Kevin Tillman

[Thrawn]

(Image removed from quote.)

Courtesy the Tillman Family
Pat Tillman (left) and his brother Kevin stand in front of a Chinook helicopter in Saudi Arabia before their tour of duty as Army Rangers in Iraq in 2003.
 
After Pat’s Birthday
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Posted on Oct 19, 2006
 
Courtesy the Tillman Family
Pat Tillman (left) and his brother Kevin stand in front of a Chinook helicopter in Saudi Arabia before their tour of duty as Army Rangers in Iraq in 2003.
 
By Kevin Tillman

Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.


It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after.  It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military.  He spoke about the risks with signing the papers.  How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people.  How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition.  How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we get out.  

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is.  Something like that.
 
Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them.  Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet.  It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.  

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.  

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.  

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.  

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people.  So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity.  Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.  

Luckily this country is still a democracy.  People still have a voice.  People still can take action.  It can start after Pat’s birthday.  


Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,

Kevin Tillman

This was posted over at AGW.  I thought it was interesting to see the opinion of someone who (along with his brother) was co-opted so extensively to forward an agenda he didn't or at least no longer believes in.  

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601019_after_pats_birthday/

[Eagler]

guess he's a democrat eh?
sorry to disappoint Kevin but this voter will be an R voter on 11/06.
If he thinks it is bad with the current group wait until the nancies get another shot at it ...

[Wolf14]

Originally posted by Eagler
guess he's a democrat eh?
sorry to disappoint Kevin but this voter will be an R voter on 11/06.
If he thinks it is bad with the current group wait until the nancies get another shot at it ...

agreed

[Mickey1992]

Originally posted by Eagler
guess he's a democrat eh?

What?  You have to be a Democrat to disagree with the current administration?

[Gunthr]

I have trouble with the authenticity of the statements of the brother.

You would think that if your brother layed down his life for what he believed in, that he would acknowledge that.  Something doesn't ring true here.

[Recap]

Originally posted by Eagler
guess he's a democrat eh?
sorry to disappoint Kevin but this voter will be an R voter on 11/06.
If he thinks it is bad with the current group wait until the nancies get another shot at it ...

My Phish following brother could do a better job than the current "group".  You should feel very proud touting the slogan "Yea we suck, but not as bad as somoene else could suck".  No wonder our country is screwed up.  Try and set your standards just a wee bit higher.

[MiloMorai]

He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people.

Not to mention American solders, for he was killed by friendly fire.

[Eagler]

Originally posted by Recap
My Phish following brother could do a better job than the current "group".  You should feel very proud touting the slogan "Yea we suck, but not as bad as somoene else could suck".  No wonder our country is screwed up.  Try and set your standards just a wee bit higher.

the best that was offered - you'd rather have gore or kerry running the war?
or running away from the war more like it, you know, showing our enemies our yellow streak as we did from 93 - 00 ...

[Recap]

Originally posted by Eagler
the best that was offered - you'd rather have gore or kerry running the war?
or running away from the war more like it, you know, showing our enemies our yellow streak as we did from 93 - 00 ...

That is the biggest cop out I've ever heard.  Enough with the scare tactics.  They are nowhere near as scary as where we are right now.  Ask the troops on the ground in Iraq how much better off they are.  Sheep go baaaa.

[cav58d]

I am the holder of a death note for my best friend, Ralph Moore...He is a 12B on his second tour in Iraq out of FOB Ramadi.  He asked me to read the letter before heading back for the second time...I am not going to copy the letter into this post, but it says that if he is to die in combat, then he accepts, and is proud of his death...As much as he hates Iraq, being there has given so much hope and purpose to his life, and he urges the war continue, even after his passing, because there is progress being made....  I hope I never have to read this letter aloud, but if that day comes, I will be proud to do so....

So for everyone Keven Tillman, dont forget there is a Ralph Moore and others like him.

[Recap]

Originally posted by cav58d
I am the holder of a death note for my best friend, Ralph Moore...He is a 12B on his second tour in Iraq out of FOB Ramadi.  He asked me to read the letter before heading back for the second time...I am not going to copy the letter into this post, but it says that if he is to die in combat, then he accepts, and is proud of his death...As much as he hates Iraq, being there has given so much hope and purpose to his life, and he urges the war continue, even after his passing, because there is progress being made....  I hope I never have to read this letter aloud, but if that day comes, I will be proud to do so....

So for everyone Keven Tillman, dont forget there is a Ralph Moore and others like him.

I suppose one of them HAS to be right? Or is it possible both are?

[john9001]

Originally posted by Recap
That is the biggest cop out I've ever heard.  Enough with the scare tactics.  They are nowhere near as scary as where we are right now.  Ask the troops on the ground in Iraq how much better off they are.  Sheep go baaaa.

where are we right now?

[cav58d]

Originally posted by Recap
I suppose one of them HAS to be right? Or is it possible both are?

I am not saying one is right or not....You showed me a soldier who opposed the war....I showed you one who supports it...nothing more, nothing less

[soda72]

Pat Tillman (left) and his brother Kevin stand in front of a Chinook helicopter in Saudi Arabia before their tour of duty as Army Rangers in Iraq in 2003.

DId Pat tillman serve in Iraq?  I thought he was serving in Afgan and was killed there...

[lukster]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, at least in America.