KSK Book Klub: Where Men Win Glory
In the end, Pat Tillman died for the sake of a broken Humvee. Out patrolling the Afghan back country with fellow Rangers in search of Taliban and al Qaeda militants, one of the Humvees in his unit broke down so completely that it couldn’t be repaired on site, and the vehicle couldn’t be airlifted out of the wilderness via helicopter because most of the Army’s helicopters were being used in Iraq, and the Army required four days notice to send one out in Afghanistan. And it couldn’t be ditched, because Humvees cost money.
So Tillman’s regiment was ordered to split in two against the wishes of everyone in the group, including the platoon leader in charge, who made repeated requests to command to keep the group united, all of which were denied without much explanation. This was done because towing the Humvee out of the woods was going to throw the regiment off schedule. They were due to reach the town of Mana that evening and conduct a sweep for enemy combatants. But there was no dire need to get to Mana so quickly, other than to fill an arbitrary timetable. Regardless, orders were orders, and the caravan split in two (so that half the regiment could get to Mana on time), eventually ending up going in separate directions. Serial One (Pat Tillman’s group) took the high ground. Serial Two towed the busted Humvee through a tight canyon. Once in the canyon, Serial Two was attacked by mortars from a Taliban ambush.
Rangers in the second vehicle of the Serial began firing back, continuing to do so as they emerged from the canyon. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the caravan traveling through the valley, Tillman’s group had heard the skirmish and rushed to provide cover fire from above, with Tillman joining two other soldiers (one an Afghan) behind a large boulder. As the second Humvee emerged from the canyon, they mistook Serial One’s cover fire for enemy fire and continued shooting.
They continued shooting despite direct Army orders to positively identify all targets before opening fire. They continued shooting despite clearly seeing the friendly Afghan soldier wearing the distinct camo pattern of the US Army (he ended up being killed). They continued firing despite the fact that Tillman and PFC Bryan O’Neal raised their hands to signal that they had laid down their guns and were Americans. Indeed, before being shot to death, Tillman screamed out his name to his comrades over and over, to no avail. And the boulder he was hiding behind was, by some estimates, less than TEN YARDS AWAY from the firing Humvee. They continued to fire despite being ordered to cease fire repeatedly (they couldn’t hear the orders over the gunfire).
I knew Pat Tillman died from friendly fire, but I assumed he had been killed by a stray American bullet in the middle of an enemy skirmish. This isn’t true. Tillman and his two fellow soldiers were fired on for over fifteen minutes with heavy artillery before the shooting stopped. One of the men shooting was a callow Ranger named Trevor Alders, who changed his shooting position to fire on Tillman’s group despite Army rules forbidding gunners from freelancing. Alders was the soldier who ended up killing Tillman, firing three small rounds from his Squad Automatic Weapon into Tillman’s forehead. The three bullets exploded inside Tillman’s head, and his brain was blown out onto the rocks below and O’Neal’s uniform. According to O’Neal:
“I remember hearing what I thought was running water. I thought that Pat had urinated on himself. I asked Pat if he had urinated on himself, but he did not answer. I looked at the rock next to us, and I remember seeing a stream of blood.”
Once Tillman was killed, the Army went to astonishing lengths to cover up how he died. All KIA American soldiers are required to be sent home with their uniform and equipment for forensic testing. Tillman’s clothes and possessions were instead burned by the Army, including a notebook he specifically asked not be discarded, his corpse sent back to America naked and raw. Also deliberately burned was an ammo can containing pieces of Tillman’s brain. Tillman was awarded a posthumous Silver Star despite no one officially signing the necessary forms. I may be wrong, but the firefight that left Tillman dead appeared to be his very first time in a live combat situation.
The Army also ordered soldiers in Tillman’s platoon to not disclose to anyone that Tillman was killed by a fellow Ranger. This meant they weren’t allowed to tell Kevin Tillman, who was also in the regiment, about how his brother died. Day after day, fellow Rangers had to walk around Kevin Tillman knowing how Pat had died, without being able to just come out and tell him the truth. Nor did the Army ever give a full explanation to the rest of Tillman’s family about how he died. His mother learned he died from friendly fire through a call from a newspaper reporter. For weeks after Tillman passed away, the Army purposely led those close to Tillman to believe he had been killed by enemy forces. Immediately after Tillman was killed, Kevin Tillman made his fellow Rangers swear they’d take revenge on whoever committed the crime. Little did he know.
At Tillman’s memorial, the Army gave a false account of how Tillman died to a friend of his in the Navy SEALS, Steve White, (who had no reason to think the story was a lie) who then revealed the story during the memorial, the first time Tillman’s family or America had “learned” the story of his death. Email records show that press manipulation of Tillman’s story went all the way to Bush White House.
No one went to jail for Pat Tillman’s death. Trevor Alders and a handful of others were demoted into the regular Army (Alders vehemently protested the demotion. One fellow Ranger described him as “pathetic”), along with the platoon leader who begged Central Command to not split the regiment in two. “Shit rolls downhill,” is how one Ranger explained it.
Where Men Win Glory isn’t Jon Krakauer’s best book. In fact, for the first 150 pages or so, it’s a pretty dry read. There’s a shitload of back history about modern day Afghanistan (Surprise! It’s fucked!) intertwined with Tillman’s childhood and football career. This is all necessary information, but sometimes it gets a little dull and hard to follow.
But once the story turns to Tillman’s death and the myriad ways in which the Army tried to suppress the truth, it becomes devastating. The truth about Tillman was finally uncovered for a couple of reasons: his notoriety, and his family’s dogged determination to get answers. But Tillman is merely one soldier. If the Army was more than willing to actively sugarcoat his death in the midst of conflict, how many other families have they lied to? How many mothers go to sleep at night thinking their son passed away one way without ever knowing the real facts? Hundreds? Thousands? According to Krakauer, forty-one percent of all American casualties in Iraq are caused by friendly fire, an estimate considered low because of underreporting.
Krakauer’s book reveals, as I’m sure many other books have, that the US military is just as fraught with bureaucratic nonsense and petty political bullshit as your office back home, if not more so. What Tillman’s story illuminates is how that sad reality contrasts with the incredibly noble intentions of many who volunteer to fight for our country. These people are willing to fight and die, and they rarely get reciprocal treatment from the US government, especially when killed by their fellow soldiers. You probably already knew this, but to see it play out at such a personal level, it makes you want to punch a wall.
Despite never wavering from joining the Army, Tillman constantly feared the toll his absence would take on his family and new wife back home. But he joined the Army for three years because he felt that serving his country would justify the relatively cozy life he would enjoy back in America once he returned home. He wanted to start a family and play football again. And he wanted to earn the right to live that life and bask in it. It was part of a personal quest for him to become a complete person who lived a passionate existence filled with memorable highs and lows. And he ended up being punished mightily for it, for his love for intense living.
It’s hard not to feel like a lesser man when you read about what Tillman sacrificed. But it’s also hard not to think that, by joining the Army, Tillman made an extremely noble mistake. When you consider the gross, widespread negligence of both Tillman’s fellow soldiers and the Army, AND the Department of Defense, why would anyone bother joining the fight anymore? The US Army treated Pat Tillman like a goddamn sucker, and it’s one of the most shameful things you’ll ever read about. It makes you wonder if Tillman died not for his country, but for his government. Only the former is worth dying for.
Tags: Big Daddy Drew, ksk book klub, take your PoFlaWa and stuff it up your ass
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October 14th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Kept waiting for the funny, or a door flying open, and you just left me sad BDD. Better have boobs or Rex Ryan by later today to counter this up a bit.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:32 am
/raises a glass to the momory of Pat
October 14th, 2009 at 10:34 am
(((slow clap)))
Hope Krakauer’s cutting you in on his royalties, because I just ordered off Amazon based off that review (I think they threw in Men With Balls for free).
October 14th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Would this be an inappropriate time for me to make a dick joke?
/Why yes, I AM incapable of feeling mature adult emotions, why do you ask?
//No, that’s ok, I’ll show myself out.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Question: Does Krakauer make Tillman into a hero the way he made Chris McCandless — noted selfish fuckwit — into Thoreau? Because that would be bad, you see.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:40 am
I have a feeling I wouldn’t be able to finish reading this for the same reason I couldn’t finish Fiasco.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:41 am
This whole situation is a damn disgrace to everyone who has risked their life protecting/fighting for our country. The troops deserve so much better.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Thanks for letting us know about this book. I don’t want to, but I think I will read this.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Ordered the book after reading peter kings MMQB (i know) last week. Finished in a couple days because i just couldn’t put it down. Didn’t find the beginning to be too dry. I think it was knowing what was going to happen and not being able to stop it.
Especially hard to read was his mom saying something to the effect of “what if your killed” (when attempting to keep him and Kevin from joining the Army) and he responded “that won’t happen”.
excellent read
October 14th, 2009 at 10:52 am
pat tillman was a man with balls.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:55 am
American reliance on firepower (artillery, airpower, etc.) over maneuver (tactics, strategy, operational art) means alot of Americans get killed. H. John Poole’s Phantom Soldier and Tiger’s Way effectivelly puncture the myth that the US is the best military in the world in any way other than ammunition expended. Also: Hackworth’s About Face and Steel My Soldier’s Hearts for Korea through Vietnam idiocy and Not a Good Day to Die for more Afghanistan bumbling.
/military history’d
October 14th, 2009 at 11:02 am
It’s no wonder that many Americans these days share an isolationist viewpoint. Many realize how disfunctional our militarty is with respect to tactics and planning. Despite the valiant efforts and sacrifice of our brave young men and women, our military is a steaming clusterfuck and the less it is involved in world conflict the better it is for all of us.
Bring our people home and let us employ our young men and women here where we need them, not over “there” where we have no idea how they are being misused and put in harms way for no good reason.
This story truly pisses the shit out of me. God bless Pat Tillman and all of our soldiers.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Great review, BDD. Tragic and depressing, but great. Thanks.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:06 am
24% of all casualties over there are friendly fire incidents, blue on blue. Very disturbing.
It is one reason I am debating joining. I would have out of HS, but moved to Florida, got a state scholarship for GPA, and a pell grant and worked full time to put myself through college. Already had taken my ASVAB, and was trying to figure out my MOS when my counselor had mentioned pell grants etc, and that was how I could possibly pay for college.
Just graduated, got my degree in four years, but I can’t get a job. Been eyeballing the military again, but I don’t know, I’ve got two brothers already serving and my mother is already on edge enough, I want at least something for my degree, but if I go to OCS I can’t even choose my MOS. The restaurant I worked has closed…..pretty FUBAR here. I’ve got about three more months of rent money saved.
Bah, hate it that I am rambling. Back to the Tillman thing, it is very unfortunate, and I was initially disappointed by all the media attention for him, just because he played in the NFL, however if he hadn’t gotten the attention, we probably never would have known the truth.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:07 am
That dude had some serious onions. In addition to the disgrace of the government, the media was a fucking joke about it too. Rather than asking any questions, they were too busy coming up with graphics of Tillman intercepting a pass over Afghanistan. The only reason that we know anything about Tillman’s death was through the persistence of his family – were it not for that, he would have just been made into a martyr for the government and who knows how many would have died in that exact same way. So fuck you very much mainstream media.
/RIP Tillman
October 14th, 2009 at 11:10 am
take your PoFlaWa and stuff it up your ass
A-fucking-men Drew.
Going to go order this book right now
October 14th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Hero is a term that gets bandied about so much as to lose it’s intended meaning. Tillman was no more a hero than any other soldier doing his or her job. Which is not in any way to demean his ultimate sacrifice.
Read “About Face”, or “The Long Gray Line” for temendous insight into the incredible potential of the U.S. Army, as well as the monumental bureaucracy, bungling, and outright politics that bring it down.
Also, friendly fire is historically responsible for a larger percentage of casualties than most would assume. That percentage decreases over time, but first time in a fire fight does weird things to people.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:15 am
I remember hearing about this book on NPR radio. I found the link in case anyone wants to hear more.
http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/09/16.php#28752
Pat Tillman is what many would call an incredible human being. His life should not have ended like that.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Sure Bison, but friendly fire was around 2-5% in WWI/WWII/Korea/Vietnam. Even if we say it is 5 times that…25% and was under reported, with all our modern technology, we have only improved 1%? That is just supposing that the statistics are under reported by that much.
I’ve seen and heard about too many attacks from air support on the wrong set of trucks, or artillery cutting it too close.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Tillman was no more a hero than any other soldier doing his or her job. Which is not in any way to demean his ultimate sacrifice.
That’s true in one sense, but Tillman walked away from a multimillion dollar career to serve his country, and died in that cause.
Maybe “hero” is imprecise. But “selfless patriot badass” doesn’t really roll off the tongue.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:21 am
I remember hearing about the friendly fire thing awhile ago on 60 Minutes (What Really Happened to Pat Tillman?.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Well played, Magary. Well played.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Tillman is a hero but I take Krakauer’s version of many things with a grain of salt. “Into Thin Air” told a very different story than “The Climb”. Funny how Anatoli Bourkeev was postumously awarded for his valour on Everest (he died later on a subsequent climb) but Krakauer has him painted as the villan.
No disrespect to Tillman at all. It is Krakauer that I have my doubts about.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:25 am
It’s hard not to feel like a lesser man when you read about what Tillman’s sacrificed. But it’s also hard not to think that, by joining the Army, Tillman made an extremely noble mistake. When you consider the gross, widespread negligence of both Tillman’s fellow soldiers and the Army, AND the Department of Defense, why would anyone bother joining the fight anymore?
B/c people like you won’t/can’t. The horrific circumstances of Tillman’s death have happened in every single conflict our huge bureaucracy of a military has engaged in. I, and many others, don’t have the highest of expectations regarding many things. However, this didn’t stop me, or many others, from volunteering to do something that we know others can’t/won’t do.
-Marine Officer
October 14th, 2009 at 11:32 am
This just makes me sad. One of the first lessons we were taught in JROTC by a fat, overweight National Gaurdsmen was don’t split up in unknown terrian, all it does it let you get defeated in detail or fall victim to blue on blue. He mastered the concept, whereas some level of senior commander didn’t.
The Army is going to pay for this though in terms of troop morale, now that this is out in the public everyone knows the Army covered the ass of some inept senior officer whose orders got men killed for no good reasons, hardly shocking.
My brother was killed in Iraq due to blue on blue, they were storming a house and my brother was cashing a suspect. The suspect ran out the back door into the arms of a security team covering the back half of the house, they opened fire, shot the Iraqi and my brother who was about a step and a half behind the suspect.
The officer in charge of the unit came to my funeral and spoke about it, he was open about the fact it was friendly fire and a horrible accident and due in part to training errors. My brother should have been trained not to rush out the back door when he knows a security team is sitting there with heavy weapons and the support team should have been trained not to open fire on people emerging from a house when some of your own people are in that house. The officer took a lot of the responsibility on himself and felt horrible about it.
The soldier who killed my brother actually came to apologize to my parents the next time he had leave. He’d been in Iraq for 4 months and the first thing he does is fly directly to my hometown to go to my brother’s grave and to apologize to my parents. Doesn’t go see his wife, his children out in Oregon, instead he flies to PA. He also felt terrible.
In the end though the honesty helped my parents though I think. They don’t have any anger directed at the military or the individuals involved. As both my grandfather (WWII) and my dad (Vietnam) have said they were never fully trained to do their job, and they mostly picked things up on the fly. Because of how honest the people involved were and how determined they were to make sure this kind of thing never happened again it really helped my family cope with the death and feel that even though my brother died he didn’t die a pointless death.
It’s just saddening and disgusting that the Army couldn’t do the same for Tillman’s family.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:36 am
B/c people like you won’t/can’t. The horrific circumstances of Tillman’s death have happened in every single conflict our huge bureaucracy of a military has engaged in. I, and many others, don’t have the highest of expectations regarding many things. However, this didn’t stop me, or many others, from volunteering to do something that we know others can’t/won’t do.
No arguments here.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:38 am
@Joe Kane: I had the opportunity to begin a military career via some ROTC college program leading into OCS and a commission on a sub or carrier. One of my college friends (also an EE, one year behind me) actually did the same thing. As a fully capable and intelligent young adult, I could have, but I decided that I could not in good conscious do what could have been asked of me by any Commander in Chief, such as the bullshit that got Pat Tillman killed, and even worse, the lies told to his family. Everyone talks about the freedom our military protects. Who’s gonna come take over our government and take away our freedom? Terrorists? More like politicians. I’d rather we use the military to protect us at home.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Strong work Drew. This is my first time posting (Pats fan) but you pulled me out with this. I haven’t read this book but just finished The Forever War by Dexter Filkins and it’s also a good intro to Afghanistan in a sort of terrible way; as is Charlie Wilson’s War.
And DeSean, Col. John Boyd begs to differ…
/Tawmmy thinks I’m gay for reading books…
October 14th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Great post, SafetyDan…..sorry for your loss.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:43 am
I believe it was Twain who said, “Loyalty to your country always, loyalty to a government when it deserves it.” (Hopes he didn’t butcher that)
October 14th, 2009 at 11:49 am
I read the book two weeks ago and would encourage everyone to read it. As a veteran and an Arizona State graduate, I was familiar with the Tillman story, but this book presented much more information about his life than I had ever known. Krakauer’s access to Pat’s diaries made for amazing insight into what he was thinking before he joined the Army and what he thought of it after he did join. I have often felt very similar feelings about his experiences in the military, which explains why I am a veteran and not currently serving.
As I read the book, I kept hoping he wouldn’t die and someone would realize the mistakes that were being made. It was heartbreaking. While the cover up was appalling, it’s hard to believe it would happen to an average soldier. The Army (and the Bush White House, for that matter) knew what they had in Tillman as far as a PR bargaining chip. To immediately tell the truth about what happened would have dealt a severe blow to the public’s perception of the war and of American parents’ willingness to send their children overseas. As it turns out, they did something much worse, and the truth has finally surfaced.
I’d like to think a new administration leading the country can get us out of these foreign messes. After reading this book (as well as other studies I’ve done on the region), I’ve come to realize we cannot just simply bring our troops back home. Al Quida and the Taliban have slipped into Pakistan and are just as strong as they have ever been, and if they do overtake that country (which would happen in a heartbeat without our assistance), they have an arsenal of nuclear weapons at their disposal.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Nice work, Drew.
I used to be sad as much for losing Tillman as a Cardinals fan than as a US citizen. Not anymore.
/Meast of the Century?
October 14th, 2009 at 11:54 am
My brother in law is in Iraq now (Army Reserve, I believe). He was in Afghanistan a couple of years ago. So far, so good, no injuries, as far as I have heard (he works in communications). Sad to say, if something happened and he was killed or seriously injured, I’d assume the official story was at least partly a lie.
And supposedly, the military has met all its recruiting goals for the first year in 35 years. Nothing like a shitty-ass economy to make getting shot at or blown up look not so bad by comparison.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:56 am
@Rocco
Joining the military itself requires a knowing surrender of disagreeing with many of the decisions you are asked to enforce. It doesn’t mean being a mindless automaton (look the platoon leader trying to protect his men by attempting to evade his terrible orders,) but it is a sacrifice. Sounds like you made the right choice.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:57 am
and Drew, loved the review, plan on reading the book.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:57 am
@Hot Carl: It’s sad that the world’s “greatest” army, in over 8 years, hasn’t prevented Al Quida and the Taliban from being as strong as they have ever been. Even worse is that a bunch of religious nuts would have nuclear weapons and a serious hard on for killing infidels. Pakistan needs to get it’s shit together.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
@Rocco: At the end of the day, we (Americans and Westerners in general) are infidels and Pakistanis are Muslim. That’s the bitter pill to swallow.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Of course they’ll lie about the average soldier if it furthers the PR war. Who was that woman who was injured and taken captive? They claimed she fought with two broken legs until her position was overrun while in truth she was knocked unconscious by the IED and never fired a shot. The question is, is this kind of thing endemic to the U.S. military or unique to the Bush administration? And, if it’s the former, how do you root out a calcified officer class that fights hardest to defend its own turf?
October 14th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
@ Otto – spot on
@ Little ball of hate – Not sure where you came up with 1-2% as friendly fire, are those official D.o.A. numbers? The true percentage is likely between that 2% and 25% you mentioned.
/Spent 2 years as a Forward Observer, thank goodness I never had to fire a weapon or call for live rounds in anger. During a training excercise had a 105mm round that I called go short and land about 100 meters from our observation position (and about 1000 meters shy of the target). The cause was likely a math mistake at the firing position that led to not enough charge being loaded. Point of long winded story is that despite training and superior equipement, mistakes will happen. And when you are dealing with equipement designed to kill, the wrong people often do.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Trying to wipe out AQ is exactly like trying to wipe out all Raider fans. They are everywhere and more are made every time two Raider fans reproduce. They’ve always been there and always will be. Watch Red Dawn. Jed Eckert (RIP P Swayze) was a former high school QB before he decided to start killing russians by the assload because they killed his mom and put his dad in a concentration camp at the drive in.
/realizes how silly this sounds
//goes back to work
October 14th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
@tracer bullet: the US Army’s officer class is certainly ossified.
http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2007/05/2635198
The system that produces our generals does little to reward creativity and moral courage. Officers rise to flag rank by following remarkably similar career patterns. Senior generals, both active and retired, are the most important figures in determining an officer’s potential for flag rank. The views of subordinates and peers play no role in an officer’s advancement; to move up he must only please his superiors. In a system in which senior officers select for promotion those like themselves, there are powerful incentives for conformity. It is unreasonable to expect that an officer who spends 25 years conforming to institutional expectations will emerge as an innovator in his late forties.
@soy: how does Boyd differ? I don’t think it’s accurate to say that Boyd’s theories are widely adopted/implemented in the US Army.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
@tracer bullet
Plenty of CSMs, MSGs, and SFC as calcified as the officers.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Tracer Bullet – You’re thinking of Jessica Lynch. I believe she denied the claims of rape, but others pushed the story.
Great review Drew.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Danny,
AQ wasn’t there until the 1990s, and they appeared only shortly after the Taliban appeared. The Taliban appeared due to the corrupt and feuding Afghan warlords that the Chinese, CIA, ISI (Pakistani Intel) and Saudi intels had supported. The warlords were corrupt fuckers that exploited local populations and destroyed everything that wasn’t part of their own tribal holdings. The Taliban painted itself as a pan-Afghani movement, based on Islam not tribal loyalties and many supported it because they were sick of the tribal warlords. The warlords rose to power in the 1980s when we funded them against the Soviets. The Taliban is a relatively new movement. Prior to the USSR invasion a fairly moderate abnd hands off monarchy ran the country and did a fairly decent job of it.
The trick is though you can’t kill the Taliban in the sense of just shooting until they’re all dead, instead you need to offer people a different kind of pan-Afghani government that will be stable and not degenerate into tribal warfare. You have to kill their message, not the militia.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I hate the beurocracy in the military. I don’t know about the existence of it in the past (it could’ve been just as strong but not as noticeable). My dad flew F-16s for 20 years. In the 80s he said everything was great. In the 90s he said it got really political. It seems like the army has the stupidest command for some reason. I would be interested to know what “all the way to the Bush white house” means. Or if this is just some silly back hand attempt to attack Bush again because its so en vogue.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
SafetyDan
No argument from me. I agree with you, though I’ve spent 24 months trying to kill TB/AQA/HIG/etc… in afghanistan and 12 in IZ trying to get the AQI/Fedayeen/fuckfaces/etc…. Their ideologies blend together, but at the end of the day, they all agree on one thing: They don’t want us over there unless we are giving them money. We need more thinkers like you who can actually figure out how to implement your ideas and less of our guys dying.
I’m just fucking tired of it so now I try to make fun of it. I like to use the Raider analogy because in Afghanistan there are roughly 32 tribes, all vying for US dollars. It’s easy to dumb it down by telling people that Karzai (Tom Cable) is a Populzai (Raider) while Ahmad Zia Massoud (McDaniels) is an Abdali (Bronco). Or something like that…
October 14th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Thanks for this, Drew. I read this a few weeks ago and thought it was outstanding, if a little slow at the beginning (I liked all the Afghanistan history and accounts of other friendly fire instances, but I didn’t need to 10 pages on the time Tillman jumped off a cliff into a river). It’s a horrible story that makes me angry every time I think about it, but the story NEEDS to be known.
For those who don’t have the time or stomach to read the full Krakauer book (though I fully recommend it), Gary Smith’s piece in SI a few years ago was equally haunting and outstanding:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108561/index.htm
October 14th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
@ safetydan, sorry for your loss, and yes, you are right, kill their message, win the war.
Of course, I say this as a Colombian who lost an uncle to the guerillas, so allow me to add that killing the message takes time and a lot of blood and even more money due to the fact that the message is even more appealing to the poor and uneducated. Took Colombia 50 years and countless lives to get there.
I watched “Obama’s War” last night on PBS, and apart from thinking it should have been called “The Longest War”, I learned that Afghanistan and Pakistan are one million miles away from where we need them to be before we can ever claim to be close to winning that war. It depressed me terribly.
As for this book, Drew, I will purchase it tonight (along with a copy of yours) and will save it in my library so that my boys can learn about Tillman, war, and what happens when pride and ego overtake brotherhood and honor. My sincerest thanks.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
And supposedly, the military has met all its recruiting goals for the first year in 35 years. Nothing like a shitty-ass economy to make getting shot at or blown up look not so bad by comparison.
So much so that this year the military reversed the Bush administration’s decision to let in people with criminal records, histories of drug abuse, and/or no high school diploma.
Dean Wormer would have been so sad to see that “drunk and stupid” were now legitimate ways to go through life. Still no fatties, though.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
and the vehicle couldn’t be airlifted out of the wilderness via helicopter because most of the Army’s helicopters were being used in Iraq, and the Army required four days notice to send one out in Afghanistan
It’s amazing to read that. I was certainly for the Afghan invasion, as my office was blown to shit by an airplane one Tuesday morning in September. Going into Iraq was always folly, and it is things like this that make it more apparent. For those who serve, thank you. This is what the Iraq invasion truly wrought. And now more soldiers are being killed, because we never had the opportunity to finish the job. Sorry, no dick joke.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Great review, big man. Powerful, powerful stuff, and I will definitely be getting this one. And, truer words have not been spoken: “It makes you wonder if Tillman died not for his country, but for his government. Only the former is worth dying for.”
October 14th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
In a realted topic, but different storyline, I’ve started the beginning of “The Good Soliders” by David Finkel and it has me deeply engrossed in the characters and realities of the environment. For someone who is interested in the current goings on overseas, and not necessarily just on Tillman (as sad and remarkable as his story is), I’d recommend this to the top of books in this genre.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Nothing to offer here aside from: this is probably the coolest handling of a potentially disastrous subject I have ever seen in a comments section. Kudos to all.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
What Les Miles is to in-game strategy and clock management, George W. Bush and the US Armed Forces are to waging a successful war with logical, achievable goals.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Drew,
This is why you’re my favorite KSKontributor and not just because we share a deep love for the Vikings (minus Britfar). I share your anger and your tears over Tillman’s plight and I find your thoughts on the situation and the book appropriate and compelling.
I still can’t read the account of Tillman’s horrible death without tears.
/sniff
October 14th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
@Desean. Right on. I was taking exception to the idea that there was no emphasis on maneuverability in the entire military. I concede that it is wholly within the realm of possibility that the US Army, if only in part, is run by sticks in the mud.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Honestly, beyond the fact he played for the Cardinals and died during service, I knew nothing about Pat Tillman and that story was so damn sad I almost want to cry. And by this point, the news of a soldier dying in the Middle East doesn’t affect me at all because I’m so desensitised to it thanks to the steady stream of casualties. I supported the war in Afghanistan originally, didn’t support the invasion of Iraq and became more jaded about it ever since, so the news Gordon Brown is sending over more soldiers is nothing short of fucking criminal and a sign that somehow, George Bush still has too much influence over what my country does. Fuck the whole thing.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Very nice work BDD. I have a question for the commentariat.
Why do we (the general public) feel entitiled to an explanation of how Pat Tillman died? Granted the US Army should NOT have lied. But why as a society have we come to believe that we have a right to understand everything about situations that we feel we have a vested interest in? Shouldn’t a public announcement such as “Pat Tillman died in combat operations in Afghanistan” been sufficient?
In my opinion, this information overload is akin to gawking at a car accident or wanting to know what Brittney Spears feeds her kids. Is this Krakauer guy any different than Harvey Levin?
October 14th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
English Jay – I would argue that your boys’ sacrifices are not for naught. I firmly believe that having functioning democracies on either flank of Iran is what caused the upheaval in that country this summer and may have sewn a seed for moderation in the future.
Whether it comes before Israel has to bomb the hell out of Iran’s nukes and the unknown fallout that will result, we will see. But it is an attempt at a better solution to the Iranian problem IMO.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Lost:
When we send the Army in your name and mine to Afghanistan and things go wrong in our Army, we the people are entitled to an explanation of how and why our Army fucked up. I know idealism ain’t huge at KSK, but the whole “of, by, and for the people” thing is the answer to your question. We don’t feel have a vested in the armed forces. We /do/ have a vested interest in the armed forces. They are ours, literally yours and mine and every other Americans, and we are entitled to explanations when they fuck up.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
@ Lost in the Office: I don’t know that the public necessarily deserves an answer in the specific instance of a given soldier (though my tax dollars mean I have an ownership stake whether I want it or not), but in the specific instances of Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch (thanks TSW), the military and/or government sold those people as heroes. Moreover, sold them as heroes based on stories that were both cases demonstrably untrue and in one case, a shameful example of ass-covering. So, if the government is going to tell me that Pat Tillman = Steve Rogers, I damn well expect an explanation when that story turns out to be false.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Pick up a damn newspaper sometime and read something other than the sports section. You just may find there are a hell of senseless non-combat-related deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan like drowning, in addition to the many other senseless combat-related deaths. Although Tillman’s story is sad and unfortunate, he is a Ranger. His career in the US had no importance once he chose to put on that Army uniform, so let’s stop focusing on him as a hero, any more than any other man or woman in the uniform of one of our Armed Services.
Go read “Final Salute” by Jim Sheeler if you really want to read a cross-section of American military families impacted by war.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
“It makes you wonder if Tillman died not for his country, but for his government. Only the former is worth dying for.”
Good read BDD
SI did an article on Tillman several years ago that was very good for those interested:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108561/index.htm
October 14th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Simpler answer to “Lost”: it was Tillman’s parents who felt entitled to know. Everything has followed from their efforts at overturning the lies about how their son died.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
It’s incredible to me that this guy passed on millions of dollars and stardom in the NFL and in return he’s killed by fellow americans and then his own government lies about it to his family.
I hope his brother made it out alive.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
“You just may find there are a hell of senseless non-combat-related deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan like drowning, in addition to the many other senseless combat-related deaths.”
Kristen, that point is made abundantly clear in the post. If you’re going to pop off in the comments on your first visit to the site, at least read the post first.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Sorry about the double post, but to Lost in the Office: my problem is more with the Tillman family being lied to, than the public. In addition, the very war he was fighting in was started over lies, so that further complicates the issue and makes alot of people angry about it.
And to Kristen- Trying to downplay the Significance of Tillman’s service is definitely a futile effort. He’s on this blog because he was a great player in the NFL, and most of us are just paying respect, no need to get in the way of that.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I agree with Lost in Office. I’ve been to Iran; the current administration has no idea what sort of culture they are dealing with. The degree of lying and misdirection is breathtaking and the sort of thing that Bush conspiracy theorists wish they would stumble upon. Except in this case it’s actually real and actually a year away from functioning nuclear weapons.
Tillman’s loss was ghastly and senseless. Unfortunately, you can’t sit back and play missile command against people who don’t value their own lives. Eventually one of them will get through. So the question is, where do we go from here?
@cobracommander – My job has taken me to Columbia as well. It’s a much nicer country now thanks to the sacrifices of untold scores of men and women. God bless your uncle.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I’m not sure I agree that it’s our place to be forcing democracy on the world. Sure, it sounds like Iraq is better off now. But I don’t like the feeling I get that we’re just an imperialistic nation bent on converting the world to democracy. Maybe we should just mind our own business. “Peace, commerce and honest friendships with all nations; Entangling alliances with none.”
October 14th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Cover 0 – great points.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Great post. I’m glad that the truth is getting out & I will probably read this book. War is never pretty, & things almost never go as planned. As one who was fortunate enough to have served during the relatively peaceful late ’90s, I never saw an actual battlefield- but even in our training it was apparent how quickly things can go to shit… with friendly fire incidents being an unfortunate inevitability. Your only hope is that those that are charged with leading/organizing your movements are doing so with clear, tactically-inclined intentions. That didn’t seem to be the case here, & the those involved in this cover-up should be taken to task.
At the same time, we should be careful not to paint the entire military with the same broad brush as a result of negative incidents that are brought to light (I’m certainly not accusing Drew of this… but some responses have bordered on doing so). It’s important to remember that the cover-ups & less honorable actions of some of our servicemen & women are most likely the exception rather than the rule when it comes to military behavior. I know many soldiers that have served in both Iraq & Afghanistan (including one of my best friends, who just returned from Iraq for his THIRD tour), & while they certainly wouldn’t describe their experiences in 110+ degree weather as pleasant, most of them believed in their mission & had positive stories to tell. When fellow citizens volunteer to risk their lives in service to our country, they & their families deserve much better than what is described in this account of Tillman’s death… let’s just make sure we don’t allow ourselves to further dishonor their service or belittle their contribution by lumping them in with some of their less-than-honorable superiors.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
@Skylar
Thankfully Kevin Tillman is still alive. I’m unsure whether he’s still an Army Ranger though.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
This story first came out around May of 2008.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
@Rocco – you’re absolutely right that there is an element of cultural imperialism, and it sucks. Part of that, though, is that this is actually the best thing to do, both for ourselves and for the region, and I’m not just being a dick. Historically, democracies don’t attack other democracies (and I’m not talking here totalitarian regimes that come to power through rigged elections – I’m talking true, functional representative democracies). So given that these countries aren’t even close to true democracy, as Iran just proved, do we just wait until an attack is initiated to punch back? Cover 0 is right – these fuckers declared war on us years ago. We didn’t listen until 9-11. Do we have a duty to be proactive, or do we have to wait until they do something to us?
October 14th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Want more indictment of the Army? Read “Jawbreaker”, by Gary Berntsen, the CIA’s field commander in Afghanistan in the weeks immediately following 9/11. He lays the blame for allowing Bin Laden to escape (and the subsequent years of war that resulted) squarely on the Army’s shoulders, for a misread of the situation and a refusal to commit needed special forces troops to nab AQ leadership at a pivotal moment. It’s a quick read, and certainly not without bias, but worth picking up if you are interested in sorting out why we’re in Afghanistan, and whether we should stay.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Saudi Arabia is a haven of stability in the Middle East and it isn’t exactly a “true, functional representative democracy.” Right now I’d settle for a stable, Taliban-free Afghan state, electoral college or not.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
@ Tracer Bullet As I said I agree the family had a right to know, but this book, is pure voyeurism. IMO the true Pat Tillman story is about what he gave up for his country and why, as well as the cost that he eventually paid for his patriotism. The minutiae about whose fault his death was was is unimportant in his legacy or “Odyssey” as the autho puts it.
@ Skylar He died in Afghanistan, not Iraq, which people commonly refer to as started over “lies”. I assume you just misspoke.
@Joe Cane – Saudi Arabia is a “haven of stability” because of its oppressive regime and US financial and military support, not because its people are inherently happy. As for Tim’s comment, I think Hitler came to power through a true election, but I do understand your point. Generally, democracies are more open to new ideas and other people’s viewpoints which makes them less likely to attack others. This would also make them more tolerant of other people’s religious viewpoints which is the main problem gripping the Middle East.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
@Joe Kane: And no one would refer to the Afghan elections that just took place as democratic.
The biggest problem with the hawkish approach is the same one that screws efforts in drug eradication in Latin America. When you squeeze one part of the balloon, through troop surges in Afghanistan or aerial eradication in Colombia, it may make the localized problem better but just pushes the feared issue (terror/drugs) somerwhere else.
The way to end that cycle as has been mentioned above, is to take away the underlying cause of support for the groups we want to get rid of. In South America, that would mean supporting alternative crops and land reform; in Central Asia, as in Iraq, most people want legitimate jobs and safety more than they want to paid to plant bombs and take potshots at the largest army on Earth. Actually improve people lives with direct investment (instead of funneling money through five layers of corrupt officials and murderous warlords), and the Taliban’s support starts to dry up, and limited military action starts to make an impact.
Just slugging away at the mercury and watching it spread around is more costly and deadly over the long run.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
@ Lost: If by “voyeurism” you mean “illustrating a serious and wide-ranging problem by going into detail about one specific example”, then yeah. Also, Tillman himself was conflicted about the worthiness of the missions he carried out… in my opinion, the book does us a valuable service by illustrating the complexity of the man’s beliefs in light of his sacrifice rather than painting them with a one-hued brush of patriotism.
October 14th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
The minutiae about whose fault his death was was is unimportant in his legacy or “Odyssey” as the author puts it.
In the good Ol USA, the military is subordinate to civilian leadership. And civilian leadership is subordinate to the whims of the voters. That is, the people. So in a way we are all generals. And as a general of the US Army, I want to be really sure that my people are doing their jobs correctly and not running around killing each other. Because if they are, I can’t be sure, but something might be wrong. And if something’s wrong, we should probably correct it, no? But, obviously, I live in a fantasy world, so never you mind my unhinged rantings.
October 14th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
@ Lost in the Office – the details of Pat Tillman’s death sure as hell are important, because of the way his death was used to sell the war in Iraq (even though Tillman died in Afghanistan), and the lies told by everyone up the chain in order to use Tillman’s death as a propoganda tool.
Tillman’s legacy isn’t just who he was (though I submit the fact that he was used as a symbol in clear contravention of his wishes on the subject is a big damn part of his legacy). Everyone who knew what had happened (fratricide) but decided to sell Tillman’s death as caused by the Taliban (up to and including the current commander in Afghanistan, McChrystal) is guilty of knowingly and cravenly perverting the man’s life and memory for their own selfish purposes.
It’s why I can’t trust a fucking word out of McChrystal’s mouth, and why I think he and everyone else who knew and did nothing about the selling of Tillman’s death ought to get thrown out of command. Yes, McChrystal’s got a fantastic resume. But what we’re talking about here isn’t a simple mistake – it’s cold, calculated and reprehensible.
October 14th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Man, and today is the day that I started filling out paperwork for a 2-year scholarship for the ROTC.
Drew, that quote about dying for your country and not the government, right on man. Hit the god damned nail on the head.
/Figured I’d join up before they drafted me
//RIP Pat Tillman
October 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Bloody ‘ell. Powerful read. Kind of puts our lives into perspective doesn’t it?
Also, think I’ll have to disagree with you there Lost in the Office.
I lived in Saudi Arabia for 2 years, my mother has lived there for 10 years (we are both from Canada). While they do receive US support, they are a very proud and happy people. They take pride in the Royal family and as one shop keeper I spoke with alluded to, the Royal Family are perceived kind of like “caretakers” of Mecca.
They view American influence as necessary, but also get a bit of a kick out of it because they get rich and have higher life expectancy and free medicare basically due to the US’s need for oil. The Saudi “regime” isn’t oppressive in any form, as a matter of fact they’re amongst the most progressive in the region (they just put their first Dressing Room in a clothing store for example – normally banned under Islamic law).
Don’t confuse different value systems with oppression. While I don’t agree with all their laws (I used to see public executions, women can’t even have their hair showing, alcohol is banned, etc.) they do have less crime, less murder, less rape and think that Americans are slipping towards Gamorrah while they stay the course towards Righteousness.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Tough read, brings up some serious internet shit and all that … but I also find it hard to read all of these when the people posting these serious comments go by “john madden’s used condom” “hardaway hates you” “hot carl monday” “purple jesus diaries” and so forth.
That part makes me smile. BDDs review makes me want to do exactly what he said, punch a wall.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
First time commenting here. As good as this review was, you all have to read this book. I started reading it after dinner one night, and did not put it down until I finished it at two in the morning. It is a gripping read, Tillman was a hero, no more so than any one else who sacrifices to joi the military, but a hero all the same.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
“Don’t confuse different value systems with oppression.”
Exactly – whatever makes the Saudis/Afghans happy and creates stability. Time for some dick jokes around here.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
@ Lost in the Office
You cannot be serious
Semper Fi
October 14th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
It is a damn shame. The Soviets had the right idea, let’s bring everyone home.
October 14th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
@Lost in the office – Misspoke indeed. Thanks for the way you handled it.
October 14th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
I know this is minutia, but the statement that Hitler “came to power through a true election” (@ Lost in the Office) is inaccurate (as argued by Ian Kershaw _Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris_). Further, the statement “Historically, democracies don’t attack other democracies” (Tim the Enchanter) is incorrect. Democracies have indeed attacked each other. Germany, France, and Britain were all democracies at the start of World War I. Yeah, I know, I can’t help myself.
October 14th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
The Army looks a lot better as an abstraction: selfless, noble and brave. That’s what attracts the Pat Tillmans. Up close, it’s petty and bureaucratic and it too often blindly rewards schemers and egomaniacs. It beats you down. It wears you out. But let’s not pretend that it’s just like your office. It’s not.
I love the Army and hate the Army. It’s impossible to explain what it demands of you to an outsider. The intellectual, physical and emotional pressure the Army places on leaders is simply crushing. When guys get killed it fucking sucks. There are no words.
People sitting on the sidelines and complaining about how dumb the Army is makes me furious. I know it shouldn’t. But it does. We know our shortcomings and failures better than anyone.
The Army is imperfect, mostly brave, sometimes stupid but led overwhelmingly by decent men doing their level best to accomplish their mission and do right by their soldiers. Every single day.
October 14th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Absolutely brilliant review. I will pick this book up at the end of the semester.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
ryan26:
Amen, brutha. They think they know, but they don’t know. And they’d damned sure never bother to find out for themselves.
Just keep your head up and drive on.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
I was going to go with Peter Kings book as a read that would just make me angry at a waste of a human being, but this sounds like it will nake me angry at the waste of a human being
October 14th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
This story makes me want to vomit. I participated in the run/walk that happens down in Tempe to honor the guy. What a guy and what a damn waste.
/heads for a scotch
October 15th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Beautiful last line.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I’m usually too bust laughing at Drew’s stuff to realize how good of a writer he actually is. Dude can write. Excellent post.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
@Tim: Ideally, I’d prefer that we were able to prevent or defend any attacks. That not being the case, or very practical, I think our “punch” back was misguided and poorly executed. Where have we gotten in 8 years? I’d rather see an effective use of the intelligence community and assasinations of terrorist leaders.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
@Rocco: I would be inclined to agree with you if such a use of our intelligence community ever had a snowball’s chance in Hell of being authorized for something like that. Unfortunately, it was decided long ago that “good guys don’t need spies” & that we must abide by certain rules even when enemy combatants do not even consider doing so. Once upon a time, our government was able to protect it’s citizenry with impunity, but now we have an overbearing media- with 24-hour news coverage- that is constantly craving the next scandal. I’m not saying that the old way was right or wrong (there should be a happy medium in there somewhere)… just that the type of operation that you mention would never be allowed to occur in the current climate.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
@ryan26, I just read desean’s post and was about to explode in a string of profanity toward an idiot who clearly has no clue about the Army or any other military, when I saw you said it better.
Yes, there’s petty bureaucracy, and yes, we could improve, but we’re head and shoulders above any other Army in the world.
October 15th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
@Mike D,
Where were most of the 9/11 hijackers from? What’s the unemployment rate amongst under-30 males in Saudi Arabia?
The answers to the two questions are most definitely related. “Proud and happy” might be a bit of a stretch.
October 16th, 2009 at 12:18 am
New visitor, and I don’t usually like to post until I’ve been around awhile. However, I wanted to say how amazed I am that an anonymous comment board has managed to stay civil and intelligent despite conflicting viewpoints. That is absolutely commendable, especially compared to most of the mindless bullshit that gets tossed around the internet.
As far as the debate over spreading democracy, I’d like to make one point. While it is a noble cause, we need to also look at the actions we’ve historically taken against legitimate democracies when they elect someone not to our liking. If we’re going to champion the cause of freedom, then we have to be willing to truly grant it whether we like the results or not.
October 16th, 2009 at 4:43 am
FF happens, it’s war. Tillman’s death was covered up because he was famous, not because it was FF. The only thing worth dying for is what you believe. Tillman believed.
October 16th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Thanks for the great review. I was watching a terrific special the other day on the final combat deaths of WW1. It was unique since almost the entire front knew that at 11:00 AM on 11/NOV the fighting would be over. They chronicled the poor bastards that were killed just minutes before the armistice. What amazed me was that there were 10,000+ causalties and almost 3,000 KIA that morning alone and that General John Pershing was solely responsible for sending American’s to their deaths by ordering his commanders to continue attacking until 11:00. The Army has been led by over zealous career minded assholes for a long time and apparently nothing has changed.
October 26th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
I couldn’t get past the first 50 pages. I guess I cannot stand the hero hype and adoration Krakauer and many many others bestow upon manly men, you know, the square jaw Adonis with, can you believe it, humility,too? Hoorah for our side and I thank you for your service. I personally don’t need another gas station, strip mall, 12 mpg Navigator, decaying paved street, called American progress, that is best served and protected by Heros with balls, thank you. I can’t even get to work 10 miles away safely on anything weighing less than 4000 lbs. Oh, and at work I get to help patch up the day’s 15th traffic accident victim (without insurance) in a small US city, at only one of the several trauma centers. Buy GASOLINE America and don’t worry we’ll let MEN WITH BALLS go duke it out with them in the Middle and not so middle East.
Awwww, the military you signed up with won’t play fair? And war, a firefight ain’t like the movies and the football field. And folks over there are Fucking TOUGH in a way our 35% obese USA citizen is never going to be? And why are we there? Oh, yeah, I know why. Excuse me I need jump into my SUV to get a gallon of cheap beer and some cheese doodles (six blocks from my house) for the guys coming over to watch a football game on my big screen in my air conditioned house with overstuffed sofas for our fat asses.
Where exactly is this war and why is it being fought in Afghanistan?
December 25th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Pat was/is a friend. Krakauer does start off with a number of verbal knob-jobs that out do Ann Coulter’s manly man stuff. It was so think that it invoked the laugh – a head thrown back deep-throated roar gift from Pat. The biography of it all is from the widow’s point of view, incomplete and therefore inaccurate. IMHO, a portrait no better that the yarn DoD tried to spin.
The “friends” quoted were more hers than his. For example, there’s nothing from Jake Plummer except the eulogy. Pat was pretty tight with his former teammate. Too much like that is missing. I was interviewed but admit I had nothing super significant to offer. Pat was always more a Dude’s Dude than a former bad-boy “whipped” by the only girl he ever dated, as reported thru Krakauer. After reading an early draft of the book, the family decided not to participate, preferring to endorse Mom Mary’s “Boots on the Ground Before Dusk” instead. Krakauer’s skills do provide a better visual of the “event” than does Mary’s account.
What I love most about Pat is his honesty and integrity followed closely by his sense of adventure complete with a streak of mischief, non-malicious of course. There is no doubt that Pat was a patriot, feeling obligated to give back what our country, our system allowed him to achieve, aka rising NFL stardom, although fame and fortune were never a part of Pat’s motivation. He was an extraordinary ordinary guy who kept us smiling and wanting to know more about the world around us. I miss the late night esoteric conversations on existential matters like history, religion and politics. I feel blessed when allowed a dream in which we have a run together or some other sorted adventure.
BTW – Kevin is now married and intending to live privately ever after somewhere in Bay Area, California. After his military obligation, Kevin kicked in Europe, away from the glare, for about a year and then wrote a brilliant piece for “Truthdig” honoring Pat’s Birthday in 2006. It was reprinted, with permission, on my tribute page to Pat.
http://www.myspace.com/calabashe