Review of The Tillman Story (2010) by Nate H — 29 Mar 2011

This documentary evokes pretty strong emotions. I knew it would going in. Before watching, I wondered how reliable the evidence would be. The 9/11 conspiracy documentary is not uncompelling, but lacks hard evidence. Right off the bat, we're treated to first-hand accounts in the Tillman story. Still, this is a pointed documentary, and it's worth at least a reminder that the media and military were also able to spin a pretty clear and emotional picture with the information they provided. That said, let me preach on...

The entire Tillman family seems to be a pretty standup bunch. The stories about Pat make him seem pretty admirable. Richard's speech at the funeral is legendary. The family's handling of the manner is a lesson in patience. It's just hard not to take their side, especially when they do seem to have an abundance of evidence.

The circumstances of and following Tillman's death are just fucking catastrophic. A certain leighway can be granted, I think, to the soldiers doing the firing. Probably it was a mess. But the handling afterward shows the military and government for what it is. Keep in mind, this is not a one-time case, it just happens to be one of the highest profile cases out there.

In a time where the American public is not even allowed to see flag-covered coffins out of respect of "privacy" for the dead, Tillman's death was a tool from the moment it happened. Media camped out on his lawn. The huge, televised memorial service featuring prominent public and media figures who did not even know him. Among the most disgusting parts of this are the wishes Tillman gave his wife before leaving: if he died, he did not want a full military ceremony because he feared it could be used as a tool. Holy shit that is profound. And the very organization (the military) who was supposed to offer support and comfort to Tillman's wife tried to get her to abandon his wishes for its own good.

It just goes on and on. Three thousand pages seems a bit extreme in the way of investigation. Do all soldiers get that treatment? Army of one? Granted, it was a high profile case, but listen to the fucking soldiers on the ground: Tillman was hit by friendly fire. End of story. Only by making this heroic war story, quite similar to that of Jessica Lynch, was all that paperwork necessary. And it's all a lie anyway.

Anyone who follows these things knows what a piece of lying shit our government is. Rarely is the case laid out so clearly as in the Tillman case, where the papertrail eventually reaches the highest levels of the military and government. Their response: deny deny deny. At the end of the congressional hearing, Rumsfeld not only fudges in the way only he can (and the generals subsequently do the same), but he cannot even wait until he's out of the room before he is back to smiling and politicking. Fucking disgraceful.

Tillman wasn't the first and certainly will not be the last soldier to die from friendly fire. Nor will his coverup be the last. This case just serves as some of the best evidence that our government and puppy media are full of shit. The media helped push the story of the hero and promote the war, but the media also broke it open at the end. But the unknown guy who leaked the papers presumably broke some laws. Lying at will to create a story is perfectly legal. Telling the truth is sometimes not. There's something really wrong with that system.