Pat Tillman was an American Hero and the NFL is Desecrating his Memory

By Dylan Galletti

Preface: I am a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. After watching last night’s game, I have plenty of reasons to be angry and upset. None of them come close to the complete and utter disgust I felt before the game even began.

Last night, 4 recipients of Pat Tillman Foundation scholarships were included in the coin toss ceremony at the start of the Super Bowl. This was accompanied with a “heartwarming” video recounting the tale of Pat Tillman, who “gave his life in the line of duty serving our country” 20 years ago.

In 2003, I was 6 years old. I was allowed to do a report for class about someone that inspired me. As a huge sports fan even then, Tillman was an obvious choice. Tillman was so moved by the attacks on September 11th that he abandoned his extremely lucrative multi-million-dollar career in the NFL and became an Army Ranger, desiring to serve in Afghanistan. At the time Tillman was a household name and an almost Captain-America-like propaganda symbol. The military and government has a long history of using celebrities to boost public support their war efforts going all the way back to World War 2, and Tillman was no exception; he was the Bush administration’s All-American poster boy.

Then Tillman died.

His death and funeral were turned into a media spectacle. They claimed that Tillman had heroically charged up a hill into enemy fire before being killed and posthumously awarded him a Silver Star. All of this was a lie.

It has been demonstrated conclusively that within just hours of his death, Army investigators were aware that Tillman had actually been killed by
“accidental” friendly fire. Tillman was shot in the head three times from just 10 meters away. His uniform and other personal belongings were destroyed, leaving no forensic evidence.

After joining the war, Tillman had become increasingly disillusioned with the war on terror. He had believed that the War in Afghanistan was justified due to 9/11, but referred to the Invasion of Iraq in 2003 as “fucking illegal”. He also cited Noam Chomsky as one of his favorite authors, and planned to speak with him about his increasing dissatisfaction with the war effort.

It is also important to note that just a week before Tillman’s death, the George W Bush administration became aware that an episode of 60 Minutes would expose the now infamous story of the torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib. Additionally, the Army’s attempt to take the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, Iraq was turning into a hopeless and bloody meat grinder. The American people were beginning to realize that, unlike the first Iraq war, Iraq II would be a long and drawn out occupation.

It is for these reasons that many believe that Pat Tillman was deliberately assassinated to prevent him from becoming an antiwar icon after he completed his tour and returned home. Would George Bush have been able to win the 2004 election just months later if he had to contend with yet another brutal indictment of his foreign policy?

(to read more about the coverup I recommend this article)

Now 20 years later Pat Tillman is still a hero to me for an entirely different reason. So I consider this something of an addendum to that original class presentation I did in elementary school. The Pentagon is as intertwined with the NFL as they are with Hollywood. Even before last night’s pregame spectacle, this is obvious to anyone that watches the games. Camo-patterned team merch, fighter jet Flyovers, special-thanks ceremonies for veterans, and so much more are so deeply part of the NFL that many don’t even notice. Now certainly there is a place for patriotism in professional sports, but the US military is not a patriotic institution. The US military is a parasite that not only leaves millions of gallons of innocent blood in its wake as it rapes the developing-world of its resources, but also wastes trillions in US taxpayer money so as to enrich a tiny minority. The military takes young American boys with bright futures and sends them to be permanently maimed and die.

Rest in Peace Pat Tillman.

Rest in Peace to all of those who have given their lives shining the disinfecting light of truth.