Mary Tillman

The biggest fear for a family with a member in the military is of the knock on the door or the phone call reporting the death of their soldier. It must, therefore, only add salt to the wound to find out that the soldier died at the hands of his own men, and that the death might have come as a result of some bad decisions. Onetime NFL player Pat Tillman was one of the most publicized of casualties in Afghanistan. His decision to turn down a $3.6 million three-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals was widely touted as a display of true patriotism and self-sacrifice. His memorial service was televised on ESPN. Now, as the Army investigates his death, its blunders and missteps are being examined by others as well, perhaps most by Mary Tillman, the soldier's mother. In Boots on the Ground By Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman, Mary Tillman invites readers into her family's personal lives both before her son's death and during the investigation that followed. As if you didn't already have enough reasons, here's just one more to doubt the decisions currently being made by our military leaders.
Wed., May 14, 7:30 p.m., 2008