Axis Films production

in association with Diamond Docs and Embassy Row

produced by John Battsek

[Photographer] Quiet, please.

a film by Amir Bar-Lev

[Pat Tillman] Pat Tillman, safety, Arizona State.

[Photographer] Good, keep looking. That's good.
Pat, can we try that just one more time?
Make sure not to kind of even glance up or look around or anything.

[Pat Tillman] Okay. It's a long-ass time to just sit there.

[Photographer] Yeah, it is.
Here we go.

[Mary Tillman] If they knew anything about my son, they wouldn't have done what they did.

[Pat Tillman] Pat Tillman, safety, Arizona State.

[Mary Tillman] Because he didn't really fit into that box that they would have liked.

[George Bush] Pat Tillman loved the game of football.
Yet, as much as Pat Tillman loved competing on the football field ...
he loved America even more.
Courageous and humble, a loving husband and son ...
a devoted brother and a fierce defender of liberty.
Pat Tillman will always be remembered --

[Mary Tillman] I think they just thought, if they spun the story and we found out ...
... we'd just keep it quiet because we wouldn't want to diminish ...
... his heroism or anything like that ...
... but, you know, nobody questions Pat's heroics. He was always heroic.
What they said happened, didn't happen.
They made up a story, and so you have to set the record straight.

The Tillman Story

[Newscaster 1] [Friday, April 23, 2004] Good evening, thanks for joining us --

[Newscaster 2] Our top story --

[Newscaster 3] On a more serious and indeed, tragic note --

[Reporter] Live fire rounds all around me --

[Neil Young: Hawks Doves Lyrics] In history we painted pictures grim ...

[Narrator] In the third week of April 2004, the 24-hour news cycle ...
... was dominated by two stories about fallen American soldiers.
The first involved an airport worker who had been fired ...
... after sharing these photos with her local newspaper.
This sparked debate about a federal law ...
... that had been in place since the first Gulf War.

[Barbara Bush] Why should we hear about body bags and deaths?

[Narrator] Americans had been mesmerized by news coverage from the Persian Gulf.
But the military said photos like these ...
... violated the privacy of grieving families.
The second story was not considered a violation of privacy.

[Newscaster 3] Pat Tillman, who gave up a multimillion-dollar contract ...
... in professional football, has been killed.

[Narrator] At age 25, Pat Tillman was a charismatic defensive back ...
... in the national football league ...
with a reputation as a bruising tackler.
But he brushed it all aside ...
... when he announced that he would be quitting the NFL ...
... joining the Army Rangers along with his brother Kevin ...
... and setting off to fight in the Middle East.
Though the media hounded him for an interview ...
... Tillman refused to speak publicly about his decision to leave the NFL ...
... requesting only that he be looked upon as any other soldier.
But this was a request that, in death, the public could not grant him.

[Mary Tillman] The first thing we heard when we got the news of Pat's death ...
was that he was shot in the head getting out of a vehicle.
That's all we heard.
We didn't get an official story until the memorial service.

Pat Tillman Memorial Service, San Jose, CA

[Senior Chief Petty Officer Steven White] If you're the victim of an ambush, there are very few things you can do
... to increase your chances of survival.
One of which is to get off that ambush point as fast as you can.
One of the vehicles in Pat's convoy ...
... could not get off.
He made the call, he dismounted his troops ...
... taking the fight to the enemy uphill.
This gave his brothers, in the downed vehicle ...
... time to move off that target.
He directly saved their lives with that move.

[Narrator] Pat's memorial service in San Jose, California ...
... was carried live by all the major networks.

[Adam Housley, Fox News] That service is ongoing right now, as you just saw here on Fox News ---

[Narrator] The story recounted in the eulogy was abridged ...
... elaborated upon and retold time and again.

[Newscaster 4] According to military accounts, Tillman ordered his men up a hill ...
... to attack terrorists that had pinned down part of his platoon.
All the soldiers in that ambushed platoon were saved.
They were rescued by Pat Tillman.

[FOX NEWS, Adam Housley, San Jose, CA] Tillman directed his team into firing positions.
Tillman's voice was heard issuing commands ...
... to take the fight to the enemy forces.
Pat Tillman's family will also receive the Silver Star for his service ...
... and his great heroic efforts over there on April 22nd.
FOX NEWS: DEATH OF A HERO. U.S. MILITARY: TILLMAN WAS HIT BY ENEMY FIRE NEAR KHOST
FOX FACTS: AZ STATE SCHEDULED PRIVATE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MAY 7.
FOX FACTS: PUBLIC EVENT FOR TILLMAN WILL BE MAY 8 AT SUN DEVIL STADIUM
FOX FACTS: TILLMAN WAS KILLED APRIL 22 DURING COMBAT IN AFGHANISTAN

[Narrator] Pat was given the Silver Star, the nation's third highest combat honor ...
... awarded for valor in battle with enemies of the United States.
A Navy SEAL friend of the family ...
... had based his eulogy on the Silver Star narrative.

[Senior Chief Petty Officer Steven White] Pat sacrificed himself so his brothers could live.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] What they received was something that was really honorable, you know.
The narrative that they got was something that was befitting a hero.
I knew that there was a massive possibility ...
... that other things were gonna come out to bring certain things to light ...
... that were gonna completely ...
... make that ceremony invalid.

[Military Man] Company.
Present arm.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I remember, we did like this little memorial in Afghanistan for Pat.
You know, I mean, fuck, everybody showed up.
It was terrible. It was terrible seeing everybody.
Everybody was just lost, shocked, frustrated.

[1st Sergeant] Sound off for roll call.
Specialist Atkins.

[Specialist Atkins] Here, first sarge.

[1st Sergeant] Sergeant Elroy.

[Sergeant Elroy] Here, first sarge.

[1st Sergeant] Specialist Norman.

[Specialist Norman] Here, first sarge.

[1st Sergeant] Specialist Tillman.
Specialist Patrick Tillman.
Specialist Patrick Daniel Tillman.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I knew we were gonna get debriefed.
And they were gonna pick it apart and figure out what happened.
And people were gonna get punished and people were gonna be leaving.
I didn't expect to ever, you know, be on a plane like two hours later.
They knew what the relationship was between me, Kevin and Pat.
And they told me:
"You're the closest to the brothers, we want you to fly back with Kevin.
It's not your place to tell the family anything.
You need to keep your mouth shut about it.
You need to not cause any type of turmoil."
And I -- You know, I said, okay. Yeah.
They put us into a cargo plane that was completely empty.
The only thing in it, right there in the middle, was Pat's coffin.
And they covered it with an American flag.
Just sitting across from Kevin and looking at him, I couldn't say anything.
I barely said two words to Kevin the whole time we were flying home.
I was afraid that he might ask me what happened to Pat.

[Mary Tillman] Russell Baer came to our house after Pat's memorial service ...
... and my ex-husband, or Pat's father ...
... asked Russell to tell the story of what happened to Pat.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] The position he was in while he was over at the house ...
... was, I'm sure, very awkward. It appeared very awkward.
At the time, it seemed that he was still very upset ...
... and rattled by the whole setting, and Pat's death ...
... because he liked Pat a lot.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I went into Pat's mom's living room and I gave them my narrative ...
... excluding certain possibilities.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] And Russell Baer told us nothing.
Initially, I was not real pleased with Russell Baer.
It upset me that this kid ...
... that's supposed to be a friend of the family's, didn't say anything.
But we found out about five weeks later, the reason.

[Mary Tillman] A reporter from the Arizona Republic contacted me.
It was peculiar because I hadn't heard from the media for quite a few weeks.
And I just got a very eerie feeling, and when I called him back ...
... he asked me what I thought about the news the Army had given us ...
... and I didn't know what he was talking about.
So I basically prodded him to tell me ...
... and he said that, you know, there was a suspicion ...
... that Pat was killed by fratricide, "friendly fire."

[Newscaster 5] The U.S. Army now says Pat Tillman was not killed by enemy fire.

[Newscaster 6] It was dark, the terrain was rough.
To put it another way, it was the fog of war.

[Newscaster 7] Now the Army says, Tillman's death was apparently an accident.

[Lt. General Philip Kensinger, U.S. Army Special Operations Command] The investigation results indicate that Corporal Tillman ...
... probably died as a result of friendly fire ...
... while his unit was engaged in combat with enemy forces.

It was determined that I was to give the press conference.
My role during this period ...
... was commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
I commanded the Green Berets ...
... Civil Affairs, SIOPs, the 160th Aviation ...
... the Rangers and a number of our Special units.

[Narrator] It was General Kensinger's job to explain why five weeks earlier ...
... the military had reported that Pat was killed by the Taliban.

[Lt. General Philip Kensinger, U.S. Army Special Operations Command] You know, I don't wanna sound trite ...
... but there's an old Army adage that says first reports are incorrect.

There is an inherent danger of confusion in any firefight ...
... particularly when a unit is ambushed.

[Narrator] During the press conference ...
... and at a subsequent private briefing with the Tillmans ...
... the Army said Pat had been killed by an errant U.S. bullet ...
... during a chaotic ambush.
The ambush was conducted by 10 to 12 enemy personnel ...
... from multiple locations --

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] According to them, things were confusing ...
... and it's an unfortunate accident.
I know I felt like they haven't really looked into this well enough ...
... to give me an explanation, and I don't much appreciate that.

[Lt. General Philip Kensinger, U.S. Army Special Operations Command] The results of this investigation ...
... in no way diminish the bravery and sacrifice displayed ...
... by Corporal Tillman.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] In the process of this explanation, I asked one of them:
"Why then award him a Silver Star?
You don't give a Silver Star for attitude."
He goes, "Well, we did in this case."

[Mary Tillman] You don't wanna think the worst of the people that you're dealing with.

[Lt. General Philip Kensinger, U.S. Army Special Operations Command] Our thoughts and our prayers remain with the Tillman family.
Thank you for being here this morning.

[Mary Tillman] You want to believe they're telling you the truth ...
... yet you're getting this sense that you're being lied to.

[U.S. Cent Com Spokesperson] U.S. Central Command is the point of contact ...
... for further inquiries in this investigation. Thank you.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] At the end of the briefing, we were told that we would be getting ...
... the source documents that were used to support the investigation.
They showed me the box. It was six binders full of stuff.
"Eventually, Mr. Tillman, you're going to get a copy of all this."
I said, "Great. When am I gonna get it?"

[Questioner] What motivates you the most?

[Pat Tillman] I don't know. I get a lot of satisfaction out of, like ...
... you know, my family being proud of me.
My brothers, you know, I care what they think and how they feel ...
... and I want them to be proud of what I'm doing.
My mom -- My mom finished dead last in the San Francisco Marathon.
I don't know when it was. She was probably 30 -- Whatever years old.
I mean, dead last. On the little sheet when --
You know, they do it -- Her -- Mary Tillman, the last fricking name.
They were actually tearing everything down when she finished, you know.
They were putting everything away.
So, I mean, that says a lot about her. She's a real hard-working woman --

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] Dannie committed herself to trying to ...
... you know, figure out exactly what happened to our son.
She contacted a lot of people. She did a lot of work.

[Mary Tillman] I'd take things to work, or I'd make phone calls ...
... when I didn't have students, or when I had my break or at lunch.
I'd call the medical examiner, the coroner.
I'd call ballistic people trying to find someone that could answer questions.
I Mean, I was just making calls all the time.
Along the way, I'd encounter people that were able to help us.
And at somewhere along the line, we got in touch with Stan Goff.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] I was running a blog, everybody got a blog nowadays ...
... so I wrote something about the Tillman Case.
It was just, you know, a commentary piece related to ...
... this whole perception-management aspect of the war.
So when we got to talking, she realized I'd been around.
I'd been to Vietnam and Guatemala ...
... Grenada, El Salvador, Peru, Colombia, Somalia.
Three assignments with Ranger units ...
... two assignments with the Special Forces unit ...
... one assignment with the Counterterrorist unit.
So it wasn't just that I had experience in Pat's unit ...
... it was also that I could sort of help them ...
... read the hieroglyphics in that Special Operations world.
Because it is a culture.

[Mary Tillman] The first time the family got a sense that we were being lied to ...
... was when we started looking at the documents.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] They gave her the papers, but what they did was ...
... I think, they tried to drown her, you know.
They wanted to give her so much that, you know, no normal human being ...
... would dig through all this paperwork and try to make sense out of it.

[Narrator] The Army handed over transcripts of every interview they conducted ...
with Pat's platoon and their commanding officers.
There were also radio-communications logs ...
... field-hospital reports, terrain maps, an autopsy ...
... and a detailed study of the light conditions that day.
In all, it totaled over 3,000 pages of material on Pat's death.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] But it's redacted.
Every single name, half the actions, any references to places.
You have to go this sort of painstaking reconstruction.
It's like doing a very difficult crossword puzzle.
You keep running around looking for just one word you can fit in there ...
... and then you can sort of lock all the other stuff into it.

[Mary Tillman] We tried to look at what was being said ...
... and then we'd try to piece together --
Okay, if they're saying this, then who might that be?

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] We would take a redacted name ...
... and we'd try to count the number of spaces that were in there ...
... to try to figure out whose last name was in there.
And of course, by going over the same thing again and again ...
... with some names plugged in ...
... we started to become familiar with aspects of it.

[Mary Tillman] I wanna make this very clear, when we initially heard of this fratricide ...
... and the fact that these soldiers in this vehicle had killed Pat ...
... we felt very bad for them, to have to live with this.
We thought it was just some horrible accident.
You know, they were in a fog of war and they were frightened ...
... and it was too dark to see. But you're reading things in the documents ...
... that make you very suspicious.
The more that we heard about the situation ...
... it seemed much more like gross negligence.
They asked one of the soldiers:
"Did you positively identify your target?"
He said, "I don't know. I thought everybody else did.
I just wanted to be in a firefight."
That doesn't sound like someone who's afraid.
That sounds like someone who simply wants to shoot at something.

[Documents] "Hey, cease fire, cease fire. You're shooting at us."
... said twice "we have friendlies on top."
... there yelling "Hey, friendlies up there." ... waiving their arms trying to just get the attention ... Corporal Tillman was waiving his arms.
I saw hands waiving like this ...
They stopped and fired for a good forty-five seconds to a minute.
Q9: Why did you fire at the shapes on the Western ...
A: I was excited.
Q7: Was this your first firefight?
A: Yes. No, second firefight.
Q8: Why did you fire at the arms waving on the ridgeline?
A: I saw the arms waving, but I didn't think that they were trying to signal a cease-fire.
Q9: Did you have Positive Identification of your target when you fired?
A: I engaged with my weapon in the same general area where others were firing ...
Q11: At this point in time, were you taking enemy fires?
A: I couldn't tell. Others were firing and I wanted to stay in the firefight.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] There's a sense that we can't discover meaning ...
... we can't discover who we are, we have no real sense of identity ...
... until that's tested somehow.
Let's test it against something that's real, let's test it in a context ...
... where life and death are real coexisting possibilities.
All young infantrymen will say, "I wanna be in a firefight."
That's what makes them feel like they're fully fledged.
You know, they can say, "Well, I've actually experienced combat."

Home video of Pat Tillman's unit U.S. Ranger Battalion 2/75

[Ranger] What is up?

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I went in for all the selfish reasons.
I didn't go in because I was patriotic and wanted to serve my country.
I wanted to serve myself.
I wanted to get some money for college.
I wanted to learn to be more self-sufficient.
I wanted to blow things up and shoot guns, you know.
I got to Ranger battalion September 10th.
And literally, when I got there and woke up the next morning ...
... I got thrown out of my bed and I thought it was a joke.
You know, new guy, big joke.
And when I saw the planes hit the towers ...
... you know, during breakfast, it was like:
"I'm gonna fucking die."

[Sgt. Jason Parsons, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] It was about 10 minutes later, there was people yelling and standing up.
They were pumped because we was gonna go to war.
They knew we was gonna go to war at that point.

Sound off.

You don't wanna see it happen, but at the same time ...
... that's what you've been working for.
And whenever that comes down you want a chance to say:
"Hey, I can handle this."

Airborne Rangers, motherfucker!
Go!

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] You know, we're supposed to believe that soldiers' motives are pure ...
... that they go into these situations reluctantly.
It's an imposition of a level of wisdom and maturity on soldiers ...
... that doesn't apply to 19 year olds anywhere, ever.

[Ranger] I ain't fucking out, dude.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] A 19-year-old kid is far less interested in displaying wisdom ...
... than they are in, like, giving some sort of a practical demonstration ...
... of their masculinity, you know what I mean?
The atmosphere in a military unit like that, is a locker-room atmosphere.

[Ranger] Tapping.

[Ranger] Fucker.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] It's not philosophical.

[Ranger] I turn my back on you.

[Ranger] Get that fucking camera out of here.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I expected Pat to be kind of like, you know, in a general sense ...
... the general depiction of, like, your jock, your meathead.
Not very intelligent.
Kind of like the guys I knew in high school. They were just ...
... jerks.
Arrogant, you know, full of himself.
Why the hell is somebody leaving an NFL contract ...
... to come to this shit hole and deal with this kind of nonsense?

[Sgt. Jason Parsons, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] There was just kind of a low mumble ...
... that he really was looking to become a political leader.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] A lot of people thought he just didn't have a good head on his shoulders.
He wanted to kind of do the macho, red-blooded American, patriotic thing.

[Sgt. Jason Parsons, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] He was an ex-football player, he was used to getting millions of dollars ...
... and he was used to pretty much having it his way.
He was a private ...
... which in Ranger mentality, it means that you're on the same level as dirt.
There was a time where I did have to take corrective action against Pat ...
... for, basically, coming unglued on me for an order that he was given.
That's just the way that the military goes.
You get orders, sometimes you don't like them.
You don't have the option of saying:
"I don't like this. Let's do this another way."
Or in his case, saying, "This is completely fucking stupid."

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] Pat had something, you know, that I wanted.
You know, there was something that Pat knew and just got ...
... that I needed, that I wanted.
I went in looking for that one thing that I couldn't put my finger on ...
... that was going to help me to accomplish everything I wanted to do ...
... and Pat had that something.
He wasn't at all what I expected to find.
He didn't seem like this tough knucklehead guy.
You know, he was interested in Emerson, in Chomsky ...
... and he just seemed very, just, open.
It didn't matter who you were, where you were from, what you were into ...
Pat always wanted to find out what you were about.
And he would ask a million questions.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I walked in on him one time and he was reading the Book of Mormon.
And, you know, it really hit me because I am Mormon.
So I asked him, "Hey, you know, you have any questions ...
... please feel free to ask.
I'll explain whatever I can to you as best as I can."
I knew that he wasn't religious, but he told me that he respected all religions.

[Sgt. Jason Parsons, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] Bryan O'Neal was kind of a small guy, a very nervous guy.
I wasn't real impressed.
I think he was really looking for a place to fit in ...
... looking for more family ...
... looking for something that was a little bit of a closer tie.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I was kind of terrified going there because, you know ...
... the rumors of hazing and tricks that the senior guys play on the new guys.
Pat was different from everyone else in the platoon.
He didn't ever, you know, treat me like I was lower than him.
I think the only time, you know, that I upset Pat ...
... is he asked me to, you know, prep some ChemLights ...
... for an objective we had the next day ...
... and I forgot, you know, I was doing other things.
And he basically let me know that I disappointed him ...
... that I didn't do what he wanted me to do.
And that really, you know --
I wish he would've taken me in the hallway ...
... and smoked me up and down, and, you know, treated me horribly ...
... you know, called me stupid.
But him telling me that I disappointed him, it really upset me, you know.
I decided I was never gonna do that again ...
... because he was such a great guy, I didn't wanna let him down.

[Sgt. Jason Parsons, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] When Bryan came in, Pat kind of picked him up.
He just put an arm around him and scooped him up the best he could.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] Everyone was actually envious that he was my team leader.
... that little scrawny me would be working with this huge football player.
I blamed myself for quite some time that maybe ...
... you know, Pat's not in a place where he should be ...
... because I didn't put forth more effort.
And, you know, it's something I still think about today.
You know, that because of my lack of faith ...
... you know, he may be suffering for it.

[ASU Announcer] For all those who are here tonight ...
... we honor the memory and accomplishments of Pat Tillman ...
... by permanently retiring his number 42 ASU football jersey.

[Mary Tillman] Arizona was always very good to Pat ...
... but it's very hard when you're put out there kind of on display.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] The public grieving is not something that I can do.
I don't wanna do it.
It's an awkward spot.
The issue at the time was trying to figure out what had happened to Pat.

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] It was, you know, sort of a difficult situation ...
... because it was a very private thing that happened ...
... that was then being played out in the public.
And so I had this sense of sort of wanting to hold on to what I could.
Even at that point, he was totally getting lost.
Pat, who he was as a person, was lost in the conversation.

[Reporter] -- what you did with Pat Tillman --

[Ted the Interviewee] Oh, there we go, typical Republican personal attack.
Can't stick to the issues --

[Reporter] Ted, let me finish the point.

Kudlow & Company, Political Wargames

[Alan Colmes] Pat Tillman was a Noam Chomsky fan ...
... was gonna vote for John Kerry, was against the war in Iraq.

[Ann Coulter] I REALLY don't believe it.

[Sean Hannity] I don't believe it either.
He signed up because of his desire to fight.

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] They would take parts of who he was ...
... and magnify those to suit their purposes.
I was trying to figure out how to live without him.
You feel like your world has stopped ...
... and yet, everything goes on like normal.
It started pretty much overnight after Pat was killed.
The day after he was killed, there were cameras on my front lawn ...
... which was bizarre.
I mean, I was not expecting anything like that at all.

[Reporter] He lived here in University Place with his wife.

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] I remember my mom was always going around closing the blinds.

[Reporter] Today three men from Fort Lewis walk slowly to the house ...
... to tell his wife Marie, they care.
Staff Sergeant David High, a Ranger, tried unsuccessfully ...
... to express his feelings, choked up, and walked away.

[Staff Sergeant David High, Ranger] No, that's not good. Sorry.

[Narrator] But the newsmen camped out on Marie's lawn had the story wrong.
In fact, the casualty assistance officers were there to compel Marie ...
... to sign off on a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery ...
... with full military honors.

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] They were sort of pushing for a military funeral ...
... which was not what his wishes were.

[Narrator] During basic training, Pat had a premonition ...
that if he died, he might be used as a public-relations' stunt.
So he'd smuggled a copy of his final wishes home to Marie.

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] I really had to kind of push back on them.
They were proceeding as if this was the way things were gonna happen.
Probably thinking that, you know, I was so grief-stricken ...
... that I would just go along with it.

[Staff Sergeant David High, Ranger] My mission here is to support the family ...
... and help them through the process, and make it easier for her.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] That's the first episode, in a way.
Before Pat's body is even cold.
The death didn't just belong to the family.
This was bigger than the family.
"This is ours," you know.
It's ours to interpret.

[John McCain] And you will see him again when a loving God reunites us all ..
... with the loved ones who preceded us in death.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] The contrast of the memorial service ...
... should have hit a warning shot to the military.
You got people out there speaking in these glittering generalities.

[Maria Shriver] Pat, your family doesn't have to worry anymore.
You are home, you are safe, and you will not be forgotten.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] And then you've got his brother coming up there.
Somebody who's willing to speak the brutality of that reality for them.

[Richard Tillman, Pat's youngest brother] He was always giving gifts. Thanks, Pat.
I didn't write shit because I'm not a writer.
And I just want to say, it was --
There's a lot of people here, thanks.
It was really amazing to be his little baby brother.
Yeah, I'm not just gonna sit up here and break down on you, but ...
Thank you for coming. Pat's a fucking champion ...
... and always will be.
Just make no mistake, he'd want me to say this.
He's not with God, he's fucking dead. He's not religious, so ...
Thanks for your thoughts, but he's fucking dead.

I don't regret any of that.
You know, as far as what I was thinking ...
... I was just simply miserable, you know.
I was, you know -- I was sad for my whole family.
I was sad for my mom, my dad, Marie, Kevin.
This isn't a production. It's my brother's service.
I didn't plan on saying that, it just ...
He's not what these people wished he was.
Everyone grabbed at Pat's death.
Not necessarily just the military, everybody grabbed at him.
They just chose the wrong family to try to do it in front of.

[Mary Tillman] Not to say that we always did the right thing in this house ...
... we made lots of mistakes ...
... but I think that we did make an attempt to tell the truth.
You know, sometimes you have to work at that.

[Narrator] In 1976, Patrick and Dannie Tillman moved to New Almaden ...
... a two-road town near San Jose, California ...
... where he practiced law and she worked as a teacher.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] Part of the reason for living out in New Almaden ...
... was a deliberate decision ...
... to set a better environment for the kids.
We discouraged watching TV.
We did the same thing with the telephone.
We had one telephone and it was right in the middle of the house.
If you wanted to talk to somebody ...
... then you'd talk right in front of everybody else.
So it wasn't like we isolated them, it's just there were certain priorities ...
... and it wasn't that difficult to deprive them for their own good.

[Richard Tillman, Pat's youngest brother] You know, we did grow up together. Pat and Kevin were so close in age ...
... they were only 14 months apart, so they were together all the time.
They would go to the creek, the mountains.
I was exhausted by 7 because they were all over the place ...
... and I just didn't have that kind of stamina.
It was just our own little world.
And we happened to have a very just and kind leader in Pat.
And it pushed Kevin and myself to do things ...
... that, you know, we probably wouldn't have normally done.

[Peggy Melbourne, Next door neighbor of the Tillmans] It was just the way they talked.

[Syd Melbourne, Next door neighbor of the Tillmans] Well, the F-word is one of their more popular words ...
... and they can use it as an adjective, a verb, a noun.
They can, you know -- And then other parts of speech that we don't know.

[Mary Tillman] Yeah, that's true.
They kind of -- They swear a lot.

[Narrator] Did you have rules in the house about cussing?

[Mary Tillman] Evidently not.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] I never met Pat, so the only way that I know Pat Tillman ...
... is through what I've heard from his family.
Pat was a pretty typical kid, but then he also had this gift.
You know, he had this gift.
He was a comparatively little guy that could just really run fast ...
... and knock the shit out of people.

[Announcer] We first noticed Pat Tillman when he scored the game-winning touchdown ...
... against Independence last season, then did a flip in full pads.

[Pat Tillman] Made it up, I don't know.
Came to me right about the time I did it. I don't know.

[Mary Tillman] He was very low-key about getting the compliments and the accolades.
It kind of embarrassed him.

[Spokesman] You're always so modest when I talk to you.
This time, take some credit for yourself.
You're not gonna do it, are you?

[Pat Tillman] I had a big line and a great offensive coordinator.
I don't know where he is, but well-coached.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] He wasn't much of a showman.

[Spokesman] Give him the plaque.

[Man] Here you go.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] He enjoyed the game. He enjoyed all the games that he played.
He liked climbing things.
He liked jumping off of things.
He liked taking risks, yeah. Yeah, he was big on risks.
He challenged himself that way. He wouldn't let me see any of that.
If you're gonna do that kind of stuff, do it behind my back.

[Narrator] Pat was given a football scholarship to Arizona State University ...
... where he became an academic All-American ...
... with a 3.8 grade point average.

[Pat Tillman] We never lose at home. We kicked the shit out of them.

[Narrator] His square-jawed intensity and long-haired California cool ...
... soon made him a local celebrity.

[Reporter] I want you to talk about Patton ...
... military leaders that you kind of tap into ...
... for your own, I guess, abilities on a football field.

[Pat Tillman] You know, Patton's a cool guy. I like his stuff.
He made some comment one time, something to the effect of:
"No one ever won a war dying for their country.
Let the other son of a bitch die for his."
It's things like that, it's guys like that, guys where their attitude --
They're a little bit crazy ...
... but it's that craziness that propels them to greatness.

[Sportscaster 1] The throw. Shoots it over the middle. And, whoa, what a hit.
Pat Tillman knocked the helmet off of Isaac Byrd.

[Sportscaster 2] That was scary.

[Sportscaster 1] Oh, my.

[Narrator] Because he was considered small, at 5'11" ...
... Pat was never expected to make it in the NFL.
But from his very first training camp, he set the tone for his career.

[Dave McGinnis, Head Coach, Arizona Cardinals 2000-2003] I mean, there are gonna be fights in training camp.
I got Pitt and Pat Tillman together.
Those two are important to me. There was no problem.
You know, 9:00 in the morning, get your ass knocked off ...
... I might be mad too.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] He would hit you as hard as he possibly could.

[Sportscaster 1] Never even looked at Pat Tillman. Never even thought --

[Sportscaster 2] That's a perfect job for Pat Tillman because he's a little bit free of spirit.

[Narrator] To his new teammates, Pat was a bit of an oddball.
He didn't own a cell phone or a car ...
... and would leave his beach cruiser in the team parking lot ...
... among the Escalades and BMWs.
But to fans, Pat was a rare example of a public figure ...
... who wasn't afraid to speak his mind.

[Sportscaster] Why should the fans think this year's gonna be any different?

[Pat Tillman] You know what? They shouldn't.
We haven't done anything at this point to prove that we're not --
We didn't have a good year last year, and that's the only thing that matters.
We need to go out and start winning games.
When we start winning games, the fans will come out and watch us.
Until that happens, you know, I wouldn't come out either.

[Sportscaster] The Cardinals win and they go to the playoffs.

[Mary Tillman] He liked the physicality of it, but I think he really liked that feeling ...
... of being connected with the man next to you.
I think he thrived on that feeling of unity.

[Narrator] At the age of 25, four years into his NFL career ...
... Pat married his high-school sweetheart.

[Kevin Tillman, Pat's Younger Brother] This is very special for me.
It means a lot that my older brother is getting married --

[Narrator] Pat first crossed paths with Marie Ugenti at the age of 4 ...
... when they played in the same youth soccer league.
She was his first and only girlfriend.
And even though they would go to different colleges ...
... and he would become a high-profile athlete ...
... Pat remained faithful to Marie until the end of his life.

[Kevin Tillman, Pat's Younger Brother] As far as an older brother, you couldn't ask for anything more than him.
I mean, he's lights out, he's fantastic. And to know that he's with Marie ...
... the greatest girl in the whole world, it's just money, man.
It's absolutely money for me.
I don't know, I love it, dude. This is fucking awesome.

[Richard Tillman, Pat's youngest brother] To see Pat and Marie get married -- It was just an awesome day.
I didn't realize that --
You know, what was known at that point, obviously.
But it was ...
I'm glad I didn't. I don't think I would have had as much fun, that's for sure.

[Mary Tillman] They made this decision, the three of them ...
... Kevin and Pat and Marie. It was something they talked about.
They kept it from us until after Pat and Marie were actually married.
The boys, they called me on, actually, Mother's Day of 2002 ...
... and they told me that they were going to enlist.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] And Dannie was not happy about the whole thing.
She made it known.

[Mary Tillman] Members of the family go back for generations serving.
My father, my father-in-law ...
... all my uncles, served in World War II or Korea.
And, you know, I talked to the boys a lot ...
... about, you know, the camaraderie of war.
And I suppose it concerned me that I did talk too much about that.
That it became more intriguing to them than it should've been.

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] Some people thought that, you know, I could have talked him out of it ...
... or asked him not to do it.
But that was just never something I would've done.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] Somehow or another, Dannie had a lot more foresight than I did ...
... because it dawned on her right then and there ...
... that she cannot deal with losing one of her sons.
My comment at the time was:
"Could you imagine someone seeing Pat and Kevin coming after them?
I feel bad for those people."
So that was a bad call on my part.

[Narrator] We'll never know exactly why Pat Tillman enlisted.
He made a deliberate choice not to make it a public matter.
But after he died, an interview surfaced.

[Pat Tillman] Even as athletes, we bitch and moan every now and again ...
... about this or that, and if we ever just, you know --
Times like this, you stop and think about just how --
Not only how good we have it, but what kind of a system we live under ...
... what freedoms we're allowed, and that wasn't built overnight.
And it's kind of --
The flag is a symbol of all that, the symbol of --
You know, you just don't think about it --

[Narrator] On the day after 9/11, the Cardinals had conducted team interviews ...
... so players could comment on the country ...
... in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

[Pat Tillman] My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor ...
... and a lot of my family has given up -- Has gone and fought in wars.
And I really haven't done a damn thing ...
... as far as laying myself on the line like that.
So I have a great deal of respect for those that have.
And what the flag stands for.

[Narrator] The interview became known as Pat's explanation ...
... for why he dropped everything and joined the Army ...
... even though he wouldn't actually make his decision ...
... for another six months.
It would be used to violate his only request ...
... that his motivation for enlisting be kept private.

[Sportscaster] Pat Tillman had everything to live for.
All that was missing was a true sense of purpose.
He said he found that on September 11th, 2001.

[Newscaster 2] Former safety for the Arizona Cardinals ...
... gave up a multimillion-dollar pro-football deal ...
... the day after September 11th.
Tillman explained his decision --

[Newscaster 3] This is what he said the day after the attacks --

[Newscaster 4] Here's how he explained his decision --

[Newscaster 5] "To make right," he said, "what 9/11 had made so wrong."

[Mary Tillman] He was a human being ...
... and by putting this kind of heroic, saintly quality to him ...
... you're taking away the struggle of being a human being.
I mean, he had to make choices, just like we all do.
And he tried to make the right choices.
When he didn't make the right choice, he was the first person to tell you.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] The military was not what Pat expected it to be.

[Mary Tillman] He thought, just like the majority of people in this country ...
... that going into Afghanistan was the right thing to do.
And then, of course, once they enlisted ...
... the talks started veering towards going into Iraq.
And when they were over there, he didn't like what he saw.

[Narrator] In February 2003, Pat and Kevin were deployed to Iraq.
One month later, the Rangers were ordered ...
... to provide perimeter support for the rescue of Jessica Lynch ...
... a supply clerk who had reportedly engaged the enemy ...
... in a fierce firefight before being taken prisoner.

[Newscaster 1] She showed true courage.

[Newscaster 2] She shot until she ran out of ammunition.

[Newscaster 3] She's alive, she's being tortured.

[Narrator] Despite the apparent urgency ...
... the rescue of Jessica Lynch was inexplicably put on hold.
Russell Baer waited out the delay on top of a bunker ...
... with Pat and his brother Kevin.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] Just watching these bombs and these A-10's strafe the city.
That was the first time I'd heard Pat in kind of like no-kidding opinion ...
... on kind of what was going on there.
He just said, "This war is just so fucking illegal."
You know, just watching these scene unfold ...
... you know, the city's being blown to shit.

[Radio Voice] Come right, come right.
Okay. I'm moving to cover our backs.
Okay.

[Radio Voice 2] This is oppressive.
Hold it there, please.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] It's pretty clear the Special Ops team could have essentially ...
... walked into the hospital, picked her up and carried her out ...
... and would've been cooperated with all along the way.

[Narrator] It would come out later that Jessica Lynch ...
... had neither fired her weapon nor been tortured ...
... and that the inexplicable delay ...
... had been to enable a combat camera crew to record the mission.

[Photographer 1] Camera right here?

[Photographer 2] Can you smile?
Can you smile for the family?

[Photographer 3] For your folks?

[Photographer 4] There you go. You're doing great, Jessica. You're doing wonderful.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] It was a film production.
Jessica Lynch's rescue was a film production.

[Official] We understand that there is video taken by a combat camera team.
Can you show us that video?

[Army Man] Do we have the tape?
Some brave souls put their lives on the line to make this happen.
Loyal to the creed that they know ...
... that they'll never leave a fallen comrade ...
... and never embarrass their country. With that, I'll take your questions.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] The media has been more than complicit.

[Newscaster 1] The military has just released new video this morning of the daring raid.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] They wanna take all the complexities of a real situation ...
... and reduce them into a comfortable fable.

[Newscaster 1] It was a mission one described as "a midnight ballet."

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] One that's easy to sort of digest ...
... and, you know, consists of good guys and bad guys ...
... that are clearly recognizable from movies.

[Newscaster 2] Saving Private Lynch.

[Newscaster 3] Private First Class Jessica Lange, a 19-year-old U.S. Army soldier.
I apologize. It's Jessica Lynch.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] If you wanna get the public to cosign something ...
... you gotta give them something that they're willing to cosign.
It has to be turned into a morality play.

[Girl 1] American hero.

[Girl 2] American hero.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] I do not wanna see dead bodies.
I do not wanna see coffins. I wanna remain comfortable.

[Girl] Welcome home.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] And so, you know, the government gives them what they want.
The press gives them what they want.

[Richard Tillman, Pat's youngest brother] Pat and Kevin, when they came back from Iraq ...
... were like, "This is just 100 percent bullshit."

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] I think after coming home from Iraq, he was a little disillusioned.
It was right around the halfway mark ...
... and he was in a stage of looking towards the next step.

[Narrator] Just before Pat was due to return to combat duty ...
... an opportunity arose that would have saved his life.

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] One of the NFL teams had approached his agent ...
.. and, you know, said that he would be eligible to get out ...
... since he had been on a combat tour.

[Narrator] In a back-channel agreement ...
... the military said that Pat could be immediately discharged with honors ...
... and could return to his football career by the following season.
As coach Dave McGinnis later recalled ...
... Pat sought him out to discuss the secret offer.

[Coach Dave McGinnis] When he came in and talked to me --
We talked for about two hours in my office.
And we talked about some things that at the time ...
... that he asked that I not talk about.
He said, "Coach Mac, I'll tell you some things, but I would prefer --"
And believe me, I will hold those things forever.
Just know this, that Pat Tillman made a decision ...
... based on some very real values.
And the words: honor, integrity, dignity, commitment ...
... they were not just adjectives with Pat Tillman ...
... they were realities in his life ...
... and that came through very loud and clear.

[Marie Tillman, Pat's wife] He committed for three years and he was gonna fulfill his commitment.
It's the same reason why Kevin didn't leave after Pat was killed.
They made a commitment and they honored that.

[Newscaster] Did you get the impression that he planned on returning to football?

[Coach Dave McGinnis] Just give me a minute here, because this is ...
You know, he had ...
That's what he wanted to do ...
... because one of the last things that he said to me when we left up there --
You know, I said, "Okay, good luck. Stay in touch, we'll be --"
And he said, "You know, I'd ..."
And then -- And his last --
He said, "Coach, I just -- You know I wanna come back and play for you."

[Narrator] Pat reported for his second tour of duty in April of 2004.
His platoon was sent to Afghanistan and assigned to carry out ...
... reconnaissance sweeps near the Pakistani border.
The Rangers were accompanied by a group of allied Afghan militia ...
... known as AMF soldiers.
Pat was now in charge of a small fire team including Bryan O'Neal.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] At that time, I mean, I was still brand-new.
Being from Arizona ...
I thought a lot of Afghanistan looked like a lot of Arizona.
The people were a bit different.

[Narrator] These photos were taken by Pat's platoon ...
... in the days leading up to the incident of April 22nd.
On that day, while traversing the rugged terrain ...
... one of the platoon's Humvees broke down.
After six hours stuck in a small village, the commanders back at base ...
... ordered the platoon split in two halves, or "serials."
One serial was to deal with the downed vehicle ...
... while the other, including Pat, Russell Baer and Bryan O'Neal ...
... was to carry on with the mission.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I remember thinking that it was a horrible idea to split the convoy.
You know, you're taking half of your firepower away ...
... especially in this area we were going through.
As soon as we took off, we basically went into this canyon ...
... where the walls were so steep.

[Investigator] 442 Zulu. We're running down the canyon.
Staff Sergeant **** is going to narrate as best he can ...
... his recollection of events passing through this canyon.

[Narrator] This video shows the actual canyon where Pat was killed.
It was presented to the Tillmans ...
... as part of the military's official explanation of the incident.

[Investigator] Okay, we're rolling. This is April 23rd, 2006, 0551 Zulu.

[Narrator] The Army's investigator returned to Afghanistan ...
... with members of Pat's platoon ...
... who walked him through the sequence of events ...
... and laid out the routes of the two serials.
Traveling along a dry creek bed at the bottom of a narrow gorge ...
... Pat, Bryan O'Neal, Russell Baer, and the rest of Serial 1 ...
... made it through the canyon unscathed.
At the mouth of the canyon, they arrived at a small village.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] There was a rolling hill with some compounds on it.
My squad leader said, "Stop the vehicles. Get out, stretch your legs.
Let's figure out where we're at. Let's figure out where Serial 2's at."
And that's when we heard the first initial explosion.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I remember hearing these explosions go off ...
... and I knew they were in the back of the canyon where we just were.
Which kind of surprised me because, you know, I didn't realize ...
... that the second half of the convoy was following behind us like they were.

[Narrator] In the steep terrain ...
... the two serials had lost radio contact with each other.
Pat's serial didn't know ...
... that half a mile behind them in the canyon, was the second serial.
In the last of five vehicles was Kevin Tillman and Jason Parsons.

[Sgt. Jason Parsons, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] We was moving through the canyon and then there was an explosion.
I mean, it was a pretty decent explosion.
We seen rocks and dust and everything fly.
People in a vehicle further up the canyon ...
... believed that it was an RPG attack ...
... so they began lighting up that position.

[Narrator] The Army initially reported that the Rangers were set upon
... by an ambush of up to 20 Taliban fighters.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] But in the entire course of this attack ...
... not a single Ranger was wounded by enemy fire.
Not even a bullet hole was found in any of the equipment.
Even though you go through all the statements, no one ever saw ...
... more than two people at a time that were attacking them.
And in many cases, they sounded very unsure of themselves ...
... even saying that.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] It's completely conceivable ...
... that these explosions were maybe one of our guys AD'd his weapon.
AD meaning they discharged the weapon accidentally.

[Sgt. Jason Parsons, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] That's his perspective. I'll let him have it.
But from my perspective, there was two mortars that hit ...
... there were rounds coming in ...
... I had one impact 6 to 7 feet away from me.

[Narrator] In the end, the existence of any enemy combatants ...
... has been disputed.
What has never been disputed is that, in this moment ...
... the Rangers in Serial 2 unleashed their full firepower ...
... up into the canyon walls ...
... as they continued driving towards Serial 1.

[Mary Tillman] It was not a fog of war, not in my mind at all.
I believe it was a lust to fight.
I don't think these soldiers were scared when they came out of that canyon.
I think they were relieved they were out of the canyon ...
... and they just wanted to shoot.

[Narrator] Hearing the explosion and gun fire ...
Serial 1 ran back toward the canyon to help Serial 2.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I remember seeing Pat, you know. He yelled at me, "O'Neal, follow me!"
And, you know, I do what I was told.
You know, he's my team leader. I follow him wherever I go.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] And I was really surprised at how quick O'Neal was following Pat.
I mean, he has just as much gear on as everybody else ...
... and he was just keeping up with him.
I remember getting halfway up this hill and Pat turning around ...
... asking Sergeant Weeks, my squad leader:
"Hey, Sergeant Weeks, can we take our body armor off?"
And I remember thinking to myself:
"Fuck that, I am keeping my body armor on."
Pat is wanting to get up there as quickly as possible.

[Sergeant Weeks] Tillman was at about this location ...
... and he asked if he could drop his body armor ...
... and start pursuing up this hill.
I told him no.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] At that time, I noticed there was an Afghani militia man with us.
He jumped in with us and we just started running.

[Narrator] At the moment Pat's fire team reached these rocks ...
... the lead vehicle of Serial 2 emerged from the canyon below them.
The vehicle had left Kevin, Jason and the rest of the convoy behind.
It pulled into the clearing, and the soldiers onboard took aim ...
... directly up at Pat's fire team.
The AMF soldier standing next to Pat ...
... was shot eight times in the chest and dropped dead.

[Soldier's Voice] Facing the gentleman, and I approached --

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] People started to yell, "Cease fire!"
Then people said, "Hey, I think they're fucking shooting at us."
And then, you know, we knew, no shit, that they were shooting at us.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] A .50 cal can shoot 900 rounds a minute ...
... and it could have been no less than a minute that they were shooting at us.
You could see on the rock all the marks from the rounds ...
... all except the spot where I was lying.
I just remember thinking, "I'm gonna die."
And, you know, asking Pat, "What are we gonna do?
How are we gonna get out of this?" And he said, "I've got an idea."
He popped a smoke grenade and threw it ...
... and they stopped shooting at us.
And after they stopped shooting at us, you know, me and Pat stood up ...
I remember looking at Pat asking him, "How could that happen?
How did they not see us?
And, you know, he couldn't answer me, he didn't know.
I was actually more afraid for the guys that had just got done shooting at us ...
... that they were gonna get in trouble.

[Narrator] The soldiers didn't get in trouble ...
... because the military always maintained ...
... that what happened next transpired in only four seconds ...
... during the confusion of combat.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] For years, we get this story ...
... that Pat was shot from probably 200, 300 yards away.
They were going about 25 to 35 miles an hour ...
... firing wildly to the right ...
... and Pat and this Afghan were just an unfortunate consequence ...
... of people being excited.
But Bryan O'Neal has said, in no uncertain terms that ...
... that was not the case.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] Today was the first day I've ever actually seen this PowerPoint.
It's really interesting to see from this perspective now.
I don't find this video accurate because it depicts, on his account ...
... that they were moving continuously ...
... through the valley where they were driving.
In actuality, from my memory ...
... I remember them stopping and firing on two occasions.
What he's saying here is a complete lie.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] The driver took them from about a hundred yards away ...
... over to a better location to kill them.
Now they're about 40 yards away.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] You know, they stopped and then drove forward ...
... and then reengaged us, dismounted ...
... and then started reengaging us again.
At that point, I thought we were all gonna die.
And ...
I remember putting my weapon on fire, and having my finger on the trigger ...
... and knowing these are my buddies down there ...
... but knowing that they're gonna kill us and kill everybody.
And I was, you know, a second away from just loading them up ...
... just killing them all, and I could have done it.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I started to say a prayer out loud, you know, and it was something like:
"Oh, God, please, if you can help us out of this situation ...
... you know, I'll be very grateful ...
... and I'll do what I can to repay you for this debt that I will owe you."
And I remember Pat saying, "O'Neal, quit praying.
You know, God is not the one to help you now.
This is reality, this is what we need to focus on.
I don't want you to go into some la-la land ...
... not pay attention and then get killed."
I was actually grateful for him to say that.
I was really trying to put my focus somewhere else and not keep it here.
Pat, he saved my life.
All of a sudden, they started shooting at us again ...
... and I just remember Pat, you know, yelling his name.
"I'm Pat Tillman.
I'm Pat fucking Tillman, why are you shooting at me?"

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] Pat's last words were, repeatedly, "I'm Pat fucking Tillman."
And that was after he got lit up by the machine gun the first time.
He's flat on the ground, sitting on the ground, he was hurt.
And I suspect he was a bit disappointed ...
... that his own team is shooting at him.
And I imagine that those comments of his, "I'm Pat fucking Tillman" ...
... he said while looking right at them ...
... with a face that would make most people nervous.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I remember hearing the sound of a drinking fountain.
Like, when you press the button ...
... to get water out of the drinking fountain, the sound it makes.\
And I just look over at my side and I see this blood ...
... pouring down this rock that I'm sitting behind.
He -- His head was gone.\
Completely gone.
And I take my helmet off and I throw it against the ground ...
... and then I kind of black out.

[Syd Melbourne, Next door neighbor of the Tillmans] I just heard this guttural scream.
And I automatically thought, "Someone's dead."
It's the first thing I had.
And I caught Dannie about seven, eight feet outside her door ...
... and she was collapsing, and I caught her ...
... and she had a telephone in her hand.

[Peggy Melbourne, Next door neighbor of the Tillmans] One sad thing, and I'll never forget this ...
... but she went and got a picture of Patrick ...
... and she had this picture and she just kept saying:
"April the 22nd, 2004.
April the 22nd, Pat is gone.
April the 22nd --"

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] I was with Kevin when he found out Pat had been killed.
He got out of the vehicle ...
... and you could see there was a million things going through his head.
There was absolute horror and shock ...
... and I remember him screaming several times.
I remember him taking his helmet off and slamming it on the ground.
I remember ...
... our medic, Doc ...
... kind of coming up to him, you know, saying, "Hey, give me your weapon."
And then I saw him go over to his brother's body and he just sat there.
I remember seeing Kevin in his Humvee ...
... and I was told by Colonel Bailey ...
... to not tell him Pat was killed by friendly fire.

[Pfc. Bryan O'Neal, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] You know, "Your career is on the line.
Do not tell Kevin exactly what happened."

[Narrator] Kevin had arrived on the scene 10 minutes after the shooting.
He was immediately quarantined and the rest of the platoon ...
... was ordered not to tell him what had happened.
Russell Baer was put on a plane with Kevin.
He was ordered to escort Pat's remains back home ...
... and to present the family with flags on behalf of the country.

[Pfc. Russell Baer, 2/75 Ranger Battalion] That was a difficult experience for me. Just with everything that I knew ...
... and I was scared about what was to come afterwards.
You know, I was just -- I was afraid for it all.
I mean, it was the first time I'd ever met Pat's mom ...
... and she saw how difficult it was for me and she ...
She grabbed my hand, kind of just patted my hand a little bit.

[Senior Chief Petty Officer Steven White] The real test of a man is not when he plays the role he wants for himself ...
... but when he plays the role destiny has for him.
So when that little voice in your head tells you not to do the easy things ...
... but the right things ...
... it's Pat. Right in your ear, man. It's Pat.

[Mary Tillman] Right after Pat died ...
... we probably felt the most sense of comfort from people from the military.
And we were very honored to see that General Kensinger was present.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] I wanna thank anybody involved in the military ...
... especially the Rangers. Outstanding human beings --

[Mary Tillman] Then to find out that they were the very people to lie to us ...
... it's outrageous.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] I don't know a lot about what happened to Pat ...
... but the last few days have not been very pleasant.
It's only been a week and it ain't getting any better.

[Mary Tillman] It's a horrible thing to lie.
It's an atrocity that they would take a young man with honorable intentions ...
... who served his country ...
... and lie about how he died to promote a war.
To use him as a political -- A propaganda tool, basically.
That is immoral.

[Narrator] The five shooters never gave a credible explanation for their actions.
But by the time the Tillmans had unredacted ...
... the entire box of documents ...
... they understood that the deception about their son's death ...
... went much higher than the soldiers on the ground.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] Pat Tillman has been killed.
Forty-five minutes later, he's been killed by fratricide.
"Oh, shit. What do we do now?"
"Okay, let's spin this as a heroic action.
We'll turn his dead body into a recruiting poster."

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] They destroyed his uniform, his body armor, his helmet, his diary.
Every piece of evidence that could ever be used ...
... to explain what happened is eliminated.

[Richard Tillman, Pat's youngest brother] You just don't do shit without telling your superior officer.
"Oh, I'm gonna go burn Pat's uniform."
No.
You don't piss without permission ...
... so this goes pretty damn high.

[Narrator] Once the Tillmans shifted their focus ...
... to the higher-ups responsible for the cover-up ...
... the lead investigator assigned to their case ...
... began publicly suggesting that it was time to move on.

[Radio interview with Colonel Ralph Kauzlarich, Lead Military investigator of the Tillman case] I don't know. These people, they have a hard time letting it go.
It may be because of their religious beliefs.
I don't know how an atheist thinks.

[Radio Person] Right.

[Radio interview with Colonel Ralph Kauzlarich, Lead Military investigator of the Tillman case] But I can only imagine that, that would be pretty tough.

[Radio Person] Right.

[Radio interview with Colonel Ralph Kauzlarich, Lead Military investigator of the Tillman case] If you're an atheist, then you don't believe in anything?
If you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You're worm dirt.
It's pretty hard to get your head around that.

[Radio Person] So you suspect that's the reason why this thing's dragging on.

[Radio interview with Colonel Ralph Kauzlarich, Lead Military investigator of the Tillman case] I think so. There's not a whole lot of trust in the system.

[Radio Person] Right.

[Radio interview with Colonel Ralph Kauzlarich, Lead Military investigator of the Tillman case] Or faith in the system.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] It was my understanding at the time that this investigation is over ...
... that this has been closed ...
... they're not gonna give me the truth, it's a done deal.
And that being said, there's not much I can do to force the issue.
So I wrote them a letter.
I just went through and blew out ...
just about everything they considered to be a fact.
And explained to them why that is a lie ...
... and concluded by telling them that I have low regard for them.
I just wanted to tell somebody off.

[Narrator] Unbeknownst to Pat Sr., the Army considered the wording of his letter ...
... to be a formal accusation of criminal misconduct.
This automatically initiated a new investigation ...
... by the inspector general's office.

[Army Secretary Pete Green] Thank you for being here today.

[Richard Tillman, Pat's youngest brother] It's kind of obnoxious that the letter did have the impact that it did.
It's like, wait a minute, my mom has been working her ass off for years ...
... and if she knew all she had to do was tell you to go fuck yourself ...
... and you'd actually do your job, I'm sure she would have done that ...
... two and a half years before.

[Narrator] After an 18-month inquiry, the Army secretary announced ...
... that the military was finally ready to assign blame.

[Army Secretary Pete Geren] We present to you the results of the Wallace Investigation ...
... into the tragic death of Corporal Pat Tillman.

[General Kensinger] I'm on my way to an anniversary in Las Vegas.
I get a phone call from my wife that says, "Hey, you're on CNN."

[CNN Reporter] Up first, new information about who bungled the initial probe ...
... into the friendly-fire death ...
... of Army Ranger and former football star Pat Tillman.
Let's go to the news conference now over at the Pentagon. Let's listen in.

[Army Secretary Pete Geren] General Wallace did find a senior official ...
... Lieutenant General Kensinger, the senior leader in ...
... the administrative chain of command for the 75th Ranger Regiment ...
... found him guilty of deception.
General Kensinger was the captain of that ship and his ship ran aground.
It ran aground because he failed --

[General Kensinger] Devastating. Devastating to be called the villain in the process ...
... or the captain who ran his ship aground ...
... and let all his soldiers down.

[Narrator] General Kensinger was the public face of the Army ...
... in the weeks after Pat's death.

[General Kensinger] I will not be taking questions.

[Narrator] The Army said that Kensinger knew about the fratricide ...
... when he attended Pat's memorial service.
He would be stripped of his third star.
But as a reporter noted ...
... there may have been another reason why Kensinger took the fall.

[Reporter] -- yet, all the blame falls on General Kensinger.
I'm just trying to make sense of that.
He happens to be retired, is there a coincidence there?

[Army Secretary Pete Geren] The fact that he --

[Reporter] He's the only one who's really being singled out.

[Army Secretary Pete Geren] I believe the buck stops with Kensinger.
He was the senior leader in the chain of command for --

[Mary Tillman] I don't think the buck stops at Kensinger.
There's no way this cover-up started at the three-star level. It had to go much higher than that.

[Army Secretary Pete Geren] You look at what Kensinger's role --

[Mary Tillman] I don't think Kensinger would have been inclined to cover it up ...
... if he wasn't ordered to.

[Army Secretary Pete Geren] -- if he performed his duty we wouldn't be standing here today.

[Mary Tillman] I mean, he was culpable.
I mean, he could've easily picked up the phone and called us ...
... you know, but this is their life, this is their career ...
... and they're terrified of losing what they've worked so hard for.

[General Kensinger] My wife says I'm too much of a soldier.
I've been doing it, you know, since 17.
When somebody tells me something, tells me to go do something, you say --
In the Army, you salute and, you know, about-face, and go get it done.
To think that, you know, this is how, you know, you get treated.

[Army Secretary Pete Geren] Thank you. Thanks a lot.

[Narrator] With the end of the press conference ...
... the Army declared the Tillman matter over.
But two days later, as if in response to this ...
... a reporter received an anonymous leak.
It was a copy of a top-secret internal communique ...
... known as a P4 memo ...
... sent just seven days after Pat's death.
... and a full month before the family learned of the fratricide.

[Mary Tillman] After this briefing that we received from the inspector general ...
... someone from Associated Press was sent a P4 memo ...
... that went out to the highest generals in the land.

[Narrator] Not only did the P4 memo clearly state ...
... that Pat was killed by friendly fire, but it left no doubt ...
... that the cover-up reached well above General Kensinger's rank.

[President George W. Bush] Thank you, all.

[Narrator] General Stanley McChrystal had sent the P4 memo on April 29th ...
... after White House speechwriters had requested details ...
... about Pat's death from the Pentagon.

[Mary Tillman] The P4 memo states they must warn the president about this ...
... because they'll be giving speeches and they shouldn't be embarrassed ...
... if the circumstances of Pat's death become public.

[President George W. Bush] He set aside a career in athletics --

[Narrator] The warning seemed to work.
In a speech given two days before the memorial service ...
... the president avoided the very details of Pat's death ...
... that his speechwriters had requested.

[President George W. Bush] Friends say that this young man saw the images of September the 11th ...
... and seeing that evil, he felt called to defend America.

[Mary Tillman] Our suspicions in the beginning were very much validated by that P4 memo.
These generals had plenty of time ...
... to make sure that we, as a family, were told the truth ...
... but they chose not to tell us.

[Narrator] The P4 memo clearly showed ...
... that while America was being told the valorous account of Pat's death ...
... the entire chain of command not only knew it was a lie ...
... but were urgently concerned about the implications ...
... should the truth get out
Armed with this new evidence ...
... the family was able to take their case above the military ...
... and in April 2007, the House of Representatives convened hearings ...
... to investigate whether there had been a cover-up in the Tillman case.
The first testimony given was from the man ...
... who had remained silent throughout the ordeal ...
... Pat's brother, Kevin Tillman.
Even after discovering that the entire platoon ...
... had been lying to him about the fratricide ...
... Kevin had insisted on completing the full term of his enlistment.
Once he got out of the Army, Kevin went into seclusion ...
... refusing, until now, to speak publicly about his brother.

[Kevin Tillman, Pat's younger brother] My name is Kevin Tillman.
Two days ago marked the third anniversary ...
... of the death of my older brother, Pat Tillman. Spera, Afghanistan.
To our family and friends, it was a devastating loss.
To the nation, it was a moment of disorientation.
To the military, it was a nightmare.
But to others within the government, it appears to have been an opportunity.
A terrible tragedy was transformed into an inspirational message ...
... that served, instead, to support the nation's foreign-policy wars.
After the truth of Pat's death was partially revealed ...
... the Army was now left with the task of briefing our family ...
... and answering our questions.
With any luck, our family would sink quietly into our grief ...
... and the whole unsavory episode would be swept under the rug.
However, they miscalculated our family's reaction.
Through the amazing strength and perseverance of my mother ...
... the most amazing woman on earth ...
... our family has managed to have multiple investigations conducted.
However, while each investigation gathered more information ...
... the mountain of evidence was never used to arrive at an honest ...
... or even sensible conclusion.
That is why we ask Congress ...
... as a sovereign representative of the whole people ...
... to investigate Pat's death.
Anything less than the truth is a betrayal of those values ...
... that all soldiers who have fought for this nation have sought to uphold.
Thank you for your time.

[Rep. Henry Waxman] Thank you very much for your testimony.
Ms. Tillman, I know he was speaking for both of you.
Is there anything you want to add?

[Mary Tillman] I would like to say ...
... we have been asked, over and over again:
"Well, what can we do for your family? How can we appease you?"
And it makes me sick.
It's not about our family.
Our family will never be satisfied. We'll never have Pat back.
But what is so outrageous is this isn't about Pat.
This is about what they did to a nation.
Pat died for this country.
He believed it was a great country that had a system that worked.
It's not perfect, no one has ever said that ...
... but to write these glorious tales is really a disservice to Pat ...
... and to all the other soldiers.
You're diminishing their true heroism.
It may not be pretty, it may not be like out of John Wayne movie ...
... but that's not what war is all about. It's ugly, it's bloody, it's painful.
Everyone should understand what's going on.
And we shouldn't have smokescreens thrown in our face.

[Rep. Henry Waxman] Thank you.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] Pat Tillman was the most famous enlisted man in the military.
Pat Tillman is killed. It's obvious that it was fratricide.
The idea, the very idea, that anyone in that chain of command ...
... would dare keep this information from anyone above them ...
... is absolutely inconceivable.
Pat Tillman received a letter congratulating him on his enlistment ...
... under the signature of Donald Rumsfeld.

Dear Mr. Tillman: I heard that you were leaving the National Football League to become an Army Ranger. It is a proud and patriotic thing you are doing. THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, WASHINGTON. June 28, 2002

The Secretary of Defense didn't give me a congratulations letter ...
... whenever I joined the Army.

[Mary Tillman] Not only did Rumsfeld write a letter to Pat right after he enlisted ...
... he also sent a high-priority e-mail to the secretary of the Army ...
... saying that this guy is very special, we need to keep an eye on him.

"Here is an article [from the Chicago Tribune] on a fellow who is apparently joining the Rangers. He sound [sic] like he is world-class. We might want to keep our eye on him."

[Narrator] At the urging of the Tillmans, the investigating committee ...
... requested testimony from the recipients of the P4 memo ...
... as well as Secretary Rumsfeld and General Richard Myers.

[Mary Tillman] We finally were face to face with the highest generals in the land.
You know, the former Secretary of Defense.
And then we also had people that have the power ...
... to make these guys accountable.

[Rep. Henry Waxman] General Abizaid, let me start with you. When did you receive this memo?

[U.S. Cent Com General John P. Abizaid] On the 29th, General McChrystal sent his message ...
... and it went to my headquarters in Tampa ...
... and it was not retransmitted ...
... for reasons of difficulties with our systems within the headquarters ...
... until the 6th at the earliest --

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] Yeah, yeah. General Abizaid didn't get the fax ...
... and there was a mix-up at the office. That's a good one.

[U.S. Cent Com General John P. Abizaid] Probably the 6th. It's a guess. I can't be sure exactly of the date --

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] Abizaid is responsible for the entire Middle East and North Africa ...
... and this guy's not gonna be informed?

[Rep. Henry Waxman] Well, General Myers, let's turn to you.

[Narrator] The other generals recounted similar stories.

[Former Chairman Joint Chiefs General Richard Myers, Retired] I can't tell you. I don't know how I knew.
To the best of my knowledge, I've never seen this P4.

[General Bryan Brown] First of all, on the message, on the P4, I was an info addressee ...
... which is not the primary addressee --

[Narrator] In the next three hours, the committee would hear ...
... some variation of the phrase "I don't recall," 82 times.

[Former Chairman Joint Chiefs General Richard Myers, Retired] I just don't know.

[Narrator] Incredibly, this urgent warning had somehow slipped through the cracks.

[U.S. Cent Com General John P. Abizaid] There's an interesting thing about the P4 that says:
"Deliver during normal duty hours." And so, again --

[Mary Tillman] It was very disappointing.
That's not even the word, we were angry.
All the generals were lying.
They should've been called on a lot of things and they weren't.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] I thought this was an oversight committee.
To me, an oversight committee ..
... is someone that does a bit of investigation.
It's not a cheerleading outfit.

[Rep. John L. Mica] I believe this is appropriately handled ...
... and those who made errors were held accountable.
Ninety-nine point nine percent of the military do an outstanding job ...
... and I thank you for setting an example.
These folks were held accountable. Is that correct, General Myers?
General? All generals?

[General] From what I understand, that's correct.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] You know, a lot of politics is theatrical wrestling, you know ...
... which, behind the scenes it's like, "Okay, let's don't get anybody hurt."

[Rep. Tom Davis] Mr. Secretary, thank you for being with us today.
How and when did you learn that Corporal Tillman had been killed?

[Donald Rumsfeld] I don't recall precisely how I learned that he was killed.

[Rep. Tom Davis] Okay.
Before he did so, were you aware that President Bush ...
... was going to reference Corporal Tillman ...
... in a correspondents' dinner speech on May 1st?

[Donald Rumsfeld] No.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] It was embarrassing to watch.

[Donald Rumsfeld] I have no recollection of discussing it --

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] These guys didn't have the ammunition ...
... to cross-examine him and catch him in a lie.

[Rep. Henry Waxman] Well, let me conclude the hearing by just indicating the facts ...
... that General Myers and General Brown knew at the end of April.
General Abizaid learned on May 6th.
Secretary Rumsfeld learned on May 20th.

[Donald Rumsfeld] Could I correct --? Sir, could I make a point here?

[Rep. Henry Waxman] Who? Yes, Mr. Secretary?

[Donald Rumsfeld] I wanna make sure it's precisely accurate.
I do not believe I testified that I learned on May 20th, and if I --
If that impression's been left, I don't want that left.
My testimony is that I just simply do not know ...
... when I first learned of the possibility of fratricide.

[Rep. Henry Waxman] I appreciate that correction.

[Donald Rumsfeld] Thank you.

[U.S. Cent Com General John P. Abizaid] And, sir, if I may?

[Rep. Henry Waxman] Yeah.

[U.S. Cent Com General John P. Abizaid] I also wanted to make sure that the 6th is a logical day.
It's not THE day.

[Rep. Henry Waxman]

[U.S. Cent Com General John P. Abizaid] It's the best that my staff and I could come to the conclusion --

[Rep. Henry Waxman] Well, you were all very busy. There was no question about it.

[General Bryan Brown] Sir, one other thing, if I could interrupt to also correct.
Your statement was that I knew about the friendly fire.
I knew that there was an investigation ongoing ...
... about the potential for friendly fire.

[Former Chairman Joint Chiefs General Richard Myers, Retired] That goes for me too. That's exactly right.

[U.S. Cent Com General John P. Abizaid] And for me, as well.

[Rep. Henry Waxman] Okay.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] At the point that they let Abizaid off the hook ...
... that's the point where Dannie knew ...
... you know, that this is as far as it was gonna go.

[U.S. Cent Com General John P. Abizaid] Thank you, sir.

[Rep. Henry Waxman] That concludes our business and the committee hearing is adjourned.

[Patrick Tillman Sr., Pat's father] On the way out of the congressional hearing ...
... this congressman, he squats down next to me ...
... and he holds out his hand to shake my hand ...
... and he just wanted to tell me that he's proud of me ...
... and he's proud of my son.
I just said, "Get out of here. Get away from me."
He would not go away, he wanted to keep talking.
I pulled my hand away from him, I said, "Get out of here, right now.
Get away from me."

Where does this stuff end?
It's been four years.
None of the actors in this matter have been held accountable.
But that's certainly no fault of Dannie's.

[Richard Tillman, Pat's youngest brother] Pat would be nothing but unbelievably proud of her, you know.
I mean, she took it as far as she could take it.
She did everything in her power to fight for Pat.
And I mean, she knocked it out of the park.
Unfortunately, the fucking government moved the fence back, and it --
You know, that was it.

[Mary Tillman] It's about all I can do at this point. We've sort of, you know --
The questioning has sort of run its course.
I guess I held out hope that at the last hour we would get answers ...
... but, no, that's not what happened.
I don't think there's much else that can be done.

[Stan Goff, Retired soldier] The be all and the end all ...
... is not whether or not Congress follows through.
Like it or not, there's a public dimension to Pat Tillman ...
... and it ain't gonna go away.
That's a dangerous thing to fool around with, though.
It's dangerous to lionize people like Pat.
When people who are attracted to the mystique of Pat Tillman ...
... begin to actually study who Pat Tillman was ...
... they're gonna find out that this story doesn't fit ...
... into something that's all tidy and mythic.
The danger of something like this ...
... is it's an opportunity for reality to break through.
People start asking questions ...
... and then all of a sudden, the Tillman story changes.

[Richard Tillman, Pat's youngest brother] I've talked about it with my dad, actually, and it was just like:
"It'd be really neat to have a statue of Pat where he's laughing his ass off."
You wanna make him a myth?
Go ahead and make him a myth, just be accurate with it.
You know, if he could walk on water in these myths ...
... then let him have a beer every once in a while ...
... and let him hang out with friends and let him be gracious ...
... and let him be sensitive and let him be funny ...
... and let him be all the things that he was.

[Mary Tillman] When I talk about Pat --
And everybody is sort of on the same page, at least, you know, the family.
That when you talk about Pat, he's sort of like sitting in the room with you.
I mean, and that's such a -- That says so much about him.
I can conjure his face, I can conjure his laughter.
You know, he just had this quality to him that he so loved life ...
... and he would want us to, you know, move on, move forward.
I feel like, at least I've done what I can for him.
And now, it's just the idea of just kind of moving on ...
... and just kind of bringing him with us, sort of.

[Photographer] A few more seconds.
That's it, we're done.

[Pat Tillman] All right.

Director: Amir Bar-Lev

Producer: John Battsek

On February 26th, 2009, the Pentagon lifted an 18-year ban on press coverage of fallen American soldiers returning home.

Executive Producers: Molly Thompson, Robert DeBitetto, Robert Sharenow

Dannie wrote a book about her son.
She left her teaching job and now arranges funerals at a Catholic cemetery.

Executive Producers: Andrew Ruhemann, Michael Davies

Pat Tillman, Sr. has written numerous letters to government officials regarding his son's case.
To this day, he has not received a satisfactory explanation as to how Pat was killed.

Writers: Amir Bar-Lev, Joe Bini, Mark Monroe

Narrated by Josh Brolin

After Pat's memorial service, Russell Baer disobeyed orders and refused to rejoin his platoon.
During those three weeks, he met a girl. Two years later, they named their first son after Pat.

Co-Producer: Caitrin Rogers

Line Producer: Alice Henty

From the moment Pat was killed, Bryan O'Neal insisted to his superiors that friendly fire was to blame.
He was kicked out of the unit and assigned to a desk job.

Story Consultant: Mark Monroe
Editors: Joshua Altman, Joe Bini, Gabriel Rhodes

Stan Goff's two sons are currently serving in the military.

Richard Tillman lives in Venice, CA.

Directors of Photography: Sean Kirby, Igor Martinovic
Original Music by: Philip Sheppard

Marie Tillman started an educational charity in her husband's name.

Each year, the Pat Tillman Foundation hosts a 4.2-mile run in Tempe, Arizona.

The End

_______________

PATRICK K. TILLMAN
Attorney at Law
1570 The Alameda
Suite 215
San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 998-4359

June 21, 2005

David Morriss
Senate Armed Services Committee
Washington D.C.

Sent By Facsimile to 202/228-0037 

        Re: Senate Investigation -- Pat Tillman.

Dear Mr. Morriss, 

        Thank you for taking the time to talk to me the other day. Sorry about bending your ear so much. I'm sure that after my second rant, at least, you  were sorry you returned my call. Now that I've vented, I'm fine. 

        To follow up on my comments: 

        On or about April 21, 2005 I exchanged the attached letter dated April 21, 2005 for a box of documents reputed to be the latest "15-6" homicide investigation. I presume General Jones and Michael Hargis, Esq. received their respective original/copy, though I have not heard back from either of them. The letter has gone to no one else -- or to any press organization. "But for" your comment regarding General Jones's presentation, I doubt seriously that I'd have released the letter to anyone. But I have a feeling this guy is trying to sell you the same used car he tried selling me. 

        You advised me that General Jones briefed your committee in April 2005. I was not notified of this briefing, though military press releases have repeatedly represented that I am kept abreast of all aspects of this investigation. I was told only that the Senate & House Armed Services Committees requested an unredacted copy of the 15-6. It never dawned on me that you would accept a briefing from the same people you are investigating or I'd have called sooner. It makes no sense. But it probably committed them to the same presentation as that given me, which should give you a flavor of my frustration. 

        I will assume the General used the same Power-Point presentation he used on me, the one (1) I found to be absolute bullshit. Personally, I think it's an outright lie. He relies on insupportable garbage, most of which was made up. He holds a serious position of authority -- kinda like you guys. You're all obligated to scrutinize this material and base your conclusions (and presentations) on accurate, supportable facts. I'm still waiting. 

        Since I did not have the 2000 pages at the time I wrote the letter, I had to rely on their presentation, the 64 page Briefing Book they gave me as soon as I arrived, and the baseline facts provided me approximately six (6) months earlier. After reviewing the 2000 pages, I can say that the letter I sent could have been much longer, but not much more accurate with the exception of the identity of the killer. 

        As well as reviewing the underlying documents, I had a forensic pathologist review the autopsy report. He's also a ballistics expert. Though he is not as critical of the report as me, stating it's a "typical military autopsy," I think that misses the point. Pat's death was not a typical KIA. He does affirm that standard operating procedure is to use the metric system to measure wounds, not the English system, e.g. 1/4, 1/2, 5/8. It's much more accurate. He also added that measurements of bullet piercings to the skin are nowhere near as helpful or accurate as measurements of piercings to the skull in determining the caliber of those bullets that struck Pat. Skin has more flexibility. No such measurements were taken. Most importantly, he advised me that the two (2) tightly spaced/grouped shots (.762 bullets from M240 machine gun) probably killed Pat and probably did not push his body backwards, as I assumed in my letter. If he was leaning forward, and he probably was, his weight would have carried him forward, placing him face down in the dirt, dead. Then, a single shot from a M-4 rifle -- a kill shot -- made sure there was no need to walk up the hill to confirm his death. 

        From 60 yards away with good visibility, a kill shot was put into my son's head. Someone ought to be curious. The shooter was the team leader, a 7-year veteran, a Ranger. 

        With respect to the three (3) investigations you asked about, Captain Scott submitted the first one. A superior(s) wrote the second one when Captain Scott refused to change his. Version two (2) was the 15-6 first presented to me. It contained falsified baseline facts like distance and lighting conditions, and omitted some of the graphics of the killings. Captain Scott disavowed the second 15-6 as his work product. The third 15-6, presented to me March 31, 2005, was a cosigning, a rubber stamp of the second. 

        I recognize the U.S. Senate is not interested in participating in a homicide investigation. It should, however, be interested in the integrity of military investigations, especially in situations of public interest, and in the accuracy of presentations made to you. The Senate should be able to rely on a decorated General when he makes a statement, especially a prepared statement with pictures. General Jones was not only in charge of the investigation, he personally investigated particular aspects thereof. I'm sure he made comments to that effect when making his presentation to you; of course, to assure you of the accuracy of his presentation. 

        I ASSURE YOU, no investigator worth a damn would have made the presentation I sat through unless they had an agenda different from the truth. The initial investigation was changed. Conflicting testimony was disregarded. Key evidence was destroyed and/or omitted. Witnesses, probably with supervision of superiors, changed their testimony. No one has been confronted with their conduct ... I'm just repeating my points in the attachment. Sorry. 

        With respect to the timing of the family's notification, it's almost irrelevant. Slight-of-hand for the press. The issue of importance, at least to you, is the integrity of the military, from the Lieutenant-Colonel on the ground who effected an immediate cover-up, all the way up and past General Jones. 

        I'll spare you the balance unless you ask. I hate having clients spoonfeeding me. I always think they're lying. But the information that should have been highlighted by General Jones, information you now have, was not even addressed in his presentation to me. I pressed many of the points set forth in my letter and received responses that were simply evasive lies, e.g. "our goal was simply to determine if there was fratricide. It does not preclude others from using this information for other purposes." And maybe so, but the presentation clearly states that no one did anything wrong. Whose going to challenge a General? You? 

        If you're interested, please call. 

                                        Respectfully, 

                                        Patrick K. Tillman 

Attachment

*** 

PATRICK K. TILLMAN
Attorney at Law
1570 The Alameda
Suite 215
San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 998-4359 

April 21, 2005 

Gary M. Jones, Brigadier General
Department of the Army
Special Forces Command (Airborne)
Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28310 

        Re: Patrick Daniel Tillman
                Report of Death

 General Jones, 

        The ''briefings'' you gave me -- approximately six (6) months ago and March 31, 2005 – were dishonest. They were misleading, and I believe deliberately so. 

        Before the first briefing, I asked no fewer than four times (4x) for a copy of the 15-6 before I flew myself to Seattle, Washington, "for the facts of my son's death." It seemed appropriate to prepare if I was being allowed to ask questions. Apparently, contrary to assurances otherwise, you wanted me to listen, only. The presentation, of course, sympathized with the family and criticized the actions of those in the field. The paperwork, however, was different. After the presentation, when finally given the Briefing Book/Summary, along with some of the supporting documents, I had the opportunity to review your conclusions and address the limited baseline facts provided. Your conclusions and criticisms were insupportable, many in the field were superficially and/or inappropriately criticized, and you omitted or clouded many of the baseline facts. The 15-6 was a sham. My criticisms were made known to you. I again asked for the new and improved report before the March 31, 2005 briefing. I got nothing. The March 31, 2005 briefing went much the same way as the first. 

        As far as I'm concerned, all investigations were to address two (2) issues: 

        1. How was my son killed.

        2. Was there a cover up. 

        1. How was my son killed. The updated, thoroughly investigated, 2000+ page report omits an answer but clearly implies that it doesn't matter. It was an accident. "The confusion of it all." The prior 15-6 also omitted an answer. At the March 31, 2005 briefing, repeatedly I was told that your mission was simply to determine if fratricide [1] occurred. If that was the scope of your mission, you wasted an awful lot of time, effort and money. A fortunate by-product, however, is your concession that baseline facts are needed to make appropriate decisions.  Here’s a few: 

                a. Afghan. When Sgt. Baker (7+ years military experience) came out of the canyon ambush, he knew full-well enemy soldiers were situated 4-800 meters above and behind him. He had been shooting up at them moments earlier. He spotted the Afghan 78 meters away, somewhat uphill and directly to his right. (p. 13-14 [2]) The Afghan was firing further uphill, cross-canyon, well over Baker's head and behind him (p. 2, #3), at the same enemy ambushers Baker was earlier concerned about. Could Baker, the first shooter, make out the details of his first victim? Baker admits that he recognized "it" was a man, his nationality, his skin color, he had a beard, and was firing an AK-47. Was he standing or prone? Baker's statement (not referenced) put him prone. Your report does not conclude or adequately address this lie. The Afghan was on a fairly steep slope. Doubtful he was on his belly, head down hill, shooting up. That makes no sense. (p. 5 & 15) He was standing, or dropped to one (1) knee, like Pat and O'Neill. He was dressed in military garb [3] (the enemy has no military garb). "Tracers" were leaving the area. His underbelly was exposed. He was no threat. He was, in fact, the proverbial "duck on a pond." Eight (8) rounds were pumped into/at the Afghan. Not mentioned. Pat and O'Neill are within five (5) yards of him. Not mentioned.  

        From this same general location (Position #1; p. 13-15), all four (4) shooters unloaded an un-Godly barrage into Pat's position. Details of what they saw immediately before and while shooting are omitted. Details of how many rounds were fired, the duration or pattern are sketchy, at best. "Derr, we're supposed to shoot where he shoots." (N-5) You or someone at the briefing actually said -- repeatedly -- ''that's what they're trained to do." NO! They're not. 

        The GMV driver saw the Afghan, recognized the AK-47, and recognized he was a "friendly." The report places this recognition after passing the corner of the rock wall and just before reaching the spur that would have masked Tillman's position. (N-7) By then, he was dead. He was shot dead when the GMV was in the "#1" position -- approximately 55 meters earlier. (p. 13) "A[nother] crew member" -- not the shooter -- identified the Afghan at "3:00 o'clock," (N-5) which is a hard right. Look at the pictures. (p. 13-14) That was well after coming out of the canyon. Baker -- the shooter -- then "engaged him with his M-4," (N-5) meaning he killed him from the position where he was initially sited, i.e. 3:00, position #1. O'Neill's statement, as well as that of two (2) others, have the Afghan dead before the lull, which is before the GMV reached the corner of the rock wall twelve (12) meters away. (P. 13) Shooting him from position ''#2,'' or thereafter, as intimated in the report, would have placed him more at "1:00 - 1:30." At 65 meters distance, that's more than 46 meters difference -- left/right. A Ranger is not likely to make this error and there is no testimony to support this position. 

        These "facts" earmark 3 of the 5 in the GMV identifying an AMP -- an "Afghan Military Fighter," one of us -- not just an Afghan," well after exiting the canyon and before firing commenced; one of them -- the one not charged with malfeasance [4] -- admitting he recognized him as a "friendly." 

        Rangers are specialists, so maybe they can obliterate a still target while moving laterally at 20 mph over rocky terrain (up & down movement of GMV), but I doubt it. Most of these guys were green. The more logical conclusion is that they slowed down or stopped momentarily twice. "Not long after the firing stopped, the GMV moved out," (O'Neill) versus "he never slowed down." 

        Now, who gives a shit about an Afghan? I do. Not only was he a "friendly," a human being on our team, my son's life was taken with the same regard -- none. 

                b. Pat. Pat was not shot from position #1, he was shot at. He and O'Neill took cover. They suffered through a barrage during which they conversed. Pat, from an awkward situation, freed up a smoke grenade and threw it. There was a lull during which both stood up, talked, and stretched their legs. Pat waived at the shooters to confirm recognition. From less than 65 meters away, he was fired on and this time hit by machine gun fire, knocking him down. 

        He's not dead yet. 

        "I'm Pat 'fucking' Tillman dammit. He said this over and over again until he stopped." (O'Neill statement) 

        A single shot was then put through the top, right-side of his head that went cross-wise through his left jaw and out his neck. (autopsy) This bullet came from either an M-4 or the M249 ("SAW") --  they use the same ammunition. Doubtful it was from the "SAW." Had it been, more rounds would have ended up in Pat's head and/or body, e.g. shoulders, chest, back. The "SAW" fires at 725 rounds per minute, faster than the M240 (7.62) -- grouping issue and comparison. Two (2) more rounds were then fired from a M240 (7.62 mm) that took off the back of his head. I place the order of the head shots as I do because machine gun bullets (2) of this caliber (7.62 mm), tightly grouped, hitting him simultaneously, would have moved his position so as not to allow for a single shot to enter and exit as evidenced by the autopsy. 

        Accordingly, the kill shot was sent on its way by Sgt. Baker. What did he see? What thoughts were running through his mind as he was taking a bead on my son's head from 65 meters distance. I don't know if Pat was still wearing his helmet at the time (another detail left out). Did Baker sight-in a Ranger helmet or the top of a whiteman's head? Certainly, this was no random shot nor made while traveling over rough terrain at 20 mph. ''Not long after the firing stopped, the GMV moved out." (O'Neill statement) 

        All this happened in 6.45 seconds? 

                c. Investigation -- Shooting. 

                        i. Who killed either -- omitted. 

                        ii. Location of kill shots. Implied as location #2 (N-5) 78 meters versus 65 meters; 1st, 2nd, 3rd attempt to kill Pat -- not mentioned. 

                        iii. Lighting. Obfuscated. "Unable to distinguish features (such as faces, ..." (N-5) ... such as skin color, nationality, beard, AK-47? They were 78 meters away for Christ's sake. How about from 65 meters? Think their vision was any better at 65 meters? Uniforms? Helmets? Arms? Smoke? Pat weighs 200 lbs. He was carrying a "SAW." He was waiving a hand. At a standing position, the rock they took cover behind barely reaches their knees -- they obviously and deliberately put themselves in clear view, waiving, not firing back. 65 FUCKING METERS away. 

        In the original 15-6 investigation, of all the statements taken, no contemporaneous comment was made -- none, nada, not a single one -- that could arguably inculpate lighting conditions. If lighting was a factor, every guy there would have said so. "Yeah, big fucking mistake, but you just couldn't see shit." You take a stray comment ... from a fucking shooter ... and make it a factual finding. Sunset was at 1401Z (N-6, fn 47) -- Fact -- they started taking fire at 1404Z (N-3) -- Fact -- the matter was over (?) by 1418Z [5] (N-8) which included time to light up a small village and assess the situation, including the condition of Pat, who was uphill. Fewer than 17 minutes after sunset, probably closer to 10, lighting conditions are good. (Bagram Light Data) 

        O'Neill, when asked about the lighting conditions "[w]hen you were being shot at" said: "They were still pretty good." Another Ranger said: "I could clearly see once we left the canyon area." Another said: "Light conditions were OK ..." Baker, the shooter, said: "The sun was going down." (emphasis added) 

        The shooters were always looking North or Northwest. Even in Afghanistan, the sun sets in the West -- Southwest. How on God's green earth can you add in a "glare factor" looking away from the sun that has set? (P. 16) Immediately after sunset, facing the wrong direction (North vs. Southwest), the glare impaired their vision? Don't you need sun to have glare? 

                        iv. Evidence Destruction. All evidence, with the exception of Pat's body, was destroyed. All of it "slipped through procedural cracks" that will be corrected "now that we've identified them." And the autopsy -- a joke. 

        Pat's "personal remains," molle, clothing/uniform, RBA, flash-bang grenade, helmet, and other equipment were destroyed in different places for different reasons -- all acceptable to you. His helmet was with his molle. Was it (helmet) burned, too? Were there any holes in it? And nobody -- nobody -- burns a garment like a molle without first checking the pockets. Nobody. Pat's diary probably still exists, and I want it back. The flash-bang grenade had a bullet hole in it. What caliber bullet pierced it? His uniform, did it match that of the Afghan's, whose garb was never described. Simply an unfortunate set of circumstances we have here, the trashing of evidence. 

        The autopsy was for what purpose -- to determine he was dead? Or shot? Was there a "suspicion" he was dead? That he was killed by bullets? The autopsy provided minimal detail. Its purpose was to further cover up this incident. You simply wanted to say that you performed one. For general information purposes, the metric system is used exclusively by the medical profession - " ... the wound to the skin is 1/4 inch in diameter" ... "Both wounds are 5/16-inches in diameter ..." Lack of detail clouds the issue of "caliber," don't it. 

                v. Driver. LIED. They fired on Pat from at least two (2) locations. They fired on the village from two (2) more. Think this guy should have stopped the truck? He consistently, three (3) times at least, placed out-of-control shooters in a better position to kill Americans after he recognized the Afghan as a "friendly." (supra) His placement of the GMV effectively co-signed the shooters' activity, i.e. he agreed with it. FOR CHRIST'S SAKE ... maybe a comment. 

        2. Was there a cover up. 

        Army's Conclusion: was none. 

        Fratricide was never suspected, [6] my ass. It was known while it was happening. No fewer than fourteen (14) people witnessed it. A full-blown Colonel was there within hours. (N-8) How did he get notified? Not mentioned. What was said? Not mentioned. Do Colonels fly in for every soldier killed? You have recordings of every conversation leading up to their deployment on this mission. Got a transcript of the call from this platoon leader? (TOC Log @ 1418Z, 1420Z, 1412Z, 1427Z, 1435Z) Bet me that during at least one of these conversations he said that Pat was killed by one of his own and he wanted assistance on how to handle the situation. Bet me a full-blown Colonel said: "Keep it quiet, get Kevin the hell out of there, and I'll be right over." Not mentioned. Evidence omitted. I bet you saw the transcript, though. 

        At the March 31, 2005 briefing, I was told that "Operations" correctly notified "Admin" that it was simply a KIA. "Operations" needed a "suspicion" before telling "Admin" to tell the family the cause of their son's/brother's death is "unknown." That they had to investigate their "suspicions" before providing such notification. We certainly didn't want the family to get some "half baked" story about their son's death. Again, no one -- ever -- suspected fratricide -- they fuckin-well knew it, immediately. Kevin, at the scene, was not told. Another Ranger, sent home with Kevin for Pat's funeral was told not to tell Kevin or us. He honored his superiors' order. 

        No cover up?? 

        Those "on the ground" had a sworn duty, and they were trained, to positively identify whoever it was they were about to kill. People in other positions of authority, too, had a sworn duty -- Colonels, Generals, attorneys -- to do their job. We relied on all of you to exercise your duty/authority/responsibility properly, at least not maliciously or pursuant to some bullshit agenda. Telling us the truth about how Pat died was the least you could do. Every one of you have disregarded your duty, acting deliberately and shamelessly to kill my son and lie about it including this ''update.'' Accountability has been zero, for all of you. (see Report) 

        I don't remember the name or rank of the clown who put together the first 15-6. As I told several of you, it was an outright lie. When I heard the investigation had been reopened, I had hopes the military would regain the high ground of truth and accuracy. But the second version, under color of a one-star General with the assistance of many, including an attorney, turned out worse, primarily because of the authority your rank carries. 

        I think I understand the importance of ferreting out the facts, cutting the crap, considering the credibility of witnesses, and basically getting to the truth. The above are not insignificant details overlooked. Any attorney contending the "evidence" set forth in this report is persuasive, or "preponderates," should be ashamed of theirself. They have truly wasted a privileged education. And integrity, apparently it varies with the client.

"The foundation of the ethical code at West Point is found in the Academy's motto, 'Duty, Honor, Country.' Cadets also develop ethically by adhering to the Cadet Honor Code, which states 'A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.'"

(Emphasis added)

West Point Publication

www.usma.edu/about.asp 

         You are a General. On paper you subscribe to this motto and honor code. To say otherwise means its life ends on graduation and is limited to cadets. I believe it carries over into the service. There is no way a man like you, with your intelligence, education, military experience, responsibilities (primarily for difficult situations), and rank (authority -- both apparent and real), 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 bullshit. I embarrassed myself be treating you with respect March 31, 2005. 1thought 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," deserve to be affiliated with the Rangers. If your uniforms are so decorated, you should remove those items. 

        In sum: Fuck you ... and yours. 

                                        Sincerely, 

                                        Patrick K. Tillman 

P.S. I understand that Baker is applying for or has been accepted into Delta Force. You are a Brigadier General, Special Forces Command. Coincidence? 

cc: Michael. J. Hargis, Esq.

_______________

Notes:

1. Fratricide is defined as "the act of killing one's own brother." Webster's Dictionary) This was a "homicide,” which is defined as “the killing of a human being by another, whether murder or manslaughter." (Id.)

2. Citations of this nature throughout this letter refer to "USASOC-Directed AR 15-6 Investigation BG Gary M. Jones, Investigating Officer, Briefing Book" provided me March 31, 2005. References to "P" are for the ''pictures'' section, designated as Exhibit A. References to "N" are for the "narrative" section, designated Exhibit B.

3. Note: nowhere does any document describe the Afgan, what he was wearing or why he was carrying a Russian rifle (if he was).

4. Not being charged tends to make witnesses more talkative. 

5. Not exactly. That's when the first call to headquarters occurred, calling for a MEDEVAC. (TOC Log) It took some time to assess the situation before making the call. 

6. Suspected is defined as, inter alia: imagined; to believe (someone) guilty of something to his discredit without conclusive proof; to form a notion (someone) not necessarily based on fact; to be suspicious.  (Webster's Dictionary &The American Heritage Concise Dictionary, 3rd Edition) Note: the definition of "suspicion" basically refers the reader to the word "suspect."

***

P4 Memo

0 292234Z APRIL 04 FM TASK FORCE

TO RUCAACC/USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CDR//INFO RUCQAS/USSOCOM PP MACDILL AFB//FL//CDR// RUEPVBT/TASK FORCE

BT [REDACTION] PERSONAL FOR CDR USCENTCOM CDR USSOCOM CDR USASOC

DELIVER DURING NORMAL DUTY HOURS [REDACTION] DO NOT TRANSMIT VIA OPINTEL BROADCAST OPER/OEF// MSGID/GENAMIN/TASK FORCE

//

SUBJ/P-4 CONCERNING INFORMATION ON CORPORAL TILLMAN'S DEATH//

RMKS/SIR, IN THE AFTERMATH OF CORPORAL TILLMAN'S UNTIMELY YET HEROIC DEATH IN AFGHANISTAN ON 22 APRIL 04, IT IS ANTICIPATED HIGHLY POSSIBLE THAT CORPORAL TILLMAN WAS KILLED BY FRIENDLY FIRE. THIS POTENTIAL FINDING IS EXACERBATED BY THE UNCONFIRMED REPORTS THAT POTUS AND THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY MIGHT INCLUDE COMMENTS ABOUT CORPORAL TILLMAN'S HEROISM AND HIS APPROVED SILVER STAR MEDAL IN SPEECHES CURRENTLY BEING PREPARED, NOT INFORMING THE SPECIFICS SURROUNDING HIS DEATH. THE POTENTIAL THAT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN KILLED BY FRIENDLY FIRE IN NO WAY DETRACTS FROM HIS WITNESSED HEROISM OR THE RECOMMENDED PERSONAL DECORATION FOR VALOR IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY. CORPORAL TILLMAN WAS KILLED IN A COMPLICATED BATTLESPACE GEOMETRY INVOLVING TWO SEPARATE RANGER VEHICLE SERIALS TRAVERSING THROUGH SEVERE TERRAIN ALONG A WINDING 500-600 FOOT DEFILE IN WHICH FRIENDLY FORCES WERE FIRED UPON BY MULTIPLE ENEMY POSITIONS. CORPORAL TILLMAN DISEMBARKED FROM HIS VEHICLE, AND IN SUPPORT OF HIS FELLOW RANGERS AND DEMONSTRATING GREAT CONCERN FOR THEIR WELFARE OVER CARE FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL SAFETY ENTERED THE ENEMY KILL ZONE INTO WHICH BOTH IMPACTED. I FELT THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION AS SOON AS WE DETECTED IT IN ORDER TO PRECLUDE ANY UNKNOWING STATEMENTS BY OUR COUNTRY'S LEADERS WHICH MIGHT CAUSE PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF CORPORAL TILLMAN'S DEATH BECOME PUBLIC.//

DECL/DERI:DRV FROM [REDACTION] /INST-[REDACTION]-//BT

CLASSIFIED BY: [REDACTION]

REASON [REDACTION] DECLASSIFY ON: [REDACTION]

CLASSIFICATION: [REDACTION]

CAVEATS: [REDACTION] TERMS: [REDACTION]

***

Letter from Kevin Tillman

Oct. 19, 2006

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 get 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

***

Pat Tillman Timeline
by ESPN.com

EVENTS LEADING UP TO PAT TILLMAN'S DEATH

June 1994: Pat Tillman and Marie Ugenti (future Mrs. Pat Tillman) graduate from Leland High in San Jose. Marie is voted Best Smile (senior class); Pat is Most Masculine.
June 1997: David Uthlaut graduates high school in Charleston, S.C. Accepts appointment to U.S. Military Academy at West Point from Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.).
Fall 1997: Tillman is Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year at Arizona State.
April 1998: Tillman drafted in seventh and final round by Arizona Cardinals.
May 28, 1998: Tillman and four-time tennis All-American Reka Cseresnyes (Tillman study partner and Jared Schrieber's wife) selected Arizona State's top male and female student-athletes, respectively.
Spring 1998: Tillman graduates summa cum laude from Arizona State in 3½ years with 3.82 GPA in marketing.
Jan. 2001: Uthlaut is No. 1 in his class at West Point and named captain of cadets — represents Army marching in inauguration parade down Pennsylvania Avenue
May 2001: Uthlaut graduates West Point.
Sept. 11, 2001: Terrorist attacks kill about 3,000 in New York; Washington, D.C.; and rural Pennsylvania.
Oct. 7, 2001: Start of Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles game delayed as President Bush appears on Veterans Stadium videoboard to announce American and British forces are attacking Taliban and terrorist targets in Afghanistan in retaliation for 9/11 … Strong safety Pat Tillman sprains ankle in first quarter and hops off the field on one leg without assistance.
May 2002: Pat Tillman and brother, Kevin, enlist in Army at a Denver recruiting station — signing a three-year commitment — soon after Pat returned from a two-week honeymoon with wife, Marie, in Bora Bora.
Summer-fall 2002: Infantry basic training (14 weeks) at Fort Benning (Ga.). Completed program October 2002, immediately followed by Basic Airborne Course (three weeks) at Fort Benning.
Early 2003: Reports to 75th Ranger Regiment and Ranger indoctrination program; returns to Fort Benning for Ranger School and returns to 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Wash.
March 2003: Pat and Kevin Tillman deployed to Iraq.
May 8, 2003: Capt. Richard M. Scott among 27 officers presented Gen. Douglas MacArthur Army Leadership Awards.
Early 2004: Pat Tillman friend and MIT grad student Jared Schrieber e-mails anti-war activist Noam Chomsky, an MIT linguistics professor, about meeting with Tillman after he returns from Afghanistan. Meeting was to take place after Tillman completed his enlistment in July 2005.
Early April: Tillmans' unit deployed from Fort Lewis to Afghanistan.
April 20, 2004: Unit held up two days at AMF compound in southeastern Afghanistan trying to repair broken Humvee.
April 21, 2004: Helicopter flies in fuel pump for broken-down Humvee, but mechanics can't make repair.
APRIL 22, 2004
4 p.m.: Platoon leader (Lt. David Uthlaut) hires a local truck driver to tow the broken vehicle.
5:30-6 p.m.: Company commander directs Lt. Uthlaut to split platoon — he does so, into Serial 1 and Serial 2 … Serial 1 leaves down canyon road toward village of Manah; Serial 2 leaves 15-20 minutes later, towing broken vehicle. Because the terrain is too rugged, Serial 2 changes route and follows same path as Serial 1.
6:31 p.m.: Sun sets over the small village of Manah in southeastern Afghanistan close to Pakistan border, according to Army officials.
6:34 p.m.: Squad leader in Serial 1 instructs team leaders to maneuver Rangers onto a ridgeline that faces ambush site.
6:43 p.m.: Pat Tillman maneuvers his team of Bryan O'Neal and a friendly Afghan soldier low on the ridgeline. Sgt. Greg Baker, in the lead vehicle of Serial 2, spots the Afghan, mistaking him for the enemy, and fires a series of fatal rounds into his stomach. Three other Ranger gunners follow sergeant's lead and open fire in same direction, killing Pat Tillman.
6:53-6:58 p.m.: Kevin Tillman, in the section split from Pat about quarter-mile down the road, arrives at the scene after his brother is killed. He is put on assignment guarding the area and finds out about 30 minutes later that Pat is KIA.
7:50 p.m.: Pat Tillman pronounced dead after being flown by helicopter to the 325th Field Hospital, Forward Operating Base at Salerno, though fellow Rangers say he was obviously dead at the scene.
Night: Bryan O'Neal, who had been positioned alongside Pat Tillman, tells a first sergeant that he suspects fratricide. The first sergeant tells Company Commander Capt. William Saunders.

EVENTS FOLLOWING PATRICK TILLMAN'S DEATH

April 23, 2004: Black Sheep platoon spends the night at the site and the next day completes sweep operation in the nearby village, finding only women, no men.
April 23, 2004: According to Army, a senior witness arrives at scene in the morning and remains several hours, departing at noon.
April 23, 2004: Capt. Richard Scott is assigned as investigating officer of 15-6, told of possibility of fratricide.
April 23, 2004: Jade Lane and Uthlaut talk with Kevin Tillman at the field hospital in Salerno. They watch ceremony moving Tillman's body to helicopter for 40-minute flight to Bagram. Lane and Uthlaut are flown on another helicopter to hospital in Bagram.
April 23, 2004: Officials announce the death of Tillman. The White House puts out a statement praising Tillman as "an inspiration both on and off the football field."
April 23, 2004: Officials announce the death of Tillman. The White House puts out a statement praising Tillman as "an inspiration both on and off the football field."
April 23, 2004: Soldier burns Tillman's body armor.
April 24, 2004: Capt. Scott begins interviewing witnesses.
April 25, 2004: Platoon meets as a group at Forward Operating Base (Camp Salerno) to talk over incident; meeting includes a chaplain, called critical incident stress debriefing.
April 25, 2004: Tillman's uniform and vest are burned.
April 26, 2004: Army has collected at least 14 witness statements describing the incident.
April 27, 2004: Tillman autopsy, performed at Dover AFB (Del.), concludes based on available investigative reports that death was caused by friendly fire, but date of report is July 22, 2004.
April 27, 2004: Tillman Silver Star recommendation submitted.
April 28, 2004: "60 Minutes II" shows photos depicting abuse by U.S. soldiers working as guards in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
April 29, 2004: Gen. Abizaid, Gen. Brown and Lt. Gen Kensinger are told friendly fire is "highly possible" … determine Tillman should still receive Silver Star.
April 29, 2004: Silver Star commendation signed by Gen. Wes Brownlee, acting Army Secretary.
April 30, 2004: Army releases statement to announce Tillman is being awarded Silver Star … tells of heroic battlefield action … Tillman also to be awarded Purple Heart and promoted posthumously from specialist to corporal.
May 1, 2004: Pres. Bush comments at 90th annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner that Tillman death "brought home the sorrow that comes with every loss and reminds us of the character of the men and women who serve on our behalf … was modest because he knew there were many like him making their own sacrifice."
May 3, 2004: About an hour before memorial service in Municipal Rose Garden in San Jose, Calif., Navy SEAL Steve White — Tillman friend who reads tale of heroic acts and what Tillman did to be honored with Silver Star at ceremony — is given the story by an enlisted Army officer.
May 3, 2004: Memorial for Tillman in the Municipal Rose Garden in San Jose — nearly 2,000 people, including Rangers and Army officials, attend service — televised live by ESPN.
May 4, 2004: First investigation report delivered by Capt. Scott; determines soldiers involved had committed gross negligence.
May 8, 2004: Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich appointed to conduct a second investigation.
May 15, 2004: Kauzlarich completes his investigation.
May 24, 2004: On the day his unit returns from Afghanistan to Fort Lewis, Kevin Tillman is told by Col. Bailey that his brother's death was caused by friendly fire.
May 28, 2004: Mary Tillman, Pat's mother, is notified of friendly fire/fratricide in a call from Arizona Republic reporter.
May 28, 2004: Gen. Abizaid, head of CENTCOM, approves findings of official investigation by Lt. Col. Kauzlarich under an aide's signature.
May 29, 2004: Army acknowledges friendly fire "probably" killed Tillman in terse announcement issued by Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr. at Fort Bragg, N.C. Kensinger takes no questions.
Memorial Day weekend, 2004: Col. Bailey and Kevin Tillman visit Mary Tillman's house to detail situation. Mike Spalding, her brother, is present.
June 2004: Lt. Uthlaut pays visit to Marie Tillman and Kevin Tillman in Fort Lewis/Tacoma area.
Late June, 2004: Tillmans travel to Fort Lewis for presentation of findings from Lt. Col. Kauzlarich's investigation, presented by Col. Bailey/Col. Nixon.
June 18, 2004: Pres. Bush and Sen. McCain visit Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis. Jade Lane, wounded in same friendly-fire incident, meets Bush, gets photo taken and receives presidential coin.
July 22, 2004: Official report date on Tillman autopsy.
Late Summer 2004: Mary Tillman sends questions to Sen. John McCain, who passes them to Secretary of Army for response.
Aug. 31, 2004: Sgt. Greg Baker signs out of his unit, with honorable discharge.
Sept. 19, 2004: Pres. Bush appears on video scoreboard and offers comments as Tillman is honored and jersey is retired at an Arizona Cardinals game. … Marie Tillman, mother/father and younger brother Richard are on field for ceremony, but Kevin Tillman isn't.
Oct. 1, 2004: Autopsy report is sent to Mary Tillman, Pat's mother, by the Department of Defense — Armed Services Institute of Pathology.
Late 2004-2005: Kevin Tillman attends sniper school at Fort Bragg (N.C.), runs into Capt. Richard Scott, who tells him he did first investigation of the incident involving his brother. No one had been aware of Scott's report, and it remains classified.
Nov. 1, 2004: Uthlaut promoted to Army captain, but is no longer in Rangers.
Nov. 4, 2004 : Capt. Scott serves as witness in another investigation by Brig. Gen. Gary Jones, complains that soldiers changed their stories from his investigation to the next inquiry.
Dec. 16, 2004: USO center at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan named in honor of Tillman, funded by $250,000 donation from NFL.
Spring 2005: Brig. Gen. Gary M. Jones issues his investigative findings. Report says Army knew almost immediately that Tillman killed by friendly fire, but did not intentionally cover it up.
March 31, 2005: Brig. Gen. Jones briefs the Tillman family — his parents, brother Kevin, wife Marie, uncle Mike Spalding — at Moffett Field (air base near San Jose).
April 1, 2005: Mary Tillman and her brother, Mike, frustrated by answers, return the following day to further question Jones.
Spring 2005: Mary Tillman sends questions to Sen. McCain after briefing by Brig. Gen. Jones. … Army responds in letter.
April 21, 2005: Mr. Tillman writes Brig. Gen. Jones, painting his investigation as cover-up and whitewash of the facts — lays out his theory about the shooting, including reference to Sgt. Baker and "kill shot." … Letter is forwarded to Department of Defense.
June 2005: Army apologizes for delay in notification; issues statement that blames procedural misjudgements.
June 21, 2005: Mr. Tillman faxes David Morriss, counsel to Senate Armed Services Committee, and includes copy of the letter he sent Brig. Gen. Jones, colorfully laying out his facts, challenging the Army.
July 2005: Kevin Tillman completes three-year commitment and leaves Army.
July 26, 2005: Mary Tillman sends questions to Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., which are forwarded to the Department of Defense.
Aug. 9, 2005: Department of Defense Inspector General's Office announces it will conduct a review of the Army's handling of the Tillman incident.
March 4, 2006: Defense Department inspector general tells the Army to open criminal inquiry (assigned to Criminal Investigation Division) into shooting of Tillman, as part of inspector general's overall review. It is not a separate investigation.
March 23, 2006: Letter sent to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld by Congressmen Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, Mike Honda, Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Ike Skelton, D-Mo., letting him know of their interest in Tillman investigation.
Spring 2006 : Staff from Inspector General's Office visits Afghanistan.

***

An American Tragedy: Part One: Pat Tillman's Uncertain Death, by Mike Fish, ESPN.com

Growing up, he was the All-American boy: the popular student council president, a soccer and wrestling star with chiseled good looks, an all-around nice guy.

It sounds like Pat Tillman, but guess again.

Meet David A. Uthlaut, who graduated at the top of his class at Middleton High School in Charleston, S.C., and landed a prized appointment to the U.S. Military Academy on a nomination from Sen. Strom Thurmond. At West Point, Uthlaut rose to the top of his class, too, and was named first captain, a distinction earned earlier by military giants William Westmoreland and Douglas MacArthur. In 2001, he led the Army's procession in President Bush's inauguration parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.

Uthlaut seemed destined for great things.

In December 2003, Uthlaut, then a lieutenant in the Army's special operations forces, crossed paths with another high achiever. As the Rangers trained at Fort Lewis (Wash.), in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan, he welcomed brothers Pat and Kevin Tillman into the 2nd Platoon, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Regiment, otherwise known as the Black Sheep..

In a series of interviews with ESPN.com, Uthlaut said he came to appreciate the Tillmans almost immediately. They were older than most of the Rangers, and they were bright, interesting college guys. Pat became a de facto team leader with the easy self-confidence to take new, teenage soldiers under his wing.

At one point, Uthlaut said word came from high up the Army's chain of command the Tillmans would be offered entrance to Officer Candidate School. But when he broached the subject with the brothers, they were not interested.

"Some would view officers as the glamorous job of the Army that get the recognition and all that, and it is the enlisted men who do the dirty work in the trenches," Uthlaut told ESPN.com. "I think both of them kind of relished that role -- 'We're not in this for the glory.' Pat was never in it for Pat. He was in it because he believed in serving our country. Kevin was the same way. So they weren't in it to climb the ladder."

Uthlaut also said Pat Tillman, because of his NFL celebrity, had the opportunity to be a marketing tool for the Army, taking a cushy office gig working with promotions and advertising folks. But he wasn't interested in that, either, according to Uthlaut.

"He didn't see himself as the poster boy," Uthlaut said. "He didn't want any of [the attention]. Suffice to say, Pat himself wouldn't want as much made out of [his death] as it has. He signed up. He agreed basically to the fact that, you know, 'I could be killed overseas.' Unfortunately, part of the job is to go in and destroy. As leaders, we try to prevent unnecessary tragedies like Pat, and accidents, but [it's] part of the job."

When the firefight broke out in southeastern Afghanistan that April evening in 2004, Uthlaut, then 24, and Tillman, 27, were positioned less than 100 yards apart along the same desolate ridge. Uthlaut, the platoon leader, was by a mud wall outside a tiny village.

Like Tillman, Uthlaut was shot by his own men. His face was bloodied by shrapnel, and he caught fragments in his left arm and leg and upper back. He was taken to a military hospital at nearby Camp Salerno.

He wasn't officially told Tillman's death had been a case of friendly fire, or fratricide, for 10 days. The young leader said he was devastated, and told ESPN.com the incident was "the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with." Tillman was the first soldier under Uthlaut's command to be killed in action, and the impact of his death was compounded by the news Tillman had been killed by other soldiers under Uthlaut's command.

Uthlaut was reluctant to discuss the details of the firefight with ESPN.com. But interviews with other soldiers in the field, as well as transcripts from Army investigations released to the Tillman family and obtained by ESPN.com, show Uthlaut argued against a company commander's order to split the troops just before the shooting began.

In the end, though, the incident cost Uthlaut his position in the Rangers, though he wasn't demoted or dismissed from the Army. Because of his injuries, he was awarded a Purple Heart when the platoon returned to Fort Lewis; but it was given to him without the customary formal ceremony.

"Well, leaders take responsibility," Uthlaut told ESPN.com, sounding very much like a West Point-trained soldier. "That's what they do. It's what I have done. I was the ground force commander. Anything that happens below me on the ground is technically my responsibility. If there were some personal judgment errors from shooters on the ground, their training, their level of proficiency belongs on my shoulders, as well. Their training at Fort Lewis, or just making sure that proper control measures were in place during the firefight. That stuff comes back on me.

"So the bottom line is a fratricide should never happen. And it did. There are a lot of extenuating circumstances; but as the leader on the ground, you have to take responsibility for it."

Uthlaut first spoke with ESPN.com about Pat Tillman and the fallout from his tragic death early this spring. He was at Fort Benning, finishing up a five-month infantry tactics course for rising company commanders and living in an upscale apartment complex on the outskirts of Columbus, Ga.., a 15-minute drive in his black sport utility vehicle to the base.

Uthlaut answered the door early one night wearing green khaki cut-off shorts, a black T-shirt and flip-flops. The apartment was sparsely furnished, nothing adorning the white walls. The kitchen table was covered by several large maps, which Uthlaut said he was using to study an actual operation that had occurred in Baghdad.

For the next two hours, he spoke in careful tones -- at times, his voice cracked -- about Pat Tillman and his own personal struggles with guilt about Tillman's death, about the friendships and religious convictions at the core of his coping skills, and about the occasional flashback that comes over him while he's out on long training runs.

"It was very hard overseas, especially when I didn't know all the details of what happened," Uthlaut said. "And once everything was being sorted [out] -- trying to figure out what had happened to him and all that -- that was a very difficult time for me."

Asked about the effect the firefight has had on his career, Uthlaut said, "I don't want to talk about it." Like almost 90 percent of his West Point graduating class, however, he was promoted to captain in November 2004, seven months after Tillman's death.

Uthlaut visited Kevin Tillman and Pat's widow, Marie, after he returned from Afghanistan late in the spring of 2004, just before he deployed to Iraq. They met in Tacoma, Wash., where the brothers had kept a house while they were stationed at Fort Lewis. He also wrote and e-mailed Pat's mother.

About reaching out to Marie Tillman, Uthlaut said, "That was something that I felt the need to do. I can't speak for the Army or what other people do. Her husband had died under my command. I just wanted to talk to her, tell her as the leader on the ground that I felt responsible; and I apologized to her for that. I just wanted to make myself available, as she is the wife of one of my soldiers, and that she could come to me if she had any questions or wanted to talk to me."

Marie Tillman works for ESPN, but declined to be interviewed for the story.

Unlike some in the military, Uthlaut said he understands the Tillman family's anger and unwillingness to accept the Army's findings without question. And he says he is not upset about the series of investigations still lingering more than two years after Pat Tillman's death. "I want for his parents to be satisfied," he said.

Uthlaut said the comfort provided by his family and his friends in the military, including some old classmates from West Point, guided him through his own stormy days. He acknowledged having moments when his mind spun with uncertainty and he'd wonder aloud, "Why is this happening to me?"

What peace he has found, he said, is rooted in his Christian faith.

In an e-mail to ESPN.com later this spring, Uthlaut wrote, "I truly believe that God has known every detail of my life -- and of the lives of all humans -- since before I was even born (reference Psalm 139:15-16). I also believe that He has an intricately woven plan for the events that occur on earth, and I believe His plan is perfect. For those whom God has chosen, this plan will work out for their good and for His glory, whether they can see it that way at the time or not (reference Romans 8:28).

"While I take responsibility for my own actions and the actions of my former platoon, and I often think about what I could have done to prevent things from turning out how they did, I believe that all of the events that occurred were meant to happen in the way they did. Knowing this, I do not beat myself up about the situation, and I am able to move on with my life."

Asked how Pat Tillman might have reacted to his convictions about predetermination, Uthlaut wrote: "Pat struck me as a man of strong moral character; he always did what he thought was right, he put forth maximum effort to overcome any challenge he encountered, and he had unquestionable integrity.

"Seeing that character manifested in him, I asked Pat at one point if he had a religious background, but he assured me that he did not. Based upon that response, I'm sure he would disagree with my faith-based beliefs, but I could not speculate as to what specifically he might have said about them."

Mike Fish is an investigative reporter for ESPN.com. He can be reached at [email protected].

***

Report: Army Medical Examiners Were Suspicious of Pat Tillman's Death Among New Details
Thursday, July 26, 2007
AP

SAN FRANCISCO — Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

"The medical evidence did not match up with the, with the scenario as described," a doctor who examined Tillman's body after he was killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2004 told investigators.

The doctors — whose names were blacked out — said that the bullet holes were so close together that it appeared the Army Ranger was cut down by an M-16 fired from a mere 10 yards or so away.

Ultimately, the Pentagon did conduct a criminal investigation, and asked Tillman's comrades whether he was disliked by his men and whether they had any reason to believe he was deliberately killed. The Pentagon eventually ruled that Tillman's death at the hands of his comrades was a friendly-fire accident.

The medical examiners' suspicions were outlined in 2,300 pages of testimony released to the AP this week by the Defense Department in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Among other information contained in the documents:

— In his last words moments before he was killed, Tillman snapped at a panicky comrade under fire to shut up and stop "sniveling."

— 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.

— The three-star general who kept the truth about Tillman's death from his family and the public told investigators some 70 times that he had a bad memory and couldn't recall details of his actions.

— 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.

The Pentagon and the Bush administration have been criticized in recent months for lying about the circumstances of Tillman's death. The military initially told the public and the Tillman family that he had been killed by enemy fire. Only weeks later did the Pentagon acknowledge he was gunned down by fellow Rangers.

With questions lingering about how high in the Bush administration the deception reached, Congress is preparing for yet another hearing next week.

The Pentagon is separately preparing a new round of punishments, including a stinging demotion of retired Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr., 60, according to military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the punishments under consideration have not been made public.

In more than four hours of questioning by the Pentagon inspector general's office in December 2006, Kensinger repeatedly contradicted other officers' testimony, and sometimes his own. He said on some 70 occasions that he did not recall something.

At one point, he said: "You've got me really scared about my brain right now. I'm really having a problem."

Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, who has long suggested that her son was deliberately killed by his comrades, said she is still looking for answers and looks forward to the congressional hearings next week.

"Nothing is going to bring Pat back. It's about justice for Pat and justice for other soldiers. The nation has been deceived," she said.

The documents show that a doctor who autopsied Tillman's body was suspicious of the three gunshot wounds to the forehead. The doctor said he took the unusual step of calling the Army's Human Resources Command and was rebuffed. He then asked an official at the Army's Criminal Investigation Division if the CID would consider opening a criminal case.

"He said he talked to his higher headquarters and they had said no," the doctor testified.

Also according to the documents, investigators pressed officers and soldiers on a question Mrs. Tillman has been asking all along.

"Have you, at any time since this incident occurred back on April 22, 2004, have you ever received any information even rumor that Cpl. Tillman was killed by anybody within his own unit intentionally?" an investigator asked then-Capt. Richard Scott.

Scott, and others who were asked, said they were certain the shooting was accidental.

Investigators also asked soldiers and commanders whether Tillman was disliked, whether anyone was jealous of his celebrity, or if he was considered arrogant. They said Tillman was respected, admired and well-liked.

The documents also shed new light on Tillman's last moments.

It has been widely reported by the AP and others that Spc. Bryan O'Neal, who was at Tillman's side as he was killed, told investigators that Tillman was waving his arms shouting "Cease fire, friendlies, I am Pat (expletive) Tillman, damn it!" again and again.

But the latest documents give a different account from a chaplain who debriefed the entire unit days after Tillman was killed.

The chaplain said that O'Neal told him he was hugging the ground at Tillman's side, "crying out to God, help us. And Tillman says to him, `Would you shut your (expletive) mouth? God's not going to help you; you need to do something for yourself, you sniveling ..."

***

July 26, 2007

BREAKING NEWS: AP: ARMY BLOCKED DOCTORS FROM INVESTIGATING WHETHER PAT TILLMAN WAS MURDERED

[Keith Olbermann, MSNBC] General Clark, let me turn from this story. We expected to spend all of our time with you tonight talking about this, but there have been two developments in the Pat Tillman story, a fiasco, there's no other word for it now, this awful report tonight.  Parsing through these documents obtained by the Associated Press that indicate that Army investigators were denied permission to see whether or not Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan as an Army Ranger was a deliberate fragging, was a case of murder, even though the shots were seemingly so close together in his head that they looked to the doctors on the scene that they might have been fired from only 10 yards away. Not only was their access denied here, but the Army lawyers were congratulating themselves in email traffic of keeping this from becoming a criminal investigation. You think this case is still wide open?

[Gen. Wesley Clark] Absolutely.  And it should be. The evidence of some problems is very very clear. Mary Tillman and the Tillman family have been incredibly courageous in pursuing the truth in this and the truth is not yet out. If there's even a hint that there was something like a homicide or a murder in this case, it should have been fully investigated, and proved or disproved, and we don't really know how far up, was it the Secretary of Defense's office, was it the White House, where did the idea that you shouldn't give any indication of what happened to Tillman, just go ahead and go through with the burial ceremony, give him the Silver Star -- where was that idea blessed? You can be sure that that idea did not originate or stop at the two or three star level. Someone approved that all the way to the top because Pat Tillman was a political symbol used by the Administration when it suited their purposes.

[Olbermann] Well we have assumed from the beginning that was exactly the scenario, that this possibility, that his death from friendly fire would somehow affect, in some way that neither of us has ever been able to understand, somehow affect people's appreciation for his patriotism and sacrifice, does it not begin to look more and more like that we're going the wrong direction in this? That they were not trying to protect something slightly negative from coming out, but in fact protecting the accusation that his mother has made, and has not gotten a lot of attention to, that perhaps he was indeed murdered. Were we actually underestimating what was being covered up here?

[Wesley Clark] It is very possible.  We just don't know, Keith. I think the responsible thing for the Pentagon to do, and for the Congress to do, is to demand that the investigation be reopened and people all the way up the chain of the command to the very top discuss what happened, when, why, we get to the facts about why the murder charge wasn't fully investigated. I looked at some of the investigations. I  looked at the tape. I looked at the re-run of the scene. I met with the Tillman family, and honestly the distance, even the investigator said that the shots were fired at less than 100 meters. And okay, the light was failing. But he had a clearly recognizable silhouette.  His weapon was clearly visible, the type of weapon -- it's really hard for people to understand this. The investigation needs to be reopened and followed through to its conclusion.

[Olberman] As opposed to the ruling today that a three-star general is likely to be demoted and other officers will be admonished, and that's it so far. General Wesley Clark, our supreme allied commander of NATO in Europe, our great thanks as always for being with us, sir.

_______________

Librarian's Comment:

[Pat Tillman] I'M PAT FUCKING TILLMAN!
[Donald Rumsfeld] There's no hero like a dead hero!
(collage by Tara Carreon)

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