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<i>“The bottom line is American people are capable of determining their own ideas for heroes. They don’t need to be told elaborate tales.” — Former POW, Pfc.
Jessica Lynch</i>
The Iraq veteran had it dead right in her testimony to a U.S. House committee Tuesday about the military deliberately misleading the public on war incidents.
The Lynch story has been overridden by the much bigger story of the lies and cover-up of the friendly fire death of Army Ranger and former football star Pat Tillman.
After soldiers came clean with the true stories, it is obvious now that the military in both cases went into the public relations mode to put a shiny glow on the war.
Lynch’s unit was ambushed in Iraq and she and others were taken captive and then rescued. The Army first trumped up a story of her Rambo-like fighting before she was overtaken. Turns out the former truck-driver didn’t fire a shot. Then the “daring rescue” released on video was a sham since soldiers walked uncontested into an abandoned clinic.
Lynch later confirmed that the original story was a lie and had the grace to say that the real heroes were her comrades who died fighting during the ambush.
The Tillman case is more explosive. Not only did the military cover up that he was killed by one of his own team members, but turned him into a hero, posthumously awarding him the Silver Star for valor.
Tillman family members aren’t willing to let it rest.
Some Army officials are squirming under the public revelation of their deceit. The accusations aren’t coming from a leftist anti-war group, but from such people as Tillman’s brother, himself a combat veteran.
He is rightfully resentful that the Army tried to turn a tragedy into an “opportunity.”
The Army’s own investigation into the cover-up came up blank.
The giant question that still deserves an answer is how high up the chain of command did the deceit go? Does it reach the Pentagon or Department of Defense?
Trying to make heroes out of misfortune is shameful. It cheapens the memories of real heroes, of servicemen and servicewomen who put their lives at risk and fought valiantly to save the lives of their fellow soldiers. There are true stories of these soldiers coming out of the Iraq war. We don’t need make-believe ones.
When the military is caught lying in these cases, it casts doubts on their credibility on other issues as well. When officials say the war is going well, or things are improving, or prisoners are being treated fairly, are we to believe them?
Congress is right to pursue the Tillman case, as painful as it is, so that all military officials understand the repercussions of lying to the American public.
Let the facts, and the truth, speak for themselves.
Let’s honor the real heroes.
Jessica Lynch</i>
The Iraq veteran had it dead right in her testimony to a U.S. House committee Tuesday about the military deliberately misleading the public on war incidents.
The Lynch story has been overridden by the much bigger story of the lies and cover-up of the friendly fire death of Army Ranger and former football star Pat Tillman.
After soldiers came clean with the true stories, it is obvious now that the military in both cases went into the public relations mode to put a shiny glow on the war.
Lynch’s unit was ambushed in Iraq and she and others were taken captive and then rescued. The Army first trumped up a story of her Rambo-like fighting before she was overtaken. Turns out the former truck-driver didn’t fire a shot. Then the “daring rescue” released on video was a sham since soldiers walked uncontested into an abandoned clinic.
Lynch later confirmed that the original story was a lie and had the grace to say that the real heroes were her comrades who died fighting during the ambush.
The Tillman case is more explosive. Not only did the military cover up that he was killed by one of his own team members, but turned him into a hero, posthumously awarding him the Silver Star for valor.
Tillman family members aren’t willing to let it rest.
Some Army officials are squirming under the public revelation of their deceit. The accusations aren’t coming from a leftist anti-war group, but from such people as Tillman’s brother, himself a combat veteran.
He is rightfully resentful that the Army tried to turn a tragedy into an “opportunity.”
The Army’s own investigation into the cover-up came up blank.
The giant question that still deserves an answer is how high up the chain of command did the deceit go? Does it reach the Pentagon or Department of Defense?
Trying to make heroes out of misfortune is shameful. It cheapens the memories of real heroes, of servicemen and servicewomen who put their lives at risk and fought valiantly to save the lives of their fellow soldiers. There are true stories of these soldiers coming out of the Iraq war. We don’t need make-believe ones.
When the military is caught lying in these cases, it casts doubts on their credibility on other issues as well. When officials say the war is going well, or things are improving, or prisoners are being treated fairly, are we to believe them?
Congress is right to pursue the Tillman case, as painful as it is, so that all military officials understand the repercussions of lying to the American public.
Let the facts, and the truth, speak for themselves.
Let’s honor the real heroes.
