Pat Tillman

[Deftone]

I'm thankful for his sacrifice.

 

[ZoomZilla]

+1, but it sucks it was friendly fire.

 

[Duane24]

+1, but it sucks it was friendly fire.

also sucks the government lied about the friendly fire.

 

[KSG_Standard]

Pat Tillman was a hero.

 

[Makeitstop]

Pat Tillman was a hero.

He walked the walk while others were talking the talk, that's for sure.

- D

 

[Deftone]

He walked the walk while others were talking the talk, that's for sure.

- D

You took the words right out of my mouth. People always talk about doing this and that, Tillman just did it.

F?ck all these movie stars and celebrities. Pat Tillman dropped a million $ contract to go fight for what he believed in. And he knew he could die doing it. That's a real hero.

 

[Sinster]

He is a truly a hero but no more than a hero of those other men and women who have lost their lives in past and present wars.

 

[shotgunlew]

I served at fob tillman.....shortly after it happened....



Rangers Lead The Way

 

[nauc]

Rangers ARE the way

 

[Deftone]

He is a truly a hero but no more than a hero of those other men and women who have lost their lives in past and present wars.

Absolutely.

 

[TOMMYTHUNDERS]

He is a truly a hero but no more than a hero of those other men and women who have lost their lives in past and present wars.

disagree 100%.
for some people the armed forces are the only option because they do not have much direction after high school, or they can't go to college for whatever reason and don't want to get another type of job. i know many people who joined the armed forces just because they were out of options. pat tillman had money. he didn't need to enlist, but he wanted to.
my personal beliefs aside, i'd say he was an exceptional person in that he went all out for his beliefs.

 

[kernelofwisdom]

I highly recommend the new book about Tillman by the guy who wrote Into the Wild.

Lots of interesting narrative about the danger of friendly fire in a fast moving environment with so much firepower. While much better than not having enough mobility or firepower, it isn't perfect and good guys get killed sometimes.

But most interesting was the tracing of the arc of Tillman's life. He was certainly Type A, with talent and energy and aggression, but he had a curious mind, one that wasn't satisfied - ever. Money in no way dominated his thinking. He lived to find challenges and to defeat them. He lived in search of a purpose. He was frustrated by the wars and his unit and even his celebrity, but he was in it all the way, because he had given his commitment.

Great book and a great look into his life, as much as one can get.

The mission that got him killed was a waste of life, but the decisions that led to the result were not atypical and usually don't result in that kind of failure, other than perhaps just not having enough men for the tasks which does often get guys killed.

The coverup was, really, stupid and insulting. The idea was to insulate the war effort from the possible negative feedback of losing a celebrity in friendly fire, but the result ultimately was more distrust of the military, and that's too bad. Tillman's brother was on the scene at the time, and even he wasn't told the truth.

It takes a certain level of character and even oddness to live like Tillman did. He developed his own yardstick to measure himself, declining the one generally used (money). I'm sorry for him that his life ended so soon, and sorry for us to have one less of a rare breed.

 

[GNR4EVR]

I think the whole things just shows where his heart was. He had money, but wanted principal.

The reason we live in such a sick society, is that people think happiness exists in the things outside of ourselves, and chase it to the grave. True happiness comes from within.
And no amount of money can buy that.

 

[kernelofwisdom]

GNR4EVR,

I agree with you. But Tillman was one of those guys who knew that, and still wasn't happy, at least not happy in the sense of being satisfied. From his journals, he seemed profoundly uneasy that he might miss out on something life had to offer. He was a highly intense person, intellectually as well as physically.

 

[Hamtone]

Rangers ARE the way

Nuff said


Pat Tillman, yep hero, like all who served. Tommy you were right at a certain point, but its harder to get into and maintain a career in the Marine Corps than going to college, same with the Airforce. The days of mediocre military is long over. Yes still plenty of chitbags but, overall the best and the brightest need apply. I am very fortunate for what i do for a living and it probably exceeds what anyone without a college degree could ever get paid, and Im going back. I have options.

Its not extraordinary if you want to serve, its just the way you are built, nothing more nothing less.

 

[Sinster]

disagree 100%.
for some people the armed forces are the only option because they do not have much direction after high school, or they can't go to college for whatever reason and don't want to get another type of job. i know many people who joined the armed forces just because they were out of options. pat tillman had money. he didn't need to enlist, but he wanted to.
my personal beliefs aside, i'd say he was an exceptional person in that he went all out for his beliefs.

I'm not taking anything away from Mr. Tillman he is a hero.

After the Japan attacked Pearl Harbor a lot of people joined the military because they wanted to for their country, just like the attacks in Sept. 11. People joined because they wanted to for this Country.. There's a lot more people signing up because they want to rather than out of necessity. I don't care if you did join because you need to find direction. When you sign on the line you know there is a small chance that you will be deployed during wartime. To leave your family and knowing there is a chance you will not come back. Those goodbyes the night before deployment might be your last and the last time your family will see you. Some of these service members children will never know their parents. It takes a lot to overcome the fear and go into a deadly situation.

Those who served and came back.. are a Hero's as well.

FYI- I've been supporting the Pat Tillman Foundation for the last few years.

I'm thankful for every service member, past, present, and future. Without them we wouldn't have a lot of freedoms we enjoy now.

To quote FDR-
Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them

 

[Hamtone]

See people dont realize that going into the military is a sacrifice. I can really go off on this subject so I will back away

 

[TOMMYTHUNDERS]

personally, i think it's a career decision like any other. and like i said everyone i know who went into the armed forces (with one exception) did so out of necessity.
mostly dudes who were kind of aimless, just kind of floating.

 

[Hamtone]

personally, i think it's a career decision like any other. and like i said everyone i know who went into the armed forces (with one exception) did so out of necessity.
mostly dudes who were kind of aimless, just kind of floating.

Sounds like what my father says too


Unless a person goes and does it, they havent any clue.

I do agree those sorts go in, just like a certain sort may drive a trash truck or work in a pharmacology field, there is something for everyone

 

[TOMMYTHUNDERS]

Sounds like what my father says too


Unless a person goes and does it, they havent any clue.

I do agree those sorts go in, just like a certain sort may drive a trash truck or work in a pharmacology field, there is something for everyone

like i said i personally know of an exception. i have a friend who wanted to be a marine since he was a child. he became one and then some. but i know even more guys who were getting in trouble often and were in and out of jobs who joined up to get straightened out and get a steady paycheck.