Friendly fire... isn't.

[khaosworks]

Football hero likely "friendly fire" victim: Army
Last Updated Sat, 29 May 2004 18:50:53

FOR BRAGG, N.C. - An American football player who gave up a $3.6 million US contract to fight in Afghanistan was probably killed by his fellow soldiers, the military said Saturday.

Pat Tillman, who quite the National Football League to became an Army Ranger, was shot to death April 22.

At first, reports said he was killed by enemy fire when he tried to help out another group of soldiers caught in an ambush.

But according to an army investigation, Tillman died when a U.S. soldier mistakenly fired on an Afghan soldier in Tillman's unit and other U.S. soldiers also began shooting in the same direction.

Fighting in poor light

In a brief statement Saturday, Gen. Philip R. Kensinger Jr. said the shooting happened in poor light in a very constricted area, during a battle with about a dozen enemy fighters.

But an Afghan military official who asked not to be named told The Associated Press that the shooting was the result of confusion after a land mine explosion and no enemy fighters were present.

The 27-year-old Tillman was called a hero because he put aside a promising career with the Arizona Cardinals to join the army after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorism attacks on New York and Washington.

Comments

[juuro.livejournal.com]

And this is somehow more meaningful, more tragic, than the same thing happening to an inner-city youth, or the immigrant who hopes this would be the road to citizenship?

No. It is just more newsworthy. *spit*

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

No. It's simply more interesting.

And that's the real tragedy of it all.

[osj.livejournal.com]

Death is always tragic, but politics aside, I think Tillman deserves sp,e credit for giving up a highly-profitable football career to go and fight for his country, because he felt it was important.

[osj.livejournal.com]

sorry, that was meant to be 'some credit'...typo.