Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman was an American football player in the National Football League. He left his sports career and enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Tillman was the first professional football player to be killed in combat since Bob Kalsu, who died in the Vietnam War in 1970. Tillman was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal. He also received posthumous Silver Star and Purple Heart Medals.
Tillman and his brother, Kevin, enlisted on May 31, 2002, and by September 2002, they completed basic training together. The two brothers then completed the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program and were assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington.
Tillman’s service in Iraq and Afghanistan and subsequent death were the subjects of national attention. At first, the Army reported that Tillman had been killed by enemy fire. Controversy ensued when a month later, on May 28, 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman family that a friendly fire incident had killed him. Tillman's platoon leader First Lieutenant David Uthlaut and his radiotelephone operator (RTO), 19-year-old Jade Lane, were also wounded in the incident. An investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) concluded that Tillman was killed by friendly fire when one allied group fired upon another in confusion following nearby gunfire that was mistakenly believed to be from enemy combatants.
The CID report summary, dated March 19, 2007, stated that:
" ... during their movement through the canyon road, Serial 2 (Tillman's platoon had to split up because of a broken Humvee; the parts were called Serial 1 and 2) was ambushed and became engaged in a running gun battle with enemy combatants. Serial 1 (Tillman's portion of the platoon) had just passed through the same canyon without incident and were approximately one kilometer ahead of Serial 2. Upon hearing explosions, gunfire, and sporadic radio communication from Serial 2, Serial 1 dismounted their vehicles and moved on foot, to a more advantageous position to provide over watch and fire support for Serial 2's movement out of the ambush. Upon exiting the gorge, and despite attempts by Serial 1 to signal a "friendly position," occupants of the lead vehicle of Serial 2 opened fire on Tillman's position, where he was fatally shot."
(Image via Wikipedia; Facebook)
Did you know...
- After her role as First Lady came to an end, Jackie Kennedy went into the publishing business. She became an associate editor at Doubleday and worked mostly on autobiographies. In fact, she was one of two original editors for Michael Jackson's 2009 autobiography Moonwalk, a #1 New York Times bestseller.
- Jennifer Aniston's star-defining role on friends started a hair craze in the 90s that even lasted into the early 2000s. Called "The Rachel," Aniston's shoulder-length haircut had grown-out bangs and highlights styled to perfection. A hairdresser in Detroit noted that at the peak of its popularity, 40% of her business was devoted to recreating "The Rachel." Too bad that it was notoriously difficult to maintain on your own at home.
- In the summer of 2007, Joh Hamm became a household name when Mad Men premiered to critical acclaim and strong ratings. Just over a year and a half later, Ellie Kemper stole America's hearts (and Dwight's and Andy's) when she became the new receptionist on The Office. Before they were famous, Hamm was Kemper's high school drama teacher!
- While attending the Grammys in February 2000, Jennifer Lopez stepped out in a green Versace dress that instantly became a phenomenon. The barely-there ensemble had a dramatically low cut that came below JLo’s belly button. It became such a talking point that it was Google’s most popular search query up to that point, and it spurred the company to include images into search results. It became the motivation for Google Images.
- When Rihanna debuted her famous red locks in 2010 (around the same time she was featured on Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie"), she started a red-hair trend. Over the next twelve months, she changed her hairstyle 13 times—more than once a month! But that came at a pricey cost. Sources say the annual price tag came out to $1,168,000 on just her hair.