Tribute to a super hero
Jim Bramlett
Apr 23, 2004

 
Dear friends:

Every person who serves his country in combat is a hero.

Every person who dies in combat serving his country is a super-hero.

Pat Tillman was a super-hero. But he was also a very different kind of hero.

Pat was a star athlete who turned down a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL Arizona Cardinals to join the Army. After 9-11, he wanted to serve his country. Pat was an Army Ranger. He was killed in Afghanistan, officials said Friday. He was 27.

Although the military had not officially confirmed his death, the White House put out a statement of sympathy that praised Tillman as "an inspiration both on an off the football field."

Former Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis said he felt both overwhelming sorrow and tremendous pride in Tillman, who "represented all that was good in sports."

"Pat knew his purpose in life," McGinnis said. "He proudly walked away from a career in football to a greater calling."

Several of Tillman's friends have said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks influenced his decision to enlist.

Lt. Col. Matt Beevers, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Kabul, confirmed that a U.S. soldier was killed Thursday evening, but would not say whether it was Tillman.

He said the soldier died after a firefight with anti-coalition militia forces about 25 miles southwest of a U.S. military base at Khost, which has been the scene of frequent attacks.

Two other U.S. soldiers on the combat patrol were injured, and an Afghan soldier fighting alongside the Americans was killed.

Arizona Sen. John McCain noted that Tillman declined to speak publicly about his decision to put his National Football League career on hold.

"He viewed his decision as no more patriotic than that of his less fortunate, less renowned countrymen who loved our country enough to volunteer to defend her in a time of peril," McCain, a Republican, said in a statement.

Tillman played four seasons with the Cardinals before enlisting in the Army in May 2002. The safety turned down a three-year, $3.6 million deal from Arizona.

Pat was a very loyal person. Because of his loyalty to his team, he had previously turned down a $9 million offer from another team.

He made the decision to join the Army Rangers after returning from his honeymoon with his wife, Marie.

Tillman's brother, Kevin, a former minor league baseball prospect in the Cleveland Indians' organization, also joined the Rangers and served in the Middle East. They committed to three-year stints in the Army.

Pat had previously spoken about the freedoms of America, and his respect for the flag. He said that these freedoms did not come easily, that his grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, but that he had not done a thing. He wanted to make a contribution. He did.

Every time we exercise our freedoms, let us remember Pat Tillman, and the many like him.

Jim
 
 

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