http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601019_after_pats_birthday

After Pat’s Birthday

By Kevin Tillman
Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.

It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we get out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday.

Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,
Kevin Tillman

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I posted the entire article because it speaks to the thoughts and to the beliefs of so many of us, who have a major heartburn over the continued slaughter of our friends, neighbors , family members and former shipmates and fellow warriors. What I did not include, were the many comments that have been posted by the many people who have visited the site. You will see MY own addition to the commentaries if/when you visit the site.

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My response:
I can NOT add anything to Tillman's eloquent article NOR, will I try.

This article says what military and ex-military members feel about the President, his decisions, his failure to obey the law, his attack on our rights and freedoms, his unjustified war and the abrogation of the responsibilities of our elected leaders.

Republican excuse meisters beware ... there are many of us who intend to do our parts starting The Day After Pat’s Birthday.

It's too bad that sorry excuse for a President, isn't standing for election this time around ... we could make a complete sweep if he was.


And YES ... I have nothing but contempt for our dear President ... NO APOLOGIES FORTHCOMING.

It is NOT a case of hate (nor Presidential bashing), it is contempt for a President who has used his office to exact a personal revenge on a leader of a country who had NOT attacked us on 9/11, and who seemingly abandoned the search for the man who did.

It is a right of dissent, which has been paid for in the blood of patriots since the inception of Constitution of the United States.

Originally Posted by Chief Bones

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My response:
I can NOT add anything to Tillman's eloquent article NOR, will I try.

This article says what military and ex-military members feel about the President, his decisions, his failure to obey the law, his attack on our rights and freedoms, his unjustified war and the abrogation of the responsibilities of our elected leaders.

Republican excuse meisters beware ... there are many of us who intend to do our parts starting The Day After Pat’s Birthday.

It's too bad that sorry excuse for a President, isn't standing for election this time around ... we could make a complete sweep if he was.


And YES ... I have nothing but contempt for our dear President ... NO APOLOGIES FORTHCOMING.

It is NOT a case of hate (nor Presidential bashing), it is contempt for a President who has used his office to exact a personal revenge on a leader of a country who had NOT attacked us on 9/11, and who seemingly abandoned the search for the man who did.

It is a right of dissent, which has been paid for in the blood of patriots since the inception of Constitution of the United States.

I think that you might have many of your facts from unreliable sources.

Your continued bashing of the President is shameful in the least.

As stated you believe that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11. In the speech right after the attack the President said that if you harbor or provide support for the terrorists we will be coming. There WERE Al Queda training camps in Iraq, that is a well known fact. Funds from Saddam and/or his family were provided to Al Queda.

If you are going to hold the President in contempt, at least have your facts right. You have bought, in whole, the liberal bias that is presented on the airwaves and in the papers.

Shameful, just outright shameful that you cannot see what is fact and know that the media is lying to you more than any President in the countries history have lied.

Originally Posted by Senior Chief

I think that you might have many of your facts from unreliable sources.

Your continued bashing of the President is shameful in the least.

As stated you believe that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11. In the speech right after the attack the President said that if you harbor or provide support for the terrorists we will be coming. There WERE Al Queda training camps in Iraq, that is a well known fact. Funds from Saddam and/or his family were provided to Al Queda.

If you are going to hold the President in contempt, at least have your facts right. You have bought, in whole, the liberal bias that is presented on the airwaves and in the papers.

Shameful, just outright shameful that you cannot see what is fact and know that the media is lying to you more than any President in the countries history have lied.

Claims that Al Queda and Saddam were in some way cooperative have never been substantiated, although this has been researched by dozens of seperate commisions and departments. For an outline of each of these and their outcome: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_...ty_of_the_link.

The fact that there were terror camps in Iraq does not necisarily mean that there was cooperation or any kind of rapore between them. There was or is terrorist training going on in Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Isreal, America, and god knows how many other countries. This does not mean that all of them were willingly aiding terrorists, or that any kind of relationship existed or exists.

Originally Posted by WNxRogue

Claims that Al Queda and Saddam were in some way cooperative have never been substantiated, although this has been researched by dozens of seperate commisions and departments. For an outline of each of these and their outcome: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_...ty_of_the_link.

The fact that there were terror camps in Iraq does not necisarily mean that there was cooperation or any kind of rapore between them. There was or is terrorist training going on in Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Isreal, America, and god knows how many other countries. This does not mean that all of them were willingly aiding terrorists, or that any kind of relationship existed or exists.

According to the then classified messages I read when I was on active duty I differ with your "facts". Just for the record, my assignment was in Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection.

From what I've read first hand and what I've seen in the 20/20 hindsight revisionist history I believe what I read has more credibility.

Originally Posted by Senior Chief

According to the then classified messages I read when I was on active duty I differ with your "facts". Just for the record, my assignment was in Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection.

From what I've read first hand and what I've seen in the 20/20 hindsight revisionist history I believe what I read has more credibility.

With out direct knowlege of any "classified messages" we must base our statements on fact that has been released. And these "facts" have been researched by the CIA, FBI, 9/11 Commission, and other organizations. No offense to you personally, I would trust experts on anti-terrorism and its various facets, in at least 4 seperate government departments then "classified documents" done by who knows who.

All we can do is base information on what we know, and on documented fact. I can no more trust a few esoteric documents then I can someone writing their personal opinion.

Originally Posted by WNxRogue

With out direct knowlege of any "classified messages" we must base our statements on fact that has been released. And these "facts" have been researched by the CIA, FBI, 9/11 Commission, and other organizations. No offense to you personally, I would trust experts on anti-terrorism and its various facets, in at least 4 seperate government departments then "classified documents" done by who knows who.

All we can do is base information on what we know, and on documented fact. I can no more trust a few esoteric documents then I can someone writing their personal opinion.

How many documents are a few? I read hundreds of messages concerning the connections while involved during my period of service.

No offense to you, but your facts have been filtered through the media which makes it very suspect. I know of several occasions where the media reports do not match the actual documents they refer to.

As I said, revisionist history is not necessarily correct.

Originally Posted by Senior Chief

How many documents are a few? I read hundreds of messages concerning the connections while involved during my period of service.

No offense to you, but your facts have been filtered through the media which makes it very suspect. I know of several occasions where the media reports do not match the actual documents they refer to.

As I said, revisionist history is not necessarily correct.

This will be my last post on this subject, just due to the fact that this is an unalterable draw. I can not see the documents you are refering to, and have to deal with what I can see and hear.

These were not reports by the media, these were reports issued by government departments, off of documents and information gathered and deceminated in the government. Im not sure whether their conclusions included documents you were refering to, but if they do not have matching reports, then the intel condition of the US is much more grave then I could have possibly imagined.

This is not revisionist history, this is an honest evaluation of facts by the government, for government purposes.

People like this make me sick, it reminds me of just before the elections in '04 when Cindy Sheehan was getting all sorts of attention by the media. I turned to my mom and said (since at the time I was going to be heading off towards basic in a few months.) "Promise me that if I die you will NEVER try to use my death as a tool in a political campaign." This is not how I would want to be remembered, if I was to be remembered at all. I don't want people to remember me simply because my mother or brother kept invoking my name when speaking out for or against a war. If I die in the service of my country I want to be remembered for that reason and that reason only, not because someone kept using my name to get a little more attention for whatever they were preaching at the time.

BTW Chief, you talk a big game about getting Bush out of office if he were up for election, funny thing about that is I seem to recall hearing the same two years ago. The best part though is that from what I can see the same is going to happen in 2008. The Democrats couldn't put together a pair of candidates that could beat an un-popular Republican President so how do they hope to stand up to McCain and whomever he chooses as a running mate in two years? You should also amend your statement to "This article says what many military and ex-military members feel about the President." but not all since in the first reply to this article was from another (ex?)military member who clearly didn't share your opinion in its entirity if at all.

Uh, if they were classified messages, you're really not supposed to tell us about them, are you?

Anyways, I agree with Chief Bones. Pulling out now would be a disaster, but going into Iraq in the first place was one of the stupidest things this country has ever done, in my opinion.

Originally Posted by major liability

Uh, if they were classified messages, you're really not supposed to tell us about them, are you?

Anyways, I agree with Chief Bones. Pulling out now would be a disaster, but going into Iraq in the first place was one of the stupidest things this country has ever done, in my opinion.

UH, at that time classified. Since then they have been declassified, besides I'm not sure you could tag any specific message that I was referring to, classified or not.