Pat Tillman's Father To Army Investigator: 'F--- You... And Yours' (EXCLUSIVE)

[unhappycamper]

Pat Tillman's Father To Army Investigator: 'F--- You... And Yours' (EXCLUSIVE)
Sam Stein | [e-mail] | HuffPost Reporting
First Posted: 08-12-10 01:04 PM | Updated: 08-12-10 03:14 PM

There always was a dark cinematic thread to the story of Pat Tillman: the football star imbued with post-9/11 patriotism who was killed in a friendly-fire incident in the Afghan mountains and the allegations of a massive bureaucratic cover-up involving the highest levels of the U.S. Army in the wake of the tragedy.

So it wasn't terribly shocking when word broke this past winter that "The Tillman Story," a documentary film, was being purchased by the powerhouse Weinstein Company. The story, even without a director applying his artistic license to the script, obviously had many elements of a political thriller.

As the release date approaches -- the film will premiere in Los Angeles and New York on August 20 -- those elements are becoming a bit clearer and more intriguing. The Weinstein Company sent the Huffington Post two previously unseen letters written by Tillman's father at the peak of frustration with the army's investigation into his son's death. The notes, penned to Brigadier General Gary M. Jones (the man spearheading the investigation) as well as the Senate Armed Services Committee (which oversaw Jones's work), paint a picture of a man increasingly convinced that a massive conspiracy was emerging around the death of his son.

"You are a General," Tillman's father writes Jones after being presented with a briefing book of his findings. "There is no way a man like you, with your intelligence, education, military, experience, responsibilities (primarily for difficult situations), and rank... believes the conclusions reached in the March 31, 2005 Briefing Book. But your signature is on it. I assume, therefore, that you are part of this shameless bullshit. I embarrassed myself by treating you with respect March 31, 2005. I thought your rank deserved it and anticipated something different from the new and improved investigation. I won't act so hypocritically if we meet again."

"In sum: Fuck you... and yours."

[SpiralHawk]

1. Why did Republicons so pervert the truth about this honorable US Soldier?

What is it with Republicons that they would take an authentic American sports and military hero, and totally pervert and lie and twist the truth to their own narrow ends?

This is yet another huge ugly shame upon the Republicons and their Chickenhawk 'leaders'

[ThomCat]

2. Good for him.

For what they did to that family, that General needed to be told off. It's the very least that general deserved.

Unfortunately, I doubt the general cared very much. You don't get to a top rank in any huge organization with the ability to rationalize anything to suit the organization's needs, and the ability to ignore any criticism from the outside as the buzzing of gnats.

I wouldn't be surprised if this put the Tillman family on some kind of shit-list now though.

I've met very few people with authority who didn't enjoy using it against people they didn't like. Of course, putting people on a shit-list and targeting them just because you can involves a whole lot of rationalizing. People with authority always try to convince themselves that they didn't do anything wrong. There is always a good reason. There is always a justification. But, as I said above, you don't get that authority without being good at rationalizing.

I hope Mr. Tillman isn't connected to the military anymore, or to a military community. :(

[groovedaddy]

3. With all deference to Tillman's father, who doesn't know that the military lies?

I guess it's different when they're lying to your face, but anyone who met with a recruiter before enlisting has probably had the experience. When active conflicts are taking place, the pentagon lie factory is smoking 24x7.

[era veteran]

4. Spearheading the COVERUP

The asshole will probably get another star when he retires. Attention US Army officers, That is one of the reasons we (enlisted/NCO's) called you pigs. Hurry up and wait, for the next lie.