An Unfriendly Truth
I confess that I've never turned to
ESPN before for high-powered investigative reporting, but
"An Un-American Tragedy" by
Mike Fish
has converted me. Fish raises troubling questions about the friendly
fire death of Army ranger and former NFL safety Pat Tillman in
Afghanistan, how the Army acted afterward and whether his death was
used for political purposes. To report this story, ESPN.com reviewed
Army documents and interviewed some of Tillman's relatives, his fellow
Rangers, Army officials and medical and military experts. In addition
to Fish's sharply written story, the Web package includes an
interactive map of the Afghan valley where Tillman died, profiles of
the other Rangers shot that day, a timeline, great photos and links to
transcripts of the investigation. My gratitude to the Poynter
Institute's Al Tompkins for pointing out this excellent story.