HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN: MEMORIAL DAY 05
2 SAMUEL 1: 17-27
MAY 29, 2005 MEMORIAL DAY
INTRODUCTION: The Tillman Scandal By Greg Mitchell, Editor & Publisher
Posted on May 25, 2005, Printed on May 25, 2005 http://www.alternet.org/story/22089/
Where, in the week after the Great Newsweek Error, is the comparable outrage in the press, in the blogosphere, and at the White House over the military’s outright lying in the coverup of the death of former NFL star Pat Tillman? Where are the calls for apologies to the public and the firing of those responsible? Who is demanding that the Pentagon’s word should never be trusted unless backed up by numerous named and credible sources?
Where is a Scott McClellan lecture on ethics and credibility?
The Tillman scandal is back in the news thanks not to the military coming clean but because of a newspaper account. Ironically, the newspaper in question, The Washington Post -- which has taken the lead on this story since last December -- is corporate big brother to Newsweek.
The Post’s Josh White reported this week that Tillman’s parents are now ripping the Army, saying that the military’s investigations into their son’s 2004 "friendly fire" death in Afghanistan was a sham based on "lies" and that the Army cover-up made it harder for them to deal with their loss. They are speaking out now because they have finally had a chance to look at the full records of the military probe.
"Tillman’s mother and father said in interviews that they believe the military and the government created a heroic tale about how their son died to foster a patriotic response across the country," White reported.
Tillman was killed in a barrage of gunfire from his own men, mistaken for the enemy on a hillside near the Pakistan border. "Immediately," the Post reported, "the Army kept the soldiers on the ground quiet and told Tillman’s family and the public that he was killed by enemy fire while storming a hill, barking orders to his fellow Rangers." Tillman posthumously received the Silver Star for his "actions."
The latest military investigation, exposed by the Post earlier this month, "showed that soldiers in Afghanistan knew almost immediately that they had killed Tillman by mistake in what they believed was a firefight with enemies on a tight canyon road. The investigation also revealed that soldiers later burned Tillman’s uniform and body armor."
It is worth looking back at how Steve Coll of the Washington Post last December described the early weeks of the Pentagon spin on Tillman:
"Just days after Pat Tillman died from friendly fire on a desolate ridge in southeastern Afghanistan," Coll wrote, "the U.S. Army Special Operations Command released a brief account of his last moments.
"The April 30, 2004, statement awarded Tillman a posthumous Silver Star for combat valor and described how a section of his Ranger platoon came under attack.
"’He ordered his team to dismount and then maneuvered the Rangers up a hill near the enemy’s location,’ the release said. ’As they crested the hill, Tillman directed his team into firing positions and personally provided suppressive fire. ... Tillman’s voice was heard issuing commands to take the fight to the enemy forces.’
"It was a stirring tale and fitting eulogy for the Army’s most famous volunteer in the war on terrorism, a charismatic former pro football star whose reticence, courage and handsome beret-draped face captured for many Americans the best aspects of the country’s post-Sept. 11 character.
"It was also a distorted and incomplete narrative, according to dozens of internal Army documents obtained by The Washington Post that describe Tillman’s death by fratricide after a chain of botched communications, a misguided order to divide his platoon over the objection of its leader and undisciplined firing by fellow Rangers.
"The Army’s public release made no mention of friendly fire, even though at the time it was issued, investigators in Afghanistan had already taken at least 14 sworn statements from Tillman’s platoon members that made clear the true causes of his death.
"But the Army’s published account not only withheld all evidence of fratricide, but also exaggerated Tillman’s role and stripped his actions of their context. ... The Army’s April 30 news release was just one episode in a broader Army effort to manage the uncomfortable facts of Pat Tillman’s death, according to internal records and interviews."
Greg Mitchell (gmitchell@editorandpublisher.com) is the editor of E&P and the author of seven books on history and politics.
© 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/22089/
TRANSITION THOUGHT: This weekend is all about Celebrating Memorial day, But many don’t know what it is or why it is, they just know they get a day off. Here is a little History: Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860’s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. General John A. Logan Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states.
The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
Now, what does the story of Pat Tillman and the truth of Memorial day have to do with our text and a day of worship? I am so glad you asked! As you think back about the text read, is it not obvious? David lamented those fallen in battle with a great cry of honor: “How the mighty have fallen!” Today we celebrate that for our nation and for our freedom, THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN! And because they did, we enjoy a Nation like no other! Today let us remember How the Mighty Have Fallen and learn together from God’s word what this means to our lives.
THESIS SENTENCE: MEMORIAL DAY IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE AND MOURN THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR FREEDOM!
THE STORY OF THE MIGHTY ONES IS A SPECIFIC LAMENT VV. 17-19
A NATIONAL TRAGEDY HAS TAKEN PLACE: THE KING AND HIS SONS HAVE DIED IN BATTLE!
THE NATION MUST KNOW AND REMEMBER: AN ORDER IS GIVEN V. 18! ALL ARE CALLED TOGETHER TO MOURN!
THE STORY OF THE MIGHTY ONES IS NOT FOR THE ENEMY V. 20-21
OUR LOSS IS THEIR VICTORY
OUR MOURNING IS THEIR CELEBRATION
OUR LOSS MUST NOT BE KNOWN BY OUR ENEMY
OUR PAIN MUST BE THEIR CURSE: THEIR LAND IS DEFILED!
THE STORY OF THE MIGHTY ONES IS A VICTORIOUS PAST VV. 22-24
OUR LEADERS WERE VICTORIOUS IN BATTLE! V. 22
OUR LEADERS WERE LOVED!
OUR LEADERS WERE STRONG!
OUR LEADERS BROUGHT PROSPERITY!
THE STORY OF THE MIGHTY ONES IS A PERSONAL LOSS VV. 25-27
PERSONAL LOSS IS REALIZATION: HE IS GONE! V. 25
PERSONAL LOSS IS A SHARED PAST: MEMORIES! V. 26
PERSONAL LOSS IS CLEAR RECOGNITION: THESE DESERVE TO BE REMEMBERED! V. 27
THESE MEN WERE OUR LEADERS/OUR WEAPONS OF WAR!
THE REST OF THE STORY: Ex-Cardinal Tillman killed in Afghanistan NFL.com wire reports Remembering Pat Tillman WASHINGTON (April 23, 2004) -- Pat Tillman walked away from millions in the NFL to fight for his country in Afghanistan.
He paid with his life. The former Arizona Cardinals safety was killed Thursday night in a firefight while on combat patrol with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan. He was 27.
Statement from NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue: "Pat Tillman personified all the best values of his country and the NFL. He was an achiever and leader on many levels who always put his team, his community, and his country ahead of his personal interests. Like other men and women protecting our freedom around the world, Pat made the ultimate sacrifice and gave his life in the service of our country. We are deeply saddened by his loss and, on behalf of everyone in the NFL, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Tillman family."
"He is a hero," Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwill said. "He was a brave man. There are very few people who have the courage to do what he did, the courage to walk away from a professional sports career and make the ultimate sacrifice."
Lt. Col. Matt Beevers, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Kabul, said a soldier was killed by anti-coalition militia forces about 25 miles from a U.S. military base at Khost, the site of frequent attacks.
A military official at the Pentagon confirmed it was Tillman, and the White House praised him as "an inspiration both on and off the football field."
Tillman was an overachiever as an athlete. Too slow to be a great safety, too small for an NFL linebacker, he got by on toughness and effort.
Those attributes undoubtedly served him well in the Army Rangers, the elite force he joined in May 2002 after abandoning his career with the Cardinals. He moved from a violent game to the reality of war.
"Pat Tillman personified all the best values of his country and the NFL," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. "He was an achiever and leader on many levels who always put his team, his community, and his country ahead of his personal interests."
Pat Tillman’s best season was in 2000 when he started all 16 games and had 224 tackles.
Tillman was the first NFL player killed in combat since Buffalo offensive tackle Bob Kalsu died in the Vietnam War in July 1970. Nineteen NFL players were killed in World War II.
Denver quarterback Jake Plummer was a teammate of Tillman for seven years, three at Arizona State and four with the Cardinals.
"We lost a unique individual that touched the lives of many with his love for life, his toughness, his intellect," Plummer said in a statement released by the Broncos. "Pat Tillman lived life to the fullest and will be remembered forever in my heart and mind."
In college, Tillman was a long-haired wild man on the field, an All-Pac-10 linebacker always going full speed. Bone-jarring hits were his trademark.
He and Plummer led the Sun Devils to the 1997 Rose Bowl. The next season, Tillman was the Pac-10 defensive player of the year. He graduated summa cum laude in December 1997 with a marketing degree and a 3.84 grade-point average.
The Cardinals took Tillman in the seventh round of the 1998 draft, the 226th player chosen. At first, he made his mark on special teams but played his way into a starting spot at safety.
In 2000, he broke the franchise record for tackles with 223. He had 12 solo tackles, and a hand in 21 overall, in a 16-15 victory over Washington that season.
In practice, coaches often had to make Tillman slow down so he wouldn’t hurt anybody in drills that weren’t supposed to be full speed. Slowing down was always tough for him.
Before the 2000 season, he ran a marathon to see what it would be like. Before the 2001 season, he gave the triathlon a try.
Six months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Tillman walked into the office of then-coach Dave McGinnis, pulled up a chair and said, "Mac, we have to talk."
Tillman and his brother Kevin -- a minor league baseball player in the Cleveland organization -- were going to join the Army Rangers, soldiers sent where the fighting is toughest.
"It was his wish that this not be something that would draw a lot of attention," McGinnis said. "He truly felt committed and felt a sense of honor and duty at this point in his life that this is what he wanted to do."
Tillman never said a word publicly about his decision.
When he returned from his Middle East tour of duty, Tillman, his wife, Marie, and brother Kevin joined the Cardinals for a game in Seattle last December. They spent five hours in McGinnis’ hotel room the night before the game, talking.
"He was just so proud to be a member of the Rangers," McGinnis said. "That came through loud and clear."
Tillman turned down a more lucrative offer from the St. Louis Rams in 2001 to stay with the Cardinals. A year later, he walked away from a three-year, $3.6 million offer from Arizona to join the Army.
"What other person do you know who would give up a life in the NFL to defend what he believes in with his own life?" said former teammate David Barrett, now with the New York Jets. "That is a humble guy." AP NEWS The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2004, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
CONCLUSION: King David has taught us how to grieve and mourn the loss of National Heroes!! He has taught us to take the HIGH ROAD and not the low road. David could have legitimately revealed what kind of man the King of Israel had become. He could have told how this King sought to kill him! David could have shared the reality that Saul would not have had to die if He, David, was fighting at his side. BUT, David celebrated Saul and Jonathan! He celebrated Warriors who had lead and fought for their Nation. He celebrated the blessings that had come because these men had valiantly served. Because of them the Nation had experienced prosperity. And, in the end, David would not dishonor God’s anointed Leader, regardless of his past experiences.
Today, we celebrate, as we mourn, for those that Gave their lives valiantly in Death for our Country. Pat Tillman is an example of putting self last and our Nation, THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FIRST. YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING OUR NATION OR MILITARY DOES, but you cannot disagree with those who are willing to sacrifice themselves on our behalf.
MAY GOD BLESS THE MEMORY OF ALL OUR HONORED DEAD! HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN! MIGHTY THEY WERE!!
BENEDICTION: I TIMOTHY 1: 17
