Pat Tillman: Killed by Friendly Fire or Executed by His Own Government?

The Tillman brothers were both professional athletes who enlisted in the US Army together in May 2002, 8 months after day 9/11, but before the bombing of Iraq. They were first shipped to Iraq where they lived together in the same unit; then they were transferred to Afghanistan where parties unknown killed Pat Tillman about two years after his enlistment. The Army now admits Tillman was killed by his own unit, but there appears to be much more to the story. Tillman’s own brother, Kevin, who was with him every day, says Pat despised and rejected the war in Iraq as unnecessary and brutal. Pat Tillman's family has firmly rejected the Defense Department's findings on the former NFL star's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan; calling for congressional investigations into what they see as broad malfeasance and a cover-up. They are told in the reports that nine Army officers, including four generals, “made errors” in not reporting the friendly fire death to their superiors and to the Tillman family. Pat Tillman's father, a lawyer, while avoiding the legal term “murder” is having none of this explanation.

Logic dictates that we raise the possibility of Tillman’s assassination by his own government. Top civilian leadership had the reason and the opportunity to assassinate Tillman, and now they are acting quite guilty.

The Tillman story has a great chance of breaking out: survivor Kevin Tillman was with his brother constantly at war. Pat and Kevin were shipped from Iraq to Afghanistan because Pat made no secret of his opinion that war in Iraq was “illegal and unjust,” and he was, according to his brother, prepared to tell his story publicly at the first opportunity. The Tillman brothers were due for a furlough, and Kevin stated in interviews that Pat had arranged to meet with an anti-war journalist while at home. It seems overwhelmingly likely that Tillman was not a victim of fratricide or “friendly fire” as it is euphemistically called, but was deliberately assassinated. Tillman may not have been shot by anyone in the military. It has been asserted that even now some of Tillman’s unit cannot be located for questioning.

The army had another reason to fear Tillman- his incredible determination to do what he believed was right. Kevin Tillman has said in interviews that Pat had interviews arranged when he got stateside. Pat Tillman could have been ordered into a unit at the same time as a hit team was ordered in to assassinate him. No one could say for sure if the assassin aimed at Tillman’s face or not.

Patrick Tillman Sr. said: “The army killed its poster boy.” Responsibility for killing Tillman might reach very high indeed in this administration. Kevin Tillman will be safer if he puts every thought on paper and places them in public hands. Let us not allow Pat Tillman’s concern for his fellow man to be in vain.