Let's Talk About Heros - - -

[BLACKJACK]

LETS TALK ABOUT HEROES

WE ALL KNOW “HEROS” – WE’VE HEARD ABOUT THEM – READ ABOUT THEM – THE LUCKIEST AMOUNG US KNEW THEM. (Hell, some of us have even been accused of being one).

I’D LIKE TO PAY MY PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO JUST ONE OF THEM TODAY.

YESTERDAY, IN AFGANISTAN, NEAR THE PAKISTANI BOARDER, A YOUNG MAN NAMED PAT TILLMAN GAVE UP HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY.

PAT WAS A MEMBER OF THE 75TH RANGER BATALLION. HE WAS TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD AND HAPPILY MARRIED.

PAT TILLMAN PLAYED FOOTBALL AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE HE MAINTAINED A 3.8 GPA. (When I played football I couldn’t count to 3.8). AFTER GRADUATION HE PLAYED FOR THE ARIZONA CARDINALS.

PAT TURNED DOWN A CONTRACT OFFER FROM THE ST. LOUIS RAMS (a “Super Bowl” class team) FOR $5.2 MILLION. HE SAID HE WANTED TO STAY WITH THE CARDINALS (arguably a “lesser class” team). HE SAID IT WASN’T ABOUT MONEY – IT WAS ABOUT LOYALTY. THE CARDINALS HAD GIVEN HIM A CHANCE TO PLAY PRO FOOTBALL AND TO BE A STAR. HE WAS GOING TO STAY WITH THEM.

SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BE PRO FOOTBALL FANS - - I AM. (Hey – some guys are good enough to play at that level – the rest of us cheer like hell and drink beer). PAT TILLMAN WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST – HARDEST HITTING – SMARTEST – TEAM ORIENTED – AND SMALLEST SAFETYS IN THE NFL.

AFTER THE DISASTER OF 9-11-01 PAT WALKED AWAY FROM A THREE YEAR $3.6 MILLION CONTRACT WITH THE CARDINALS TO ENLIST IN THE ARMY WITH HIS BROTHER, KEVIN. HIS REASON: “I’VE HAD ALL THE GOOD BREAKS AND HAPPINESS THAT THERE IS. NOW, IT’S TIME TO GIVE BACK TO MY COUNTRY FOR ALL IT HAS GIVEN TO ME”.

HE COULD HAVE “DONE HIS TIME” AS A CELEBRITY IN SPECIAL SERVICES. NOPE - - JUST NOT HIS STYLE - - PAT WENT SPECIAL FORCES. PEOPLE WHO KNEW PAT – FAMILY AND FRIENDS – WERE NOT SURPRISED BY HIS ACTIONS. HE HAD ALWAYS HAD A DEEP SENSE OF LOYALTY AND COMMITMENT.

PAT – AFTER ENLISTING – REFUSED ANY “CREDIT” OR TO GIVE INTERVIEWS TO THE MEDIA. HE WAS A SOLDIER NOW.

HOW MANY OF US WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE UP FAME, AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER, FRIENDS AND FAMILY NOT TO MENTION $3.6 MILLION TO GO OFF AND BECOME A “GRUNT” FOR $17,600.00 A YEAR.

SURE - - PAT TILLMAN IS NOT THE ONLY HERO IN THIS WAR. HE JUST HAPPENS TO BE ONE WHO GAVE UP A LITTLE MORE THAN MOST TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY.

I – LIKE THE REST OF YOU, I’M SURE – AM DAMNED PROUD OF PAT TILLMAN. HIS ATTITUDE AND SACRIFICE AND SENSE OF LOYALTY EXEMPLIFIES ALL THAT IS VERY BEST IN THE AMERICAN G.I.

MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO PAT’S FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF ALL OF OUR HEROS.

YEAH – YOU’RE RIGHT – MY EYES ARE NOT PARTICULARLY DRY WHILE I’M WRITING THIS.

Y’ALL HAVE A REALY GREAT AND GRATEFUL DAY.

BLACKJACK – 21 –OUT.

[clayfoushee]

Blackjack,

This is truly an amazing story. He is a hero indeed!

[Toby]

Blackjack

Ditto, in spades

[Tom Wells]

Yo SunDance,

AMEN!

Tom

[avanti-176]

The word HERO is thrown around way too easily and lightly
these days.........



...in this case it is NOT!!

My sincerest gratitude and condolences to his and any other family that has lost a loved one to the fight for FREEDOM!

Dan

[SN8KE]

To the parents who raised a boy who grew to be everthing that is good in a man... My deepest gratitude and sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. Tillman for the loss of their hero.


Bruce

[xlr8or]

Pissed me off today when I got an email with a link to the story followed by "Hero or idiot?"

Went over and told the guy he should get the phuck out of this country and live elsewhere as he obviously doesn't deserve to live here.

This guy is great example of patriotism, loyalty and American spirit.


My sincerest condolences to his family.

[flipper35]

A great testamony for this young man AND his parents. My sympathy goes out to them. But also, they can be very proud of the child they raised.

[ToyCollector]

An amazing story about an amazing man. Glad it is getting some airtime on the radio news station I listened to today.

[I am editing this message because I am getting caught up after vacation. I need to add something here.]

I have met BLACKJACK as have many others here. It would be very easy to substitute his name for Pat's here, yet we know how modest he is. Thank you Jack, and Randy (GeorgiaSnake) for what you have done to give us the liberties to even be able to drivel on and post on sites like this!!! You are heros as well. Let us never forget. And for those that need to remember, dig into your email archives and dig out the link to the scenery of the World Trade Center disaster from 9/11/01 as a reminder of why they do what they do.

Jack, with what I hope is your permission I post two of many pics you have sent me before. I appreciate your greatness...can I have your blow-up doll when you are done with it?

[Double Venom]

I just saw it on the news, only to tune in and read Blackjack's thread. Seeing the title of the thread, I was all set to throw a little compliment toward Blackjack.
Nothing more that I can add. God must have needed a real hero.
DV..."WE" are family!

[G.R.]

Yes a Hero by every meaning of the word. Sad when $signs are the mark of a "hero".

[GeorgiaSnake]

We should all be willing to do the same........ How many would ?

Randy

[weekendwarrior]

Had a 2.5 hour drive today and Talk Radio was buzzing.

Pat showed us how to live by example not by the empty words that fill our modern lives.

God Bless, Pat, Rest in Peace.

To all US Troops - God Bless

[Bumpster]

Let us not forget the six hundred plus others who have made the same sacrifice, and those who grieve for them. Will we ever have a generation that doesn't have to go through the hell of war?

Bumpster

[RallySnake]

Blackjack,

Thanks for sharing the story.

Pat Tillman,

You are a hero in my book. I salute you.

Paul

[ToyCollector]

EDIT to my post above.

[slithering]

It's a sad day when we loose another American hero. My thoughts go out to his family. My son spent 6 months over there at the beginning of the war. He is in a Special Forces Unit and has a very different point of view of the war than the media gives us. He would go back (heaven forbid) in a second to help his comrades, like Pat Tillman. God Bless America!

Chris-
slithering

[BLACKJACK]

T.C. - - THANKS FOR THE NICE THOUGHTS AND KIND WORDS BUT I CERTAINLY DON'T DESERVE TO BE PUT IN A CLASS WITH PAT TILLMAN - OR WITH RANDY, FOR THAT MATTER.

FAR BETTER MEN THAN I ARE NO LONGER HERE TO POST ON THREADS OF ANY KIND.

MY BEST RECOLLECTION IS OF RUNNING LIKE HELL AND HIDING MOST OF THE TIME. EVERY TIME I TRIPPED OVER A LOG OR RIPPED MY KNICKERS ON THE RAZOR WIRE SOMEBODY PINNED SOMETHING ELSE ON MY SHIRT. (THERE'S ALWAYS SOME STAFFER, SOMEPLACE, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF DISPOSING OF EXTRANEOUS HARDWARE. I THINK HE'S RELATED TO SEN K.).


CHRIS - - YEAH, BUD. I RECEIVE E-MAILS ALMOST WEEKLY; FROM OVER THERE. FROM KIDS THAT I COACHED IN FOOTBALL AS WELL AS FROM SOME OLD "CONTEMPORARIES" THAT I USED TO "WORK WITH". THE INTEL I GET FROM THEM IS WAY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS DISPENSED BY THE MEDIA. THAT SEDITIOUS BUNCH OF "RECTAL APERTURES" AT THE WASHINGTON POST (AND OTHER SCANDAL SHEETS) SHOULD BE PROSECUTED FOR TREASON.

SOME OF MY YOUNG PROTEGES WERE TALKING A WEEK OR SO AGO, IN THE OFFICE, ABOUT THE WASH. POST. PAUL SAID "YOU CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE THE WANT ADS IN THE POST". YOUNG JENNIFER (23 YEARS OLD AND A VERY TALENTED INVESTIGATOR)SNAPPED RIGHT BACK AND SAID, "HELL, I DON'T EVEN TRUST THE OBITUARIES".

OBVIOUSLY I HAVE A VERY TIGHT HIRING CRITERIA. THE NICE THING ABOUT BEING SUCH A SMALL ORGANIZATION IS I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH E.E.O.C. AND THE OTHER "F.F.F.'S". (FEDRERALLY FUNDED FOLLIES).

CHRIS - TELL YOUR SON "THANKS" FROM ONE OF THE OLD DOGS.

Y'ALL HAVE A REALLY GREAT DAY.

BLACKJACK

[GeorgiaSnake]

TC your comments are indeed flattering, however my name should not be included in this thread except as a signature for my comments. I do not belong on the same page or even in the same book.

Pat Tillman sacrificed far more than I. He was on a very different path and for love of country was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so that free people have the chance to remain free.

A quick look back in our history will reveal only a handful of people willing give up the good life for the well being of their fellow man. Pat joined a select group of extraordinary people. People like Ted Williams who put his life and baseball career on hold, not once but twice, to serve his country. As long as we have people willing to make these choices we have a chance to defeat those that seek to destroy us.

Randy

[BLACKJACK]

T.C. - - - -

SORRY - I MISSED YOUR LAST SENTENCE, ABOVE.

NO, YOU CANNOT HAVE MY "BLOW-UP" DOLL !!! "WONDERFUL WANDA" AND I ARE NOW ENGAGED. IF I COULD ONLY GET HER TO STOP WEARING GARY'S (CHIPPER'S) UNDERWEAR I'D BE A HAPPY MAN.

Y'ALL HAVE A REALLY GREAT DAY.

BLACKJACK


PS: WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK UP TO THE HEART OF THE CONFEDERACY ???