The ideals of Jefferson and Madison still flows in the veins of Kevin Stillman.  These men, one lost, are the best of what America offers this world.  I salute you Kevin.

Thank you Kevin for saying it all so eloguently. You are 100% plus correct.  Many thanks.

I am a veteran of WW II and once was proud of that service. I now feel that all of the noble goals we pursued and were proud of have been misused by the politicians from both parties who have slowly deconstructed the great society that FDR helped to build. I would suggest to all who wish to understand the backstory of how this has come about to read the book by John Perkins CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HITMAN. It tells a very personal story of what has been hidden from all of us and has gone on for fifty years and ended up with the corporatocracy we now live in. The Stillman family has dignity and courage to voice their dissent. Democracy survives on skepticism of government not on blind patriotism.

‘Somehow’ it is difficult and frustrating to try to understand where we as a country are today, and why?  Senator McCain spoke at commencement at my graduation from the University of Florida in April of 2004.  This was shortly after your brother’s death.  I have been against the war before it began, and it was difficult for me to listen to the Senator’s words.  They were eloquent and he said the word patriotism about 50 times.  Hoewever, in the end, his speech was based on a lie being told about your brother, as are all speeches that current politicians that are supporters of the war give.  I am proud to be an American, but I am ashamed of my alleged representatives in Government.  Your strong words will help to convince those who are not yet convinced and I thank you for speaking your mind.  I hope that ‘somehow’ this ship will right itself up.

Where are the trolls???

This article is very touching and I have copied and sent it to all my friends to read.  I am certain that the American people will step up and claim their rights back and do the right thing this election year.  Happy Birthday to Pat and hope Kevin keeps heading into the right path honoring his brother legacy and his.  I wish you and your family only but the best and just have trust that all will get better.

I am so pleased with this very true piece of work you have done here, it’s about time someone told us the American people the damned truth!!!!!
Especially someone who was actually there. I am so
sorry for your “Great Loss” I grieve with you , may God add many Blessings to your Life and to your Mission to tell your story about your brother
and so many others who are dieing for what they believe is a good cause.

    May God Bless and Keep you is my prayer
  Your brother would be so proud of you as you
were of him.

Kevin,

Thank you for your letter; it does an excellent job of where we as a nation come from, where we are now, and where we are headed if things don’t change drastically.

A lot of people have asked the Germans over the years how they could have let the Nazi horrors happen, and we as Americans will have to face the same questions if we don’t change our act.

Also, I firmly believe, and have believed since it was first revealed that the Pentagon lied about the circumstances surrounding Pat’s death, that he was murdered.  If Pat had returned prior to the 2004 election and actively campaigned against the Bush machine, they wouldn’t have been able to steal enough votes to overpower the groundswell of opposition they would have faced.

Every red-blooded American would have sided with Pat - a true American patriot - and thrown the Bush cabal from power.  Bush et al could not afford to have Pat return home with the celebrity status they helped him achieve, only to have him meet with Noam Chompsky and campaign for Kerry.  That’s why he was murdered, in a staged ambush, and his uniform and body armor were burned.

How come there were no AK-47 shell casings found at the scene?  Howcome the Humvee wasn’t peppered with enemy rounds?  Who were the trigger men?  Were they new to the platoon?  How is it that even after the shooting had stopped, after the Afghan translator had already been killed, when Pat stood up from behind the cover he had taken, how come he was still shot in the forehead with a tightly grouped cluster?

Because Pat was a political assassination, through and through.  It’s time to rise up, people.

Roger that!

KEVIN, I am so sorry that you and Pat got caught in the quagmire of lies our country has been perpetrating for more that 60 years. Your lives have been forfeit to the fantasies of some very evil men and women, some of whom we have made big heroes. I look forward to the day that Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky are required reading in 7th grade civics class, then maybe we will stop wasting our best and brightest.
Again, I wish for you and your family peace and healing.

Kevin, as a veteran of the first Gulf War and fellow Infantryman, I want to thank you for the re-emergence of your voice.

As a soldier, I too realized I had surrendered my voice for the time being to those in power as well as to the American People. 

While I fully agree with everything you have said, the only thing I will add is that you and your brother were sent there not only by our leaders, but also by the people who put them in power.

And they all used you and your borther Pat to further solidify their cause.  They did this to your family, and they have done it to others, and will continue to use the best this nation has to offer until we throw them out on their bums.

I am proud that a fellow Blue-Cord (infantry!) wearer would be so eloquent and informed in his writing.  You set the bar high for what a real warrior, a true patriot, can ascend to. 

No doubt we will be reading more about you in the years to come.  Hopefully at some point we will address you along the lines of “Senator Tillman” or “President Tillman.”  You have the experience and obviously the hard-earned wisdom to know how much this country, and the world, needs leaders with the kind of insight you have.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  A big HOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA to you.  And of course my deepest sympathies for your family’s loss.

With respect,
Jack
6/6 Infantry, 1st Armored Division, Bamberg, Germany (the unit I went to the Persian Gulf with)

My deepest sympathies for the loss of your brother, and thank you both for all that you have given in servitude of our country.

Our founding fathers would be ashamed of us if they could see us today. I, for one, will be making a difference the day after Pat’s birthday.

You have learned and grown so much through your experience, keeping your eyes open, your attention alert.

Reflections from firsthand experience are most powerful. The rest of us receive the information we receive second or third or fourth hand and thus can only imagine and at best empathize with people like you who personally lived the recent sequence of events and find yourself and your world radically shifted as a result.

Thank you for sharing your careful thoughts. May those who read them be inspired to resolve or strengthen the already existing resolve to do all they are able to be better human beings than what you have described and insist that this be reflected in the motivations, decisions and actions of our government officials.

Thank you for writing such an honest, true, and eloquent article, Mr. Tillman.  I, too, have lost family to this atrocious war.  I hope that we may all come together and do our best to restore this nation to its former glory and, somehow, correct the mistakes of our criminal leaders.  It hurts to realize that so many people, if they have died for anything, have died for the lone purpose of reminding us that our country made mistakes and must correct them.  If we the people do not act on that, then we do not deserve the honor of being Americans.  If we the people do not correct the mistakes, then our brave men and women have truly died for nothing.  Let us hope that we can turn things around and do the right thing a day after Pat’s birthday.

Thank you.

What can I say that others have not already said….my own brother served in Iraq and will likely be called back up to serve another tour in 2008. Support our troops bring them home.

“The first casualty when war comes is truth.”

“There was never a good war or a bad peace.”
-Benjamin Franklin

Kevin, thank you for your letter. My thoughts will be with you and Pat on his birthday.

Brian

__The dollar stops here_____________________

May the God of your choice bless you
And the woman of your dreams caress you.
May you laugh and sing
And not care anything
For this trash ‘they’ call bling
Or the “ringy ding ding.”
The days are darker
Their crimes are starker
Politicians chirp ‘bout some Jesus thing
It has no meaning
Does not exist in their Being
T’is demeaning
They have their WAR
They made their score
The bodies lie bare
They pretend to care
They stay the corpse
They hold no remorse
They are callously detached
This made reality hatched
In a back room scratched
The talking heads dispatch
With senseless rhythm numb
Led by the dumb
The fanaticism takes
Journalists on break
The psynchophant blare
Condaleeza Rice’s glare
Trampling the meek
Drowning those who dare to speak
Condemning any ‘leak’
a risk to National security
Their hocus-pocus
Obscuring any focus
The feign of ignorance
Suspended common sense
Idyllic purity
Happy to bury you and me
Ignoble calamity
Chasing the dollar with sadistic glee
They cannot escape eternity

Kevin,

Very, VERY powerful!

I am so sorry for your loss. You and yours are in my prayers.

Powerful, poetic, and reassuring to know that out of all this ugliness, these dark days of Bush’s America, maybe just maybe there well be a new uprising of leadership and citzens who really understand what America should be about; and Kevin Tillman has spark a little bit of that hope in me. Thank you.

Thank you Kevin. Thank you for your service. Thank you for speaking from the heart. Thank you for speaking the truth. You made me cry, but we need to cry. Our leaders have failed us. The world mourns.

Eloquent, clear, cogent, and convincing. Well spoken, sir.

Unfortunately Kevin’s accurate and courageous piece is only scratching the surface of what is rotten in our land. While the Democrats will surely be able to put the brakes on this lunatic cabal run amok, they will not do much to change the process that allows such hijackings because the corruption of our nation began long ago and our legislators are working for the real rulers: Eisenhower’s Military-Industrial complex. Our Senators and most Congresspeople feed at the trough of corporate bribery - they do not truly represent the interests of the citizens. If they did the minimum wage would be where it rightfully should be now: $20/hour.

For more insight into the things we were NOT taught (programmed) in school please see Aaron Russo’s new film called America: from Freedom to Fascism…

...and please read a short book called Addicted to War.

Voting to oust the chickenhawk support in congress is a start IF our votes will be accurately counted; but, much deeper changes are needed in this country. The Republican/Democrat fight is a diversion from the more sweeping changes that might take a peaceful, yet determined revolution to effect.

We must all do our part to make this WORLD a safer and saner place for the generations to come. Now THAT is a fight worth dying for!

Kevin,

Simply put, Thank you.  Pat Tillman Lives… 

Rob

Kevin; I’m a Vietnam vet and lost a cousin over Hanoi, and almost lost my brother in Danang. I came through unscathed, well, not really. You’re a great writer and should continue in this vein, both as a catharsis and a service to other Americans. I think you should send your letter to Kieth Olberman at MSNBC and Dennis Kusinich in Congress. It’s that good, and more to the point, necessary. It’s a sad commentary of our people allowing some of the worst criminals in our history to wreak havoc with our military, the Iraqi people, and our Constitution. None of this sorry lot would make a wart on the arse of ANY military person.

Kevin, my heart aches for you and your family.  I am often frightened and helpless these days, but reading your letter gave me heart.  If you can stand up for what is right in your grief, then I too must find better ways.

I’ve never been a Republican, but was raised in a Republican family (parents, both sets of grandparents).  These current folks are not our parents’ Republicans!  I’m so glad my parents are dead, so they cannot know what happened to their party and the country. 

We must never stop opposing this administration and its supporters (how can anyone still be supporting it?)  Trust me, I will never stop as long as I have breath.  Thank you, Kevin—- and God Bless you always.      Mimi

Mr. Tillman, I applaud your words, your eloquence, your bravery. I am deeply saddened by the miserable misgivings of our government, their policies and practices. I thank you Sir, for standing tall, letting your voice bravely sing the ugly truths of today, and quite possibly, tomorow. Many have read this before me, and many will after me, all praising you for speaking up. It’s just a damn shame that all they will do is post here… THIS being theri action… and think they have done their “job”. God Bless you and your family Sir. You are one of the REAL American Heros.

This is what a Patriot sounds like in the year 2006.

thank you Kevin.  And, happy birthday Pat.  RIP.  I’ve followed your family’s story…things your parents have said about Pat’s death, Pat’s life, your life, the “investigation” into Pat’s death, how your family was treated, why you guys enlisted.  I keep some of the stuff on my refrigerator so my family sees it every day as a reminder of your sacrifice.  Please know that you and your family have not been forgotten and for us Pat’s loss is a symbol of so much that’s gone wrong.

Sadly all I can say is prepare to be SWIFTBOATED

I am sorry for your family’s loss.

Thank you for your eloquence.

I must admit as a former resident of the U.S.A. I have found the changes witnessed in the past six years or so to be troubling.

I hope your words are heeded and America becomes a trusted global beacon of peace and justice once more.

P.C. - Ireland.

Mr. Kevin Tillman’s summarization of the war and our country is both powerful and accurate.  I will pass this on to as many people as I can, and others should do so also.  Thank you Kevin Tillman.

Your words evoke heart heavy tears… but tears won’t make a difference, actions will. This is a time for “non-political people” to get political. NO MORE EXCUSES AMERICA… it is time to live up to the actions of our heroes. Our soldiers, true Americans, are noble, honest, strong and courageous. Our country needs political soldiers to match the might of our troops. Change can happen today… thank you Kev for demonstrating this in your poignant essay.

This poem is the writing of a Ranger sister whose brother is currently alive as of this moment in time.  As a mother I thought I would share this with you.  Bless you and your family Kevin, give your Mother and Dad a hug!(emphasis added)
————————& #8212;———————R 12;——————
A Brother I’ll always love, A Friend forever…......

She could still not let the word “dead” usher upon her lips.
He stood tall and poignant with his head up tall, in which he invested his life and his morals.
His uniform clean pressed and his beret tipped ever so slightly, while his head was clearly on straight.
He had infused his heart, his pride, and even his life in honoring his country in the utmost respected way.
He was truly a soldier with a heart because he vowed to take a bullet for his buddies.
This was the last memory she ever remembered of last seeing her brother, her o’ so young brother.
The next time she only saw what was believed to be his body in that cold wooden box, where his dead ideas and memories lay silent.
His service was like a photograph, which did not move and ushered no sound at all.
He missed so many great vivid memories of achieving a family, going to college, and marrying his love.
He was like an innocent child, who got caught up, in Bush’s fake war.
Her brother was a mere flea on an elephant’s oblong body, even though God fatally cast a shadowy death of bursts of fire and debris.

At the funeral, she thought of all the times, that she had with her gallant brother.
Hiding from their parents under the couch cushions, making ice cream, and going trick- or treating
Going for bike rides down the road of life, until he crashed, as she kept riding on.
It doesn’t matter now because she has wept a thousand tears and grieved for her fallen knight, until reality smacked her in the face like a blunt brick.
The coffin speaks to the audience, as a newspaper article would, “ He is a fallen hero”.
The mother sheds tears, as her baby boy’s casket is lifted by other lost and uniformed souls.
Maybe next lifetime the youth of the nation will realize war is not something to laugh about.
Although he did this for his country, what did his country ever do for him?
She thinks about her brother; her wanting warrior, her gallant giver, her boisterous brother.

As years pass and the fatal day is remembered, memories of him, before it all came crashing down, still remain vivid.
The movie, that you have feel the urge to leave but can’t.
Finally, the red, white, and blue flag is laid out on his coffin, as if he still wants to harbor the pride for his country.
The same flag he carried, as he and other soldiers were blown to pieces by God’s bolt of lightening.
As the people, who come to pay their respects, recede, the coffin utter four more sentences:
“Red is for the rouge color of the blood, that he shed.”
“White is for his pale death- stricken face.”
“Blue is the feeling his death envelopes loved ones in.”
“He shall be at rest with war, his country, and himself”.
His sister walks away at calm with herself, her feelings, and the vivid, recurring movies of her brother

It is beyond me or anyone to add to Kevin’s words, I am sure. It is not beyond any of us however, to add Kevins words to other people’s thoughts. And that - I will do as much as possible.

Thank you for for your valor and stength on and off the fields of war.

I am a veteran myself - but never saw anything close to the grit of combat. Thank you.

Thats you opinion however wrong it may be, and the right you have to give it is protected by men like your borther and yourself.

I disagree with what you have written, but thats your opinion.

Just because you served like I did does not make you right and just becaue your brother played football and is a national name does not mean you are right either.

Your opinion does not mean more then mine or any other american whether they served or not, and whether they lost a family member or not.

You disgrace your brothers death and the deaths of all others that have sacraficed the greatest gift god could give (life) but sitting at your computer and saying they died for nothing.

I am not familiar w/ this website, can anyone tell me- how do we know if this is/was really written by Kevin Tillman? If he were to write something like this, why would it appear here, specifically?

Almost seems like a cruel joke or prank, touching sentiments either way.

Beautifully written.

Loved the part about we are still in a Democracy.

My son is doing is 2nd year in Afghanistan.  I am so hoping the Iraq drawdown begins before the Army sends him there next.

Sometimes you read something and it tears at your soul. Your only reaction is to cry quietly because you share in the heartbreak. Vote the day after Pat’s birthday and hold these cowards accountable!

My brother sent me the link to this article, my other brother is a young Marine. I was never for the Iraq invasion and I was never for my brother becoming a Marine during this time in American history.

Reality is what it is and I and my older brother both felt the strings of our hearts and minds pulled by this incredible, intelligent piece of writing.

Stand alone or stand together…but for the sake of our country we must stand.

For those who dismiss voices of concern I say, given all the evidence we now have, if someone yells “fire!” don’t you at least look?

Holy sh*t is that powerful. When people ask why the Administration doesn’t ask for more sacrifice from the American people, here is the answer. If the average American isn’t asked to sacrifice, it’s easier to keep his/her head in the sand, remain wilfully ignorant, and know and care more about “Dancing with the Stars” than what is happening in the misnamed “War on Terror.” Asking for sacrifice would lead people to ask what they’re sacrificing for, and the whole house of cards would tumble down.

another voice of reason
another reason to vote
another season of choice
another time to decide
another mistake will end
all hope forever

I wonder if they are going to Swift Boat the Tillmans now.

HIS MRESSAGE IS SO OBVIOUS TO ANYONE OF NORMAL INTELLIGENCE. IT IS SO DISTURBING. I HAVE SEEN FASCISM FIRST HAND AT CONCENTRATION CAMP WHAT IS MOST DISTURBING IS THAT A CITIZENRY IS SO SICK AS TO TOLERATE AND ENCOURAGE THIS CRIMINAL LEADERSHIP BY REELECTING THEM.HOW CLOSE. BLESS KEVIN FOR THIS STIMULATING COMMENTARY.

Incredibly well put by someone who commands the respect of all true Americans, but so so very sad . Truth. Thanks Kevin Tillman for so many many things.

What a wonderful letter.
He is right.
Those of us who oppose republicans have not done enough.
We have not done enough.
We should be protesting and demonstrating in the streets when are civil liberties are being legally taken away from us and yet….

We have not done enough. AND we will all be judged by history and found guilty.

When Pat Tillman died, here in Arizona life practically came to a standstill according to the mandate of the local mainstream media. Pat was immediately made into a poster child for the “glorious American Fighting Man Hero who died for his country”.  He was even used as enlistment incentive, to get innocent 18 year olds to sign up for Iraq to “avenge Pat!” Yes, Arizona is a rather rustic place, and the metropolitan spin meisters in Phoenix (most media is Republican Party dominant) know how to make any results honor the administration’s madness.

Will Pat’s brother’s eloquent words be broadcast tonight on local channel 5, 12, or others? Will they have TV specials (overlaying local programming) to discuss his views on the war and this administration?  I will be watching, but not holding my breath. It is much easier for Arizona to consider this guy the crazy lefty black sheep in the family, and a besmirchment on the glorious white shining knight who saved us all from tyranny and terrorism. Yes, people still think fighting in Iraq somehow is keeping us safe from terrorism. It takes a long time for truth to trickle down to the street level in the Republican dominated “red state” southwest.

Thanks for saying what needed to be said. Unfortunately too many people are too busy watching “Dancing With The Stars” to even bother listening.

Ironically, the GOP needs Hollywood more than anyone ever figured.

Kevin,

As you did when you became an Army Ranger, you have again rendered a great service to this nation by writing that powerful essay.  It rings with truth.  Pat’s selfless decision to trade the well-compensated role of a Sunday hero in the NFL for a Ranger tab speaks volumes about that extraordinary young man.  His loss is the nation’s loss.  Thank you for your service in the Rangers and in writing the essay.

Tom Sullivan

True soldiers are courageous enough to stand up and tell it like it is. They follow their commanders’ orders (including the Commander-In-Chief) when those orders will hopefully lead to victory in noble and honest causes. Defending America is a noble and honest cause. It becomes a most ignoble undertaking when our leaders take us into conflicts for selfish and greedy reasons, such as robbing a nation’s natural resources and dignity, as in the cases of Iraq and Afghanistan. Thank you, Mr. Tillman for your very moving testimony, and you have all my prayers for healing from these wounds of war.

Dear Kevin, you sound angry.
I can’t imagine why?
America is a forgiving and God fearing country.
We praise those who we can’t touch.
We have all the gains and none of the gotten.
Before I launch into any nasty or derogatory comments about WAR; please allow me this…
THANK YOU!
Thank you to you and your brother and all the other soldiers, sailors, marines and air men that stood up for what they believed in.  I signed those very papers that you spoke of back in 1980.  I served during peace time.  Not my decision, just my blessing.

You and your fellow fighter do make us proud in ways that a scribbled crayon or a faded bumper sticker can never truly express.
9/11 taught us more then there are people who want to see us hurt.

9/11 has taught us that you can be duped into anything if you are mad enough.
You can be drawn into a fight.
Drawn to kill
Drawn to take arms against your brother and to be on a side that will draw fire just by being there.

Being an American today is riddled with so many contradictions, it makes me wonder why so many Mexicans are trying to get here.
Do they want to fight for us?

Again, thank you for your thoughts, sentiments and sacrifices.  Being an American is about being free.
Not being a prisoner because you disagree.
Do you think England will take us back, now?
I doubt it

Thank you and if voting really, really meant changing anything, I would.

Your brother was great ball player, he would get this.
The Dems and the Reps are two different teams in the same league.
You just have to decide whose shit you would rather eat.
Me, personally, not a big fan of it although I feel that if it is an acquired taste, it should certainly be more palatable by now.
But it isn’t

Thank you

Guy B.

Thank you for your service and courage.

Let’s hope America listens on November 7th.

It takes real cahones to express opinions that are opposed the the party line. Of course, nothing like the bravery required to serve.

Thanks Kevin,

rini

This article should be displayed on every major American newspapers and TV networks.

Mr Tillman’s strong words are at once heart wrenching by virtue of his personal loss and inspirational by virtue of its dead-on indictment of W.  If by some miracle, the diebold software manipulators fail to prevent a shift in power to the other party on 7 November, there might be a glimmer of hope for the future.  Barring that, we need a plan to eliminate the bad people from power by whatever means necessary before more damage is done.  They themselves are wielding swords worldwide; if they must die by our swords, so be it and the sooner the better.  A coup d’etat is long overdue.  Who better to inspire it than Kevin Tillman and the millions of strong-willed, steely-eyed young men whose lives have been put on the line by so-called leaders who in fact are guilty of heinous crimes against humanity?  Let’s use the web to mobilize our own civil war in this country.  Regime change does start at home and it is six years overdue.  Three elections have already been stolen; what hope is there this one will be any different?  The ballot box is broken.  Beautify America: shoot some politicians.

We should send this by the thousands to the man who has yet to attend a single funeral of a soldier his war has killed. Send this to George Bush.

The president wanted to be re-elected so badly that he sold the honor and patriotism of our troops, such as Pat Tillman, for a few more votes.

He sold the honor and trust that Colin Powell possessed in the eyes of the public to provide cover for his illegal war.

He sold the good will that the world gave us after 9/11 to buy a war that would profit a handful of ccrporate welfare queens.

He sold the respect of this country, earned over 200 years of striving to be better than the past, for his ego, so that he would not be thought of “as a wimp,” like his father.

Proclaiming himself a man of God, he sold his soul to the devil.  May he roast in Hell for eternity.

It goes without saying that thousands and thousands of innocent people have died and suffered but this war has made me realize just how much suffering and inhumanity our soldiers must endure at the hands of cowards in Washington. Donald Rumsfeld was my congressman for many years when I was a boy and I could tell you stories that most people don’t know that show just what a coward he is and which proves your point.We all are enormously indebted to you for your courage and as an American it gives me inspiration to keep fighting for our democracy when I read your words.This country will only be saved by those who stand up fot it. I stand with you Mr. Tillman!

Dear Kevin,
Please consider running for political office. Your message is so true and heartfelt that it reaches beyond the usual divisions of political party, class and skin color. You are a very bright, well-spoken man who has a lot to say and a good heart. Helping to set this country back on the right path would be the greatest tribute you could give to your brother. And the American people needs people with courage like yours.

Dear Kevin,

Though this is repeated from the many previous comments, I just want to add another thank you to you and your brother Pat for your efforts and sacrifices, to say how sad so many of us are about the loss of your brother, and to THANK YOU immensely for writing this very important piece about what is happening to our country. Your brother, you, and your family are not forgotten.

I will make sure many others read this as well.

Kevin,
  I salute you and I take moments to reflect
on Pat.
  You are the true patriots, what is right with
America’s thinking troops.
  The apathy of most Americans is not only sad
but disgusting.
  Please keep talking. Millions of us are with you
as you are with us in practicing what Americans
should-freedom of speech and so on.
  Thank you for your courage and insight.

Kevin, thank you so much for this moving, dead-on essay.  We need more patriots like you.  I am as concerned as you are about the illegal, irrational and immoral things that have been done in our name and in the name of God.  The hypocrisy from Washington is enough to make any sane person nauseous.  People forget that it was good (in name only), God-fearing Christians of the far right that put Hitler in power and now they have done it again with a certain Bush. We are a failed state and a failed people.  Somehow we have to turn this around on Nov 7 or resign ourselves to remaining the fascist regime we have allowed our country to become.  Thank you for your courage and for your service to this country.  Sincerely, Kerry Ashton

Kevin,

My condolences to you and your family for the loss of Pat, and my thanks go our to you and Pat for their service.  You showed a level of character that is too rare these days.

Your words are powerful, and I hope they make a difference.  It is sad that such a strong statement is necessary.

The duty of a warrior is not to a political party… or a government… or an enlistment contract. It is to his or her country. Kevin Tillman honors himself and his brother Pat by standing for the truth. We need his example of courage so that others will learn courage. And we need his future participation in politics so we may again learn to trust politicians. When the warrior stands it is easier for others to stand. Thank you Kevin.

Thank you Kevin for your incredibly poignant letter.  The tragedy of all of this is sometimes so crushing . . .

Your family is in my hearts and prayers.  You are an American Hero, both for your service to our Country and your willingness now to allow your voice and your truth to be heard.

Dear Sir, with your eloquent words all about hard truths -no doubt hardest for you and your family, you make sure your brother’s death was not in vain. This, is powerful stuff. Thank you

If only this message could reach those Americans with their heads in the sand.  If only those who refuse to look at the truth could read this truth.  Thank you for your voice and your service.  I am sorry for the actions of my country.

Well said.  Heartbreaking.

Prepare the Swift Boats!  Where is John O’Neil when we need him. 

I’m pretty sure Tillman was a closeted gay Democrat who purposely got himself killed by friendly fire just to embarass the Bush White House and its war.

Will those liberals stop at nothing?!?!?

Thank you so much for sharing your sentiments in this article.

I have a six-year-old son.  He has always wanted to play with Batman and Spiderman toys.  I let him, but I make sure that he understands what being a “hero” really means.  There really are no heroes these days for a young boy to admire.  In my opinion, sports skills and pro-sports salaries do not a hero make. 

However, I point to your brother, Pat Tillman, as a wonderful example for my young son.  My son was born in Arizona, and since about 2003 I have kept every clipping about your brother in a file for him.  A picture of Pat hangs on the wall in his room, and we talk about Pat all the time…how good he was in school, how hard he worked as an athlete, and how he made a very important choice that involved great sacrifice. 

As my son grows up, I will share all of the articles about your brother, and explain to my son why your brother’s actions—his decision to walk away from money and fame as a professional athlete to serve our country—is what a real hero is all about.  My plan is to use the example that Pat set as a way to guide my son as he grows up, pointing to the way in which your brother set priorities, took responsibility, and was so true to himself and so brave.  In this way, I hope to honor your brother. 

I am sickened by the way the corruption of our government has transformed our country, but I look forward to the upcoming elections with hope—with hope that we will restore a government worthy to serve in the memory of true heroes like your brother, and worthy enough to serve our children as they grow up and become heroes too.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and your memories.

Thanks for writing what many of us feel.  Sorry for your loss.

Ed

Kevin,
thank you for your comments and I also extend my condolences to you and your family.  You and your
brother are very brave and thank you for defending our country.  It is unfortunate that our country is being led by such an unethical, underhanded party.  I am very enthusiatic about winning back congress and getting Bush and his fellow cronies out of office.

Sincerely,
Donna

Mr. Tillman,
Thank you for your service.  My condolences on the loss of your brother.  People like you who have served really need to have that voice that you gave to the armed forces serve the rest of humanity by continuing to keep the pressure and focus on this attrocious administration.  Please do not stop.

Kevin. Thank you for being a patriot in every sense of the word. I wish you, your family, and our country the best.

this message must reach every person on this planet as soon as possible….i also believe that millions and millions of us must quickly remove these people from our capital and restore sanity to this earth…thru the wisdom and truth of the tillman family

Kevin,

Thanks for giving the American heart a true voice. Your words awaken us and call us into true battle: The battle against the cynical, short sighted, greedy criminals posing as the protectors of freedom and democracy in Washington DC.  Your words fill me with courage, sadness, conviction and resolve.  Keep on going!!! Don’t stop. God bless you.

Allen Wood

I have tears in my eyes from your thoughts. I am a 63 years old vet who served and loves this country. I am sorry you lost your brother. You give me hope. Peace to you and your family. Carl

Kevin,
  Thank you for your service. Your brother is a credit to courage and conviction. You are a credit to honesty as well as to your brother. This administration is a credit to nothing!

Thank you Kevin Tillman.

Kevin:

Thank you so much for your brave and honest words.  I live in Arizona, where the memory of your brother is cherished and where his name is revered. 

I remember my husband coming to me with a stricken look on his face and telling me that your brother had been killed.  I admit it: we both cried.  Cried over Pat’s sacrifice.  Cried for your family.  Cried for our beloved country, which has obviously become a classic case in “the lunatics are running the asylum.”

But mostly we cried for the loss of Pat’s life.  He was sent to die by a group of cowards, liars, and thieves, most of whom never saw a day of military service.  Those that had, insulted our troops to their face.  Always remember Rummy the Dummy intoning that indeed, you go to war with the Army you have, not that Army you want.

My brother shipped out this morning for his second tour of duty over in Iraq.  He leaves behind a wife, two kids, and a family who loves him very much.  Maybe his leaving would be easier for everyone if we believed in what he was fighting for.  Maybe we would be more confident if the Commander in Thief were not AWOL.

Bless you, Kevin.  A day has not gone by in over two years where I haven’t remembered Pat at least once.

Kevin,

Thank you for your service to our country—both the service on the battlefield that we should never have asked of you in the first place, and the service you have done by writing this eloquent letter, which I will share with as many people as I can.

I can’t begin to know the pain that you feel from the loss of your brother, but I pray that you will find the strength to bear it, and to continue to work to make this country again the one that you and he knew was worth fighting for.

Thank you for writing this, Kevin.  May God bless you and your family.

Sorry for you and familys loss of loved one.I have never trusted GW Bush and cohorts.Don’t believe the truth has come out on 9—11 and what really happened while Bush was reading ‘MY PET GOAT’.Best regards to you and family,and thanks for having courage for speaking out about this corrupt regime.

and what newspaper, what congressional record , what television station, what radio station will this this be aired/shown/published on?

This is strong writing on a hard subject. Thank you for it. I am grateful to you for it, and lament its cause