Krakauer Explores Pat Tillman's Death And Cover-Up

I did a post the other day about Jon Krakauer and his new book: "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman" with a video report from ABC's Good Morning America and from the ABC World News Tonight.

He's since been on at least two NPR shows one being All Things Considered which is about a seven minute discussion of the book and the Pat Tillman military service story that was propagandized by both the cheney/bush administration, the pentagon and the military!

Krakauer talks to NPR's Melissa Block about his investigation into Tillman's death by friendly fire — and the Army's subsequent effort to cover up the circumstances of that death.

A Spray Of Bullets

At least half the members of a platoon traveling through Afghanistan on April 22, 2004, had never been in a firefight before. But on this day, the enemy attacked. In response, the American soldiers sprayed thousands of rounds from their machine guns, M4s and grenade launchers..........Read Rest Here

The second show was the Diane Rehm show, with a much more indepth discussion and some call in's, on Sept. 16th, he was the second half hour.

Jon Krakauer: "Where Men Win Glory" (Doubleday)

Pat Tillman walked away from a multi-million dollar N-F-L contract to fight with U-S special forces. He was killed in Afghanistan two years later. How the Army tried to keep his family and the public from learning the truth about his death.

Guests
Jon Krakauer, author of "Into the Wild", "Into Thin Air", and "Under the Banner of Heaven," "Eiger Dreams," and editor of Modern Library Exploration series.

You can listen in with Your Real Player or with the Windows Media Player

Jon Krakauer's book: "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman"

Pat Tillman "Where Men Win Glory"

This was just reported on ABC World News and apparently ABC Good Morning America also had a report this morning, video from that below.

EXCERPT: Jon Krakauer's 'Where Men Win Glory'
Krakauer Investigates the Life and Death of American Football Hero Pat Tillman

Patrick Tillman, former NFL player, made national headlines when he gave up his lucrative sports career to join the U.S. Army Rangers.

Tillman, one of the most potent symbols of post-9/11 patriotism in America, was gunned down by friendly fire in 2004.

Revelations abound in Krakauer's new book, coming from interviews with friends and relatives, and Tillman's personal journals.

Read an excerpt of the book below:

Excerpt From the Prologue

Ever since Homo sapiens first coalesced into tribes, war has been part of the human condition. Inevitably, warring societies portray their campaigns as virtuous struggles, and present their fallen warriors as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for a noble cause. But death by so- called friendly fire, which is an inescapable aspect of armed conflict in the modern era, doesn't conform to this mythic narrative. It strips away war's heroic veneer to reveal what lies beneath. It's an unsettling reminder that barbarism, senseless violence, and random death are commonplace even in the most "just" and "honorable" of wars. Consequently, and unsurprisingly, when soldiers accidentally kill one of their own, there is tremendous reluctance to confront the truth within the ranks of the military. There is an overwhelming inclination to keep the unsavory particulars hidden from public view, to pretend the calamity never occurred. Thus it has always been, and probably always will be. As Aeschylus, the exalted Greek tragedian, noted in the fifth century b.c., "In war, truth is the first casualty."

Jon Krakauer's book: "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman"

Although it wasn't Tillman's intention, when he left the Cardinals to join the Army he was transformed overnight into an icon of post-9/11 patriotism. Seizing the opportunity to capitalize on his celebrity, the Bush administration endeavored to use his name and image to promote what it had christened the Global War on Terror. Tillman abhorred this role. As soon as he decided to enlist, he stopped talking to the press altogether, although his silence did nothing to squelch America's fascination with the football star who traded the bright lights and riches of the NFL for boot camp and a bad haircut. Following his death on the battlefield, the public's interest in Tillman shot through the roof. The posthumous media frenzy shed little light on who he really was, however. The intricate mosaic of personal history that defined his existence was obscured by the blizzard of hype.

In the interview video above, from ABC's "Good Morning America" we find out he was also in Iraq, but not only that he was involved in the operation to rescue Jessica Lynch. Even this author didn't know about that untill he was going through the papers and reports preparing the book. Tillman apparently knew it was a bogus operation and that he might be used in similar manner if something happened, He Was Right!!

He also could have gotten out of the Army and never have gone to Afghanistan, but choose to stay and finish his commitment!!

Read the Rest Here

Laying the Wreaths........

Event honors vets with wreaths

Javonte Green carefully placed a wreath on the headstone of a World War II soldier in Arlington Cemetery, nodded politely to the white headstone and gave the thumbs up sign.

"It’s about remembering some soldiers who you’ve never seen before, but you think they’ve done a good job," said the 14-year-old from Woodbridge, Va.

Javonte was one of about 60,000 volunteers who placed wreaths in veterans cemeteries across the country as part of Wreaths Across America.

The project has grown exponentially since its inception back in 1992, when Morrill Worcester first donated the leftover greens from his wreath company to Arlington. Last year, volunteers placed 32,000 wreaths at state and national cemeteries across the country. This year, the number jumped to 105,000. The U.S. Senate formally recognized the event last week, declaring Dec. 13, 2008, "Wreaths Across America Day."

Read Rest Here




And Walking For Pat........

Former Ranger on cross-country trek for Tillman

The story of Pat Tillman is well known. He’s the former professional football player who walked away from a multi-million dollar contract and career to join the Army and become a Ranger before being killed in Afghanistan.

A 31-year-old former Ranger is now walking across the country to raise money for Tillman’s foundation and to share his own personal story about Tillman.

Walk For Pat

From A GoldStar Mom

In this photo from her book, Mary Tillman gets Pat ready for a walk in 1977. She remembers him as an infant who "was a little malcontent," unhappy when swaddled and early to crawl.

Death, cover-up force mom to pen 'tribute to the truth'

“It's not about me,” she said.
Motherhood is like that – putting your children first, protecting them, defending their honor. Even when they're dead.

"They Used Pat for Public Consumption,

Just Like Jessica Lynch": An Interview with Mary Tillman

The official cover-up of football star-turned-soldier Pat Tillman's death by "friendly fire" has led his family on a four-year mission for justice.

Mary Tillmans book:
Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman

The Truth About War {UpDated}

What's the truth about War, the Real Truth, it's the prolific growth of the needed propaganda.

The propaganda that solidifies the needed support and fear instilled to continue.

Especially for the Wars of Choice, for they would quickly fall apart, or not fought at all, if the propaganda wasn't set forward and grown to justify.

Tonight on 60min they visited once again with a 'Gold Star Mother' who, along with her family, didn't buy the story of her sons death in Afganistan, a son who was a High Profile Figure for the powers that were that needed the growth of their Propaganda to Justify their wanted Wars of Choice!

A 'Gold Star Mother' who has been extremely tenacious in her search of the truth, not for her or her family but for the country of her son, Pat Tillmans, death!

What Really Happened To Pat Tillman?
His Mother Tells 60 Minutes The Govt. Still Hasn't Told The Whole Truth About Her Son's Death

Pat Tillman was a heroic face of the war on terror - an NFL star who left behind a $3.6 million contract and his new wife to fight for his country after the attacks of Sept. 11. When he died in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004, the Army told his family he'd been killed by enemy fire after courageously charging up a hill to protect his fellow Army Rangers.

But as Katie Couric reports, that story didn't hold up. He had really been killed by friendly fire, shot accidentally by his fellow soldiers.

For the past four years, his family, led by his mother Mary, has been searching for answers about what really happened, beginning the day she heard the news from Pat Tillman's wife Marie.

Too many questions linger about 9/11 and this War on Terror.

And there are questions as to how it somehow morphed into an invasion of an innocent country based on lies built upon propaganda, propaganda put together with bits and pieces of cherry picked intelligence and proven to be false, yet we're still there and thousands are dying and being maimed!

Those that made the choice of sending others, into invasion and occupation, to enrich themselves with power and wealth through death and destruction, are still saber rattling, growing the already overwelming hatreds of those invaded towards us and others in this world, Perpetual War!

We know the propaganda machine is well oiled as the lies continue. Including high ranking retired military officers used to put positive spin on the progress of the conflicts. Retired military officers on Defense Contractors payrolls and collecting monies from media outlets to report as Experts on what is going on in the theaters of operations, now known they were fed the information to say from the administration and pentagon.

As it continues unabated, The Country Does Nothing!!

UpDate:

Another 'Gold Star Mom' wants answers:

This Gold Star Mom A "Black Sheep"

Soldiers Deaths Clouded By Lie
Mary Tillman and Peggy Buryj believe the Army is withholding the truth about their sons' deaths by friendly fire. Maggie Rodriguez reports.

Peggy Buryj Wants Truth About Friendly Fire Death Of Her Son In Iraq; He Was Shot In Back

Just two weeks after Pat Tillman lost his life, Army Specialist Jesse Buryj was killed in Iraq.

His mother, Peggy Buryj, was told he died in a humvee accident, protecting his unit as it came under attack.

But months later, Peggy learned her son had been shot in the back.

And the story kept changing.