Damn right he's a hero. Fine example of selflessness and committment. God Bless Pat Tillman.

And before someone takes political advantage of this... calling Pat Tillman a hero is a statement without prejudice.

It's a fact.

It's not to imply he's more of a hero than others who gave their life... or that his sacrafice is any greater.

Pat Tillman is a hero among many.

Absolutely. A man's man who will sit beside the father for eternity.

On a different note, glad your wife is ok.

From My Blog
In all the reports about Pat Tillman's death, few if any mention his rate. He was and should always be remembered as Sargeant Tillman.

A millionaire football player, outstanding student in college, a man who once claimed that he would be a millionaire before 30 and not from football, but lastly, Sargeant Tillman, U.S. Army Ranger, and a true hero. A man who knew his duty and, in the face of fame and fortune, did his duty. He serves as a true inspiration to us all.

There are many Sergeant Tillmans in the Armed Forces; people who could get better pay or better working conditions in the civilian world, but instead choose to give those gifts to the country they love. I knew one in the Coast Guard, a recruit whose father was worth millions and who could have gone to any school, but chose instead to serve his country and humanity. Last I saw of him he was going to the Polar Star, an icebreaker in the Arctic Circle, not a fun duty station. He was also a Sergeant Tillman.

Look throughout the Armed Forces and you will realize that Sergeant Tillman is everywhere.

He will never be forgotten, because he will never really be gone.

I hope the folks in Afghanistan can appreciate his sacrifice.

Correction:

ESPN had Pat Tillman listed as a sergeant. He was a Specialist.

The sentiment is the same.

At the risk of the wrath of our host, please allow me to take a slightly different tack, and present a slight refinement of something I wrote last night, on my own blog.

You see, I find the amount of press Tillman's getting to be a little disturbing. I feel quite strongly on this point.

Don't misunderstand; I have a small mountain of respect for Tillman. I have sympathy for his family, his loved ones, his buddies in the field. No question Tillman deserves the title of 'hero' currently being accorded him.

However, I outright refuse to be caught in the trap of regarding the death of this one soldier as being of greater impact than the death of any other. I will not hold the service of this one to be unequal to any other that serves us true.

I will not dispute that Tillman gave up greater financial wealth to put on the uniform of his country, than most soldiers do. Certainly, he wasn't after the glory, as someone else in the news recently would seem to have done. I don't call THAT true service. He could have covered himself in a certain kind of personal glory on the football field if that was what he was about.

Perhaps some historical perspective will help me make my point clearer.

I had occasion to see "The Glenn Miller Story" again just recently, and am now struck by the parallels, as I have been in the past. Miller put on his uniform because he thought he could do some good in his country's efforts against the Nazi threat. He ended up giving his life for his choice. Who knows where Miller's music would have taken him, had he lived out his natural life, instead of ending up at the bottom of the English Channel. The movie view of Miler's service and death was somewhat romatic, even for the movies of the time. Miller's service and his reasons for giving it, were not. That part, I think, the movie got right.

Like Miller, Pat Tillman's choice was about personal sacrifice, and of service... Service of an ideal he thought bigger than himself. That kind of dedication is be cherished, certainly.

However, we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the life position the soldier had, before he/she was a soldier. We must not allow that metric to guide us in the amount of respect shown them, be they living or dead after their service.

By treating them unequally, we end up with not national service, but glory seeking. It's when we do that that we end up with political figures using their service as a weapons against political foes. The reasons behind military service get lost in the shuffle... those true sacrifices diminished.

They're all worthy of the very same respect, living or dead. Not because of their having lived or died, not because of the amounts of money or positions they gave up, or what impact they had on us when they weren't wearing the uniform, but because of their respect and understanding of the ideals that uniform represents. Ideals they hold highest... to the point where they chose to put ON that uniform, to accept the risks associated with it... to advance those ideals.

We should hold such people, ALL who serve us true, in our hearts. And Tillman would be, I suppose, among the first to agree with my thought.

PS:
I suppose I should clarify further, my thought about 'true service'...

Compare the record of Tillman vs that of one other who is in the public eye of late, and see if you can't see any differences between them.

Sorry for the length of this, Bill. I hope my point is made...

If you're comparing Tillman to John Kerry, please spare me.

Kerry was working for the anti-war cause while still in the Naval Reserve. And as a 26-year-old Navy Lieutenant, Kerry arranged a private meeting with North Vietnamese and Vietcong emissaries to the peace talks. They were, uh, the ENEMY and he arranged for a private meeting with them.

Tillman gave selflessly and sought no profit or glory in it. Kerry went to combat briefly, got three Purple Hearts for little more than skinned knees (he missed ZERO days of combat from his "injuries"!), then came home, sold out his fellow soldiers, and began a career of political profiteering off the war. I have long thought that Kerry, who was opposed to the war while at Yale, only joined in order to give himself a "military service" background on which to build a career as a war opponent/politician.

A brief stint in a combat zone, and three quickie Purple Hearts for sprained pinkies and such, and - bingo - back stateside to DC to become a leader of the anti-war movement, use his military service to gain a spot testifying before Congress, where he alleged all sorts of horrific crimes that never happened, and he's set up wonderfully to run for office.

I wouldn't name my dog after John Kerry. I would, however, consider naming my next son after Pat Tillman, (if there were to be a next son, which there isn't.)

If you're comparing Tillman to John Kerry, please spare me

The point I'm making is that the comparison is valid, and does not bode well for Kerry.

And also, that it's when we get into holding up some and not all of those who served us true, we end up with the John Kerrys of the world, who clearly didn't.