Pat Tillman's Death and the Fog of War

The fog of war is a frequent topic in the media these days. There is a dirty little secret about war that is beginning to emerge from the Pat Tillman debacle. It's beginning to look like Pat Tillman was murdered by his comrades while the platoon was under fire by the enemy. It appears that the cover-up began with the platoon, spread to commanding officers, through the Army investigative team, through the command structures right into Rumsfeld office. The higher command, recognizing the high profile nature of Pat Tillman, an NFL football star, rather than tarnish the image of US soldiers in the field, it was decided to paint him as a hero and cover up fratricide. A murder in war time becomes a propaganda tool to protect an illegal war.
The real consequences of war has been covered up by every participant throughout history. The soldier in the field covers his shame for participating, the officer covers to ensure his career advances, top officers cover to protect the image of the soldier in the field, politicians cover to protect the political fall out.
War is hell, more hellish than most of us ever knew. The dirty little secret is all war has been and always will be just like this glimpse we get in this one incident. There have been many recent chapters, including Abu Ghraib, Fallujah, Haditha, and many more untold stories.
Forbes.com

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.


[..]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.


[..]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 ..."

Must read article by Kevin Tillman, Pat's brother, and also an Army Ranger.