There has been a lot of discussion about the fact that hero Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Witness, as one example, this piece, featuring the overwrought headline "Pat Tillman's Last Moments of Horror."
It's heartwrenching and horrible that any American soldier must die in battle -- especially by friendly fire. And if any of those responsible acted improperly, they should be called to account.
But there's one thing that bears remembering: Whether Pat Tillman was killed by a Taliban, Al Qaeda or mistakenly by an American, it makes the cause for which he died no less heroic. And it makes him no less heroic, and it makes our mission no less heroic. Yes, the MSM will attempt to undermine respect and support for our military efforts by playing up every misstep and every error; but the fact that there is sometimes incompetence or worse -- inevitable in almost any undertaking that involves vast collections of human beings -- should not dull the luster of the heroics that just as inevitably manifest themselves, as well.
We owe it to those putting their lives on the line to make sure that human error is minimized, and that those who are careless or worse are held accountable. But we also owe it to the men who die in the line of duty to remember why they died, not just how they died.
It's heartwrenching and horrible that any American soldier must die in battle -- especially by friendly fire. And if any of those responsible acted improperly, they should be called to account.
But there's one thing that bears remembering: Whether Pat Tillman was killed by a Taliban, Al Qaeda or mistakenly by an American, it makes the cause for which he died no less heroic. And it makes him no less heroic, and it makes our mission no less heroic. Yes, the MSM will attempt to undermine respect and support for our military efforts by playing up every misstep and every error; but the fact that there is sometimes incompetence or worse -- inevitable in almost any undertaking that involves vast collections of human beings -- should not dull the luster of the heroics that just as inevitably manifest themselves, as well.
We owe it to those putting their lives on the line to make sure that human error is minimized, and that those who are careless or worse are held accountable. But we also owe it to the men who die in the line of duty to remember why they died, not just how they died.
posted by LadybugUSA at 11:57 AM
1 Comments:
Heroism is, by definition, a matter of sacrifice. And Pat Tillman exemplifies this definition of heroism. Tillman gave up the cushy, pampered existence as a professional footbal player in order to give service to his country in a time of war. Tillman could have taken any of several hundred job titles within the Army, but he chose to be an infantryman, and then he went further and volunteered for Ranger training and a spot among the elite forces of the United States. To my mind, Pat Tillman was elite when he resigned his professional football career and signed on Uncle Sam's dotted line. Pat Tillman is a hero in any and every sense of the word. And so I offer Special Pat Tillman the greatest acclaim that I can -- HOOAH!
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