Pat Tillman was a man not a pawn...

Pat Tillman's parents are angry, and with good reason. Loosing their son was hard enough for them to deal with, but discovering that the Army lied to them and created a false story about how their son died has been devistating for them.

The Washington Post interviewed both of his parents, who are divorced. As I started to read the article, it was obvious the claims the Army has made that they've given the family updates and information is not true. They still have many questions that have not been given answers and the men who killed Pat Tillman nor anyone that covered up the manner of his death been dealt with.

Perhaps it was merely an accident of friendly fire that could not have been avoided, however finding out that they burned his uniform and body armor after they killed him was upsetting. To do that shows that they were trying to cover something up immediately after his death. The idea that not only did his own men shoot him but took off his clothing after he was dead and burned it is shocking. The fact that the Army continued to cover this up and President Bush even made a taped comment about Tillman's bravery is a slap in the face to his parents. I have no way of knowing if President Bush knew Tillman was killed by his own men or nor, however it's obvious the Army knew.

"After it happened, all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script this," Patrick Tillman said. "They purposely interfered with the investigation, they covered it up. I think they thought they could control it, and they realized that their recruiting efforts were going to go to hell in a handbasket if the truth about his death got out. They blew up their poster boy."

Mary Tillman says the government used her son for weeks after his death, perpetuating an untrue story to capitalize on his altruism -- just as the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was erupting publicly. She said she was particularly offended when President Bush offered a taped memorial message to Tillman at a Cardinals football game shortly before the presidential election last fall. She again felt as though her son was being used, something he never would have wanted.

"Maybe lying's not a big deal anymore," he said. "Pat's dead, and this isn't going to bring him back. But these guys should have been held up to scrutiny, right up the chain of command, and no one has."

No, Mr. Tillman lying still is a big deal to some of us, and I am sorry that you not only lost your son but had to go thru this as well, it wasn't necessary and there is no excuse for it......