Part IV: Conclusion

Tillman death marred by Pentagon

First off, today is Memorial Day. To all you veterans out there and to all the families and friends who have lost loved ones to the military, thank you. Your sacrifice is part of what makes America the greatest nation on earth. I cannot thank you enough.

Let's get back to NFL-player-turned-true-American-hero Pat Tillman, for whom today is a great day to celebrate his life.

When all is said and done, the U.S. Army will have learned a hard knocks lesson in accountability because of Tillman's death - hopefully.

It's just too bad America had to lose a true hero - a person who turned down millions of dollars to enlist in the military after the Sept. 11 attacks - to learn the lesson.

Had it been a regular G.I. Joe who died by friendly fire that fateful day of April 22, 2004, the case would have been dropped three years ago.

But it wasn't your ordinary Joe.

It was Tillman - the hard-hitting Arizona Cardinal strong safety and 1997 Pac-10 defensive player of the year. And that's what makes this political issue relevant to sports fans.

Instead of being tossed aside like many deaths from America's current war on two fronts, Tillman's case is still a hot-button issue - for the sole reason of who he was. But you wouldn't know that because newspaper front sections believe current stories regarding Tillman are sports stories and sports sections can't find space to publish non-game-related stories.

So here I am.

There is no such thing as friendly fire. All bullets kill. The first WWII American deaths after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor were pilots shot down by fellow Americans while patrolling over the harbor on the evening of Dec. 7, 1941. There will always be cases of fratricide. On the individual level, war is chaos unfathomable to all who have not experienced it. But that does not give our government the right to disregard some evils and to cover up others.

To err is human.

The potentially promising aspect is that it could be an American sports icon that makes the difference in the United States having a more proficient military.

The trickle-down effect of Tillman's 27 years on earth should transcend time. The concept of honor, duty and country is eternal. That is why people should remain more moved by his story than by the Silver Star and Purple Heart awarded to him posthumously.

Tillman was a bulk of a man who protected the weak. When he was 17 years old, he was sent to juvenile detention for 30 days because he beat up somebody who was picking on and physically bullying a weaker person. He said he learned more from that experience than anything else he had in life.

That says a lot for a guy who read volume after volume of philosophy and loved to drink beer and talk about the meaning of life with others … The same guy who married his high school sweetheart … The same guy who went out of his way to say, "Hello" and ask "How are you?" and "Is there anything I can do for you?" to all the little people of the world on an everyday basis.

Perhaps we'll eventually know why Tillman died. He could single-handedly make a nation stronger if the Pentagon learns from its mistake. But, instead, we should remember what truly matters.

How he lived.

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Carl Hennell is a sports reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. He was a parachute infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division for three years. He can be reached at 758-4446 or by e-mail at chennell@dailyinterlake.com.