crowds gathered and politicians eulogized him as an american hero. service to his country was to remind us all what courage really looks like. reporter: his younger brother richard remembered him as his personal hero. he s a champion and always will be. reporter: tillman was awarded the silver star for, quote, gallantry against the enemy of the united states. it was not the enemy that killed him. more than a month after pat tillman s death, his family learned he was actually killed accidently by members of his own platoon platoon, and his fellow soldiers were told to cover it up. i was ordered not to tell them what happened. he basically just said sir, that do not let kevin know he s probably in a bad place knowing his brother is dead. reporter: his family and some lawmakers believe that the bush administration and pentagon wanted to draw attention away from the war in iraq and the abu