Greetings Family & Friends,

Most of you by now are familiar with the story of Pat Tillman.  Pat Tillman was the finest example of America.  A high school, college and NFL football star and an academic with a 3.84 GPA in college.  He graduated with summa cum laude honors in 1997 after 3½ academic years.  Pat was a hard hitting safety and played for three years for the Arizona Cardinals setting a franchise record for tackles in 2000.  In 2001 the St. Louis Rams offered Pat Tillman a $9 million contract - he turned it down out of loyalty to the Cardinals, accepting a contract for a third of that. 

September 11th deeply affected Pat.  In an interview the day after the terrible attacks, Pat said, "At times like this, you stop and think about not only how good we have it, but what kind of system we live under, what freedoms we're allowed.  That wasn't built overnight.''  He continued, "My grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I haven't really done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that.''

After returning from his honeymoon the following May, Pat enlisted in the Army with his brother (a promising baseball player in his own right) and ended his football career to serve this great nation.  As an Army Ranger his salary would be $18,000. 

Pat Tillman completed the elite Army Ranger training with his brother and served a tour in Iraq.  He was back stateside for a short time before being shipped out to Afghanistan. 

On Thursday, April 22, 2004, Tillman was the group leader in a combat patrol in a mountainous region of Afghanistan near the Pakistan border taking part in Operation Mountain Storm - the hunt for al-Qaeda remnants and Osama bin Laden.  Tillman's group was the lead group in a ground assault convoy traversing cavernous terrain that left no room for the group to maneuver making it what the army describes as a "kill zone."  Tillman's group had moved safely out of the area when the trailing group came under mortar and small arms fire.

Tillman's heroic action coming to the aid of the trailing group would earn him a Silver Star.  He ordered his group out of their vehicles and up a hill to engage the enemy.  At the crest of the hill, Tillman returned fire with his M249, a light-weight machine gun. The army's award announcement states, ‘‘Through the firing Tillman's voice was heard issuing fire commands to take the fight to the enemy on the dominating high ground."  It continues, ‘‘Only after his team engaged the well-armed enemy did it appear their fires diminished."

With the intervention of Tillman's group, the second group was able to move out of the kill zone without casualty.  Tillman was shot and killed.  His platoon leader was one of two other Americans wounded.  An Afghan soldier assisting the Rangers was also killed.

"I miss my son," said Pat Tillman Sr., who spoke briefly at his son's funeral, "and it's not getting any better."

What would make a man seemingly give up everything to serve his nation? 

Those who knew Pat Tillman the best said this was just how Pat was.  Pat Tillman made a decision based on his values and words that many take for granted - honor, courage, commitment, patriotism.  Many speak those words - Pat Tillman lived them.  The truth is no one other than his family knows Pat Tillman's reasons for sacrificing everything to serve our country.  After enlisting he refused to speak to the media and turned down book and movie deals as has his family since his death.  He wasn't looking for the easy thing to do, just the right thing.

I of course never met Pat Tillman - although I can say now it truly would have been one of the greatest honors of my life.

Having said that, I've known him all my life.

I have a cousin named Pat Tillman - he is now serving in Iraq.  My dad is named Pat Tillman and served in the Air Force in Guam during the Cold War.  My sister's boss' dad is named Pat Tillman - he stormed Utah Beach in 1944.  My best friend is named Pat Tillman - he and I served together in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Strike and Operation Southern Watch in 1996.  A co-worker's son's name is Pat Tillman - he will be leaving in a few weeks to start a career in the Army. 

I was in the Navy for over six years and had many friends, superiors and subordinates named Pat Tillman.

Pat Tillman is everywhere.

He is 18, he is 38.  He's single, he's married with two kids.  He is from New York City, he is from Beloit, Kansas.  He barely made it through high school, he has a Ph.D.  He is black, white, red and every other color.

The Pat Tillman story seems extraordinary.  But, when put in the proper context, it is merely typical of those who served and are currently serving in the United States military. 

There are over a hundred thousand Pat Tillman's currently serving in the Middle East and hundreds of thousands more doing important jobs and sacrificing for our nation in the military across the globe.  Millions have served in the past.  They may not have given up the money that Pat Tillman did, but they have given up plenty.  Birthdays, anniversaries, childbirths, Christmases, graduations and more.

Hundreds of thousands have made the ultimate sacrifice since the birth of our nation nearly 228 year ago.

Jim Rome, an ESPN and radio sports-show host said at Pat Tillman's funeral, "As it turns out, winning isn't everything and winning isn't the only thing," Rome said.  "But risking your life for a belief is."

"Pat didn't see the world like the rest of us," Rome added.  "After it was announced that Pat would give up playing in the NFL to join the Rangers with his brother Kevin, everybody asked:  How could he do that?  Pat thought:  How could I not?"

Pat's life was a very brief 27 years.  1976 - 2004.  That one small dash represents a lifetime. 

How do we spend our dash? 

It's a question worth asking yourself, in memory of all the Pat Tillman's. 

The soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen of our great nation have fought and died on shores near and far.  This Memorial Day I honor all of the Pat Tillman's who have served and are serving this great nation and I urge every American to do the same.

In closing I want to send a special note to those members of the Greatest Generation who served in World War II.  This weekend, these men and women will finally receive the memorial that they have deserved for so long.  Following a cowardly attack on our nation on December 7, 1941, an entire generation of Americans stood together and fought the forces of evil.

16 million Americans served in uniform during World War II.

408,306 of them gave their lives to defend this great nation.

These men and women, who will be honored this Saturday, served with the pride, honor, courage and selflessness that all of us should aspire to.

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, "We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." 

God bless you and God bless America! 

          T