Well stated.

I went to Leland with Kevin and Pat...and Richard. They are a great group of guys. We lost a great person in Pat, but I can't imagine their loss.

Thank you to all the soldiers and their families,

BP
 

What a beautiful tribute. You touched my soul with this.
 

THIS ROCKS...THANKS FOR SHARING IT 8-)
 

I knew Pat Tillman in high school...he's not worthy of all the attention he has gotten. I'm in the Army currently deployed in Afghanistan. Just cause he turned down money and a career in football doesn't mean that he is any better then anyone of the other soldiers that have died in this war. I don't mean to sound like an asshole or to be disrespectful but honestly I am sick of everyone thinking highly of him and everyone forgetting about the rest of us here in Afghanistan and also my brothers and sisters in Iraq. And all this talk about him being a great guy in high school....BS...unless you were one of his jock douche bag buddies he treated you like crap. I feel for his family and for the way the military has treated them and the incidents leading to his death. I think it was honorable to make the choice that he did but is he any more of a hero than anyone else...no not in the slightest. Oh and by the way in response to your poem I do question him and do and have the courage to do the same. However for me to make your poem read a little bit better in my eyes, I have replaced his name with the name of the fallen soldier that I just saluted as his coffin passed by me on his final trip home. You wouldn't know his name cause the press doesn't care about him nor does the general public. But he was a true hero that sacrificed everything for his country including leaving behind his wife and children, which to me is more important then "riches, fame and even the love of the game."
 

May I just say - You are not forgotten - nor overshadowed by the Tillman's of the world.
Names, faces, destinations- those are IMPORTANT and the average citizen like myself may not be able to find this information out. However; we still care, recognize that there are more soldiers than we have any way of keeping track of but still hope each will come home soon, or we grieve in our own way for the families left behind.
Months late - but I just got here.. what can I say.
Take care and THANK YOU!!
Kath
 

Every soldier who has died deserves some recognition. The problem is, they didn't get it. Why is Pat getting it? Becaue an effort was made to cover up the true facts surrounding his death and there is nothing more fun for a liberal press than making fun of the failures of others when it serves their purpose. Pat died doing his job, some choose to honor the contribution, others choose to use it as a political too to show the corruption of thesysten in an effort that we can't trust our leaders and we should withdraw.

Pat I am sure was not unlike any other high school kid, caught up in the clicks and at times himself. But you know, he did not have to join the Army, he chose to do it. That says something about his character as it says something about yours. Just as your words now say something about your character.

I am in no hurry to die, to lay down my life for those causes which I do not understand perhaps do not support, but alas, I do have one common bond and that is of brotherhood. Having been a soldier I also understand words like duty, honor, and patriotism. Having been a soldier, and then airborne and then assigned as a Ranger myself I built bonds of brotherhood and those bonds built relationships that have lasted thus far, a lifetime. They are not unlike those you may have built with your college room mate, your Marine Corps buddies, Ranger buddy, or perhaps something even deeper, those bonds you have built with a family member, a spouse, or with Christ. The only one unique in all those I just mentioned is the latter.

Charles de Gaulle said, "Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first. " I think the difference is becoming clear today in America, the Patriots are doing something. The serve, the go and help liberate the oppressed, protect the ethnic diversity of those who are undergoing cleansing, they protectthe newly created emocracy of a struuffling nation previously under tyrant rule. The nationalists sit here and scream, "close the borders", "bring our troops home", "The US sucks, bring in a new socialism" and you know what, thier voice is the press. Hey, I'm a patriot, I believe my country is not perfect, but it is the best place in the WORLD to live, so I am here to make it better and you are a patriot, because you are here doing something too. So, hold up the brotherhood of patriots! When a brother falls, pick up the banner and continue recognizing that the difference is love ofr your brother or love of yourself.
 

hey deployed guy...I get where you're coming from. Be safe. Take care of each other. There are still many of us here who are disappointed in Congress for not setting timetables. In my eyes, you all completed your missions...honorably. It's up to those in the Near East to decide their fate from here on out. If that's to wage civil war, it's their war...not ours. Our military didn't sign on the line to be put in the middle of somebody else's civil war. It's not like this wasn't foreseen by intelligent people who were ousted from their positions before we even went in for not saying what the administration wanted to hear. What a mess...I feel for you guys and gals over there caught up in it.

Sorry your memories of Pat are not the best, but we can't take away the pride his own family had in him as a living being who achieved and gave up what many would not have had the courage to even consider giving up. It won't serve you to be bitter over petty differences of opinion.
 

Actually, you do sound like an ahole for criticizing a fellow soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice. Praising a soldier like Pat does not diminish the the sacrifices of all the other soldiers. If anything, it brings a greater awareness by the public about what all soldiers are going though.
 

an excellent tribute to a true american hero...in response to the soldier who said that pat doesnt deserve all the attention he's getting, don't you think he and his family would rather have him alive than have all this recognition? Pat's sacrifice is only one step further than yours, you're sacrificing too no doubt about that but being apart of the army isnt about the glory and isnt about the attention, it's about becoming part of something thats greater than the rest of us. this poem is a tribute to pat but it's also a tribute to the other heroes, like yourself, who found that their Duty, Honor, and Country were more important than anything from your typical 9-5, a college education and yes in this case an NFL contract worth millions of dollars.

Personally I followed Pat's career at ASU and with the Cards and he was one of my favorite players because he was one of the smallest guys on the field but he made the biggest impact on the field because he was tenaciously fearless. He was just one player, just one soldier but his impact shook the country, regardless of whether or not you liked him in high school.
 

great poem!
 

Truly Great work.
 

Great work. Pat Tillman must never be forgotten.
 

It's not that other men and women in the Armed Forces haven't made sacrifices for our country, because surely they have. But the story with Pat is that he threw away literally millions of dollars and an NFL Career to fight for his country. He wasnt sitting at home with nothing better to do, looking for an education. HE HAD EVERYTHING he needed financially and socially. He went to go fight for his country and then his entire family was lied to from the beginning.

For those of you who dont know the whole story feel free to go to one of my MySpace pages and look for the link to "Pat_Freakin_Tillman" on my top 24 which is a page dedicated to the story and truth behind it.

Thanks to all the men and women who fight for this country each and every day, regardless of their reasons or motivations to join the Armed Forces and God Bless America AND each and every nation that helps make this a safer world to live in and travel abroad to.

Excellent Poem Ben!
 

I have 3 friends who became widows of this war, it does not matter who you are, you are still an american who fought and sacrificed your life. It is not up to us to judge. I did not even know who Pat was, I just knew he was a soldier who died for us.
God bless you and your family.
Lena
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
I love you guys
 

"OUT-F'N-STANDING" BRO"! The media put's the word "HERO" out there way too much! Pat showed some of the younger generation (The few that get "IT") What a true "HERO" is! True frigin' Nad's! Next time I pick up a dictionary I would like to see Pat's picture next to "HERO"!
I'll try to make it rhyme next thyme, But drank some wine and feelin' fine!! GOD BLESS!
 

Ben I appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to write a poem in honor of Pat Tillman. I did not know Pat Tillman rather I knew of him. I was a fan while he was playing football. I think that a lot of people have lost sight of an important fact in this case. I have read the other comments and fact is Pat Tillman didn't sacrifice more than any other fallen soldier. But he did sacrifice a lot more than the other egotistical, self indulged multimillionaire athletes who play the game now. I am referring to the T.O.'s, the Kobe Bryant's, and the many other self absorbed professional athletes in the world. Pat Tillman did exactly what the millions of other soldiers did to make this country the greatest country in the world. Although the biggest impact that Pat Tillman made was brought patriotism to center stage. While this country is in bad shape and people are more in tune with there computers, iPODs, and self worship, Pat Tillman took a stand and hopefully reminded the people of this country that without making sacrifices this country would not be worried about computers and iPods but worried that their children will be able to continue their education and not about picking up a gun to fight of terrorist. Pat Tillman joined the military and saved some unknowing, inexperienced 18 year old kid from picking up a gun and seeing the malicious side of this world. Thank you Pat Tillman and thank you Ben Kennedy for making this country aware!!!
 

PAt Fuckin TIllman!! a true warrior
 

Very well done. I'm not much for people I don't know adding me to gain popularity for their own work. Even local bands that send friend requests without an explanatory message are routinely denied. After reading this, you are definitely added to the friends list. Outstanding. I believe that Pat Tillman needs his own monument in DC. He was a greater american than every President I've seen in my lifetime, 1981 and on. I spent 5 1/2 years in the 82nd Airborne Division, and I don't know if I would have given up an NFL career to join the Army. I consider myself a patriot, and I love my country and my fellow soldiers, I wouldn't have traded my time with any of them for anything in this world, but giving up that type of job to join the army for $26000 a year? That's simply amazing.
 

I knew Pat! I used to watch him play high school footbal in San Jose, Cali when i was young. He was a great person back then and always was. We all lost a good friend that day, even if you didnt know him!
 

Awesome Tribute. May Pat Rest in Peace!
 

Well done
 

Ben Kennedy:

That is an excellent short article that you wrote. Yeah I respect "Pat Tillman's" courage and honor that he showed everyone in this nation "The United States Of America." Yeah he is from here in the Bay Area, California (San Jose, California to be exact). That is cool he is a man that believes in the respect and honor that dying and fighting for this country brings.

That man would be proud to read what you have written about him.

I am mad that "Pat Tillman's" death is still bringing me concern that he might have died when someone made a mistake to shot at him. They are saying that "Jessica Finch's" event was nothing but a blown up event to make it look like she was a hero. However, Jessica said, "My gun jammed and I didn't really do much."

Yeah I wonder what else they are hiding from the public about the "Iraq War."

Well thanks for writting that letter to honor our fellow citizen whop gave his life for our "Freedom."

Yeah "Pat Tillman" is a man of honor and I hope that you will write some more about him.

Please remember this, "You Are The One That Needs To Believe In You And What GOD Put You On This Earth To Accomplish In The Short Amount Of Time You Live On This Planet. Therefore, Spend Every Second Of It Striving To Get What Your Positive Inner Spirit (GOD) Wants You To Do. Please dream BIG and dive head first in the direction that will help You get all of the tasks done that are needed to get each individual job done." (Written By Michael S. D. Lyons)

More important information, "Please also treat your dollar's, that you work hard to make, like pennies. You need to save as much as you can for something bigger and set a goal to reach. When you get there you need to invest in places that you know will bring in a profit for you. If you need help please go here http://blog.myspace.com/misteesoy to see what I recommend that people do." Thanks for reading this and I hope you will check out my BLOG section in my myspace.com link.

I hope that You do take this quote that I wrote seriously and make a huge difference while You are here.

God Bless you, your family and friend's.

Michael S. Lyons
e-mail: Mestisso79@aol.com
 

Thank you, for writing such a beautiful tribute to Pat Tillman.
 

good one. pat will live on forever!!!
 

Pat Tillman was a great man. He was also an Atheist... which makes me love him that much more!

Kudo's!
 

Sloganeering and jingoistic nonsense like "duty, honor, country" essentially mean nothing when your "country" (rather, your country's federal government) is doing something without honor (invading countries that never attacked us, starving half a million of the weakest and youngest in Iraq for a decade, encouraging wars, providing chemical and biological weapons to dictators, overthrowing democracies and installing tyrants, et cetera, ad nauseum.)

When your government has no honor, it is your "duty" to oppose it.

Appealing to country (government, really) loyalty in spite of all reason and logic is an act of demagoguery. "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel".


P.S. the "price" we pay to be free is barely anything. Nobody's too keen on invading and occupying the United States and declaring the Bill of Rights null and void. We're the most powerful nation on earth and we can't do it to a tin-pot country like Iraq. Who's going to do it to us?

We do, however, pay a heavy price for the hegemonistic ambitions of our political rulers and their desire to keep strategic land and resources under their control. We must "protect our interests", of course, no matter if those "interests" technically belong to the people of another sovereign country.
 

Words like "Duty, Honor, Country" are not nonsense in the proper context and you obviously did not understand the poem. Pat Tillman showed that to live free you must be willing to sacrifice everything just like the people who founded this nation. You stumbled upon the true problem in your rant being the Fed gov which is NOT the country. What are you willing to do to stop this out of control unconstitutional goverment? The only way the abuses you list will stop and the goverment change is if people like you are willing to sacrifice everything to make it change. Are you willing or do you really love your comfortable American lifestyle more than true freedom.
 

Thats awesome.
 

Amen to that brother! Pat and all others that have sacrificed for our freedom and our way of life are true heroes. It's funny how some of us as Americans can talk about how bad our government is or how Pat shouldn't have made such a sacrifice or how war is never worth it, etc. Well, I challenge them to tell me there's a better form of government or a richer culture anywhere on this planet. Citizens of other countries including Iran secretly imitate our culture. Americans should feel blessed and lucky for living in this country. People drown and die of starvation and exposure trying to get here. Yet, we have people who whine and complain and pass judgement on those willing to protect our way of life. Thank God for our awesome military and our soldiers. God bless Pat and his supportive family. Motherfuck AWOLERS!!!
 

TRULY AWESOME AND SO FITTING FOR A TRUE PATRIOT. THIS MAN GAVE UP MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND A PRO FOOTBALL CAREER TO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY AND US. INSPIRING GUY. INSPIRING TRIBUTE.

TO ALL OUR ARMED FORCES--THANK YOU! TO ALL THOSEWHO HAVEW GIVEN THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM, WE HONOR YOU.

THANKS, BEN. TAKE CARE. GOD BLESS