Eight months after the September 11 attacks,
Pat Tillman gave up his NFL career and $3.6 million to enlist in the United States Army, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tillman was killed on April 22, 2004.
Every year, on the anniversary of Tillman’s death, he’s rightly touted as a hero, but the fact that the former NFL safety was killed by his own men is tactfully omitted. Bleacher Report was one of many outlets to partake in avoiding mention of friendly fire in their tweet.
The army initially blamed enemy combatants for killing Tillman, who was shot in the head three times from close range. It was not until later that the government acknowledged friendly fire. Tillman’s widow and brother Kevin, who also enlisted in 2002, have spoken out against the politicized use of his image, noting the late veteran opposed the war.