Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman’s brother Kevin strongly challenged the government and the military in their statements yesterday before Henry Waxman’s congressional committee. Lynch made it clear that the narrative of her capture and rescue put out by the military was overblown (though we already knew that) but stopped short of offering speculation as to why the military would distort the truth.
Kevin Tillman, on the other hand, did not hold back.
Speaking publicly for the first time since his brother was killed in Afghanistan three years ago, Kevin Tillman told a congressional hearing that the Army and administration officials had exploited his brother’s death to divert attention from the detainee abuses at Abu Ghraib prison…
Kevin Tillman, who gave up a minor-league baseball career to enlist with his older brother after the 9/11 attacks and was nearby the day Pat Tillman was shot by fellow soldiers, said the military’s early, heroic depiction of his brother’s death was “utter fiction.”
“To our family and friends, it was a devastating loss. To the nation, it was a moment of disorientation. To the military, it was a nightmare,” Kevin Tillman said, his voice wavering with emotion. “But to others within the government, it appears to have been an opportunity. “
In his brother’s case, he charged that evidence had been destroyed, an autopsy did not conform to regulations and eyewitness testimony “disappeared into thin air.”
Here’s Kevin Tillman’s very moving and very damning opening statement.
And here’s a link to the story I believe provides the best taste of Pat Tillman’s unique personality and the clearest explanation of his death. It’s from Sports Illustrated‘s Gary Smith, possibly the best sports writer on the planet.
