MEMORIAL DAY PROFILE #2 ... PAT TILLMAN

As promised, over the Memorial Day weekend I'm going to re-post the stories of three Americans who exemplify what military service and honor are all about.

Unlike our modern day cowardly politicians, and blow hard media pundits who cheer every war opportunity without sacrificing anything, the Americans I'm profiling had fame and fortune. But they also believed they should contribute more to the cause. Not one of the three individuals profiled this weekend were drafted, or forced to abandon the charmed and comfortable lifestyles that would have been part of their future.

Yesterday I posted on Glenn Miller. Today's post is about Pat Tillman.

PAT TILLMAN
Pat Tillman was an NFL player who was in his prime playing for the Phoenix Cardinals in the late 1990s. After the 9/11 attacks Tillman left a lucrative career in football to enlist in the U.S. Army at the age of 25. 

At one point Tillman turned down a multi-year $9 million contract from the St. Louis Rams because of the loyalty he felt towards the Cardinals. Before enlisting in the U.S. Army Tillman also turned down a 3-year $3.6 million contract offer from the Phoenix Cardinals. Put another way, Pat Tillman was a talented football player who had options.

After Tillman joined the Army Rangers he was killed in the mountains of Afghanistan under circumstances - first called an ambush, and later labeled as "friendly fire" - that remains a mystery for many today.

- Mark