supercharger
Juniors
- Messages
- 2,008
Today april 22 marks the 5th anniversery of pat tillmans death
killed by friendly fire in afganastan for those who dont know tillman gave up the glamorous life of a professional football star to join the army rangers here is a story called code of honor by gary smith
Even before the world trade center incinerated even as a linebacker at arizona state in 1996 and '97, pat tillman would lie in bed on the eve of games and picture things that no teammate pictured.he'd envision the american flag the and the blood that had been spilled for it and utter words that other football players didn't,shouldn't,just hours before entering battle "there's more to life than football" he'd say.''I want to contribute to society and help people.'' Then came the phone call one september morning from his brother Kevin an infielder from the Cleaveland Indians organization -turn on your TV right NOW,Pat-and the image on screen of the second airliner hurtling into the second glass tower full of human beings.The next day came pats interview with NFL films, when he said ''i play football and it just seems so goddam-it is-unimportant to everything thats taken place...my grandfather was at pearl harbour and a lot of my family has gone and fought wars,and i haven't done a damn thing...'' "We're worthless...We're actors"pat had muttered as he watched events on a locker room tv the day after the attacks.what did people expect him to say when a half year later when like his brother he decided at age 25 that he couldn't do what every other pro athlete did-keep playing ball and let others to do what had to be done?what did you expect him to do talk about it?Relatives tried to persuade the tillman boys to change their minds their father-pat snr a lawyer and former college wrestler at san jose state who had told his sons long ago that he regetted not having followed the family footpath into service-knew that disscuasion would be futile.One day pat pulled a chair around the desk of then Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis and said ''mac,we've gotta talk,"walking away later that day and leaving mac to do all the talking to the media.
the tillman brothers made the rangers.pat's reward was a pay cut from the
$1.2 million a year the cardinals would have paid him to $17,316.I cant stop smiling his old college coach Bruce snyder told the Miami herald at the time and i'm not really sure why,
The news [that pat tillman was killed in action in afghanastan]whistled through america's soul and raised the hair on the back of it's neck.
it tapped into people's admiration their awe,their guilt.In a country where no civilians have been asked to sacrifice anything and where even the cost of the war is being forwarded to their children and their childrens children a man had sacrificed the biggest dream of all:the NFL during world war two,638 nfl players served and 19 died in action but no well known U.S professional athlete in a quarter of a century had volunteered for service and none had perished since Buffalo bills linesman Bob Kalsu in vietnam in 1970
Memorials sprang up overnight ballons and flowers and teddy bears and notes were left and a man stood before a photo of pat outside sun devil stadium -home to ASU and the cardinals -and blew amazing grace through his bagpipes scholarships were founded the cardinals announced that a plaza outside their unfinished new stadium will carry his name before it's story had even been written SI had recieved 103 letters about pats sacrifice pat had no need for fuss but the people did.At last they had a face to grieve.There is in pat tillmans example said Senator John mccain of arizona ''in his unexpected choice of duty to his country over the riches and comfort of celebrity, and his humility such an inspiration to all of us to reclaim the essential public spiritedness of americans that many of us,in low moments had worried was no longer a distinguishing trait
The mist of human motive is as dense as the fog of war. pat tillman may have died in the Middle East last week but it was the only place on earth he could get a good night's sleep.But any time a man listens to his inner voice refuses to wallit off with all the mortar and bricks that his culture can possibly offer it's a moment to stand in wonder as well as to weep
Elizabeth McKenrick the wife of 4th ranger training commander Terry McKenrick couldn't help herself last friday as a rule she shields her three children from newscasts about the war because she knows the next time her husband is shipped from port benning Ga.,she wont stand a chance of convincing them he'll return home.but when she saw the tv report about pat tillman she called her nine year old to her side.''listen'' she said.''listen to the story of what this man did''...
killed by friendly fire in afganastan for those who dont know tillman gave up the glamorous life of a professional football star to join the army rangers here is a story called code of honor by gary smith
Even before the world trade center incinerated even as a linebacker at arizona state in 1996 and '97, pat tillman would lie in bed on the eve of games and picture things that no teammate pictured.he'd envision the american flag the and the blood that had been spilled for it and utter words that other football players didn't,shouldn't,just hours before entering battle "there's more to life than football" he'd say.''I want to contribute to society and help people.'' Then came the phone call one september morning from his brother Kevin an infielder from the Cleaveland Indians organization -turn on your TV right NOW,Pat-and the image on screen of the second airliner hurtling into the second glass tower full of human beings.The next day came pats interview with NFL films, when he said ''i play football and it just seems so goddam-it is-unimportant to everything thats taken place...my grandfather was at pearl harbour and a lot of my family has gone and fought wars,and i haven't done a damn thing...'' "We're worthless...We're actors"pat had muttered as he watched events on a locker room tv the day after the attacks.what did people expect him to say when a half year later when like his brother he decided at age 25 that he couldn't do what every other pro athlete did-keep playing ball and let others to do what had to be done?what did you expect him to do talk about it?Relatives tried to persuade the tillman boys to change their minds their father-pat snr a lawyer and former college wrestler at san jose state who had told his sons long ago that he regetted not having followed the family footpath into service-knew that disscuasion would be futile.One day pat pulled a chair around the desk of then Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis and said ''mac,we've gotta talk,"walking away later that day and leaving mac to do all the talking to the media.
the tillman brothers made the rangers.pat's reward was a pay cut from the
$1.2 million a year the cardinals would have paid him to $17,316.I cant stop smiling his old college coach Bruce snyder told the Miami herald at the time and i'm not really sure why,
The news [that pat tillman was killed in action in afghanastan]whistled through america's soul and raised the hair on the back of it's neck.
it tapped into people's admiration their awe,their guilt.In a country where no civilians have been asked to sacrifice anything and where even the cost of the war is being forwarded to their children and their childrens children a man had sacrificed the biggest dream of all:the NFL during world war two,638 nfl players served and 19 died in action but no well known U.S professional athlete in a quarter of a century had volunteered for service and none had perished since Buffalo bills linesman Bob Kalsu in vietnam in 1970
Memorials sprang up overnight ballons and flowers and teddy bears and notes were left and a man stood before a photo of pat outside sun devil stadium -home to ASU and the cardinals -and blew amazing grace through his bagpipes scholarships were founded the cardinals announced that a plaza outside their unfinished new stadium will carry his name before it's story had even been written SI had recieved 103 letters about pats sacrifice pat had no need for fuss but the people did.At last they had a face to grieve.There is in pat tillmans example said Senator John mccain of arizona ''in his unexpected choice of duty to his country over the riches and comfort of celebrity, and his humility such an inspiration to all of us to reclaim the essential public spiritedness of americans that many of us,in low moments had worried was no longer a distinguishing trait
The mist of human motive is as dense as the fog of war. pat tillman may have died in the Middle East last week but it was the only place on earth he could get a good night's sleep.But any time a man listens to his inner voice refuses to wallit off with all the mortar and bricks that his culture can possibly offer it's a moment to stand in wonder as well as to weep
Elizabeth McKenrick the wife of 4th ranger training commander Terry McKenrick couldn't help herself last friday as a rule she shields her three children from newscasts about the war because she knows the next time her husband is shipped from port benning Ga.,she wont stand a chance of convincing them he'll return home.but when she saw the tv report about pat tillman she called her nine year old to her side.''listen'' she said.''listen to the story of what this man did''...
