Honoring Pat Tillman

Army Ranger and former NFL star Pat Tillman was a hero.

He was a hero not because of how he died, but because of how he lived.

He gave up a world of comfort and safety to pick up a rifle and put his ass on the line in defense of our country.

That is what every one of our troops has done in our all-volunteer military. They have all made a conscious choice to give up the cushy way of life and serve in uniform. They weren't pro-football players, but every single one of them gave up the happy land of air conditioning and MTV for a world of mortars and IEDs.

The circumstances of Tillman's death were questioned from the start. And yesterday's incredible story in the Washington Post revealed that the Army was not truthful with his family. The Army lied to the Tillmans and lied to the American public.

And Pat Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, rightfully tore into the Army for it:

"The military let him down. The administration let him down. It was a sign of disrespect. The fact that he was the ultimate team player and he watched his own men kill him is absolutely heartbreaking and tragic. The fact that they lied about it afterward is disgusting."

Disgusting and inexcusable. The Tillman family deserves to see some accountabilty. And I hope John McCain (from Tillman's home state of Arizona) jumps all over the Army for this one.

But some good can come of this. That is what a good soldier like Tillman would have wanted.

The fact that Pat Tillman died will force the American public to think a little bit more about the faces behind the numbers of dead in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For most Americans, Pat Tillman is the only person whose name they know that has died. And that is important.

It is also unprecedented.

Because the War on Terror is different from past American wars.

It is different because most of America isn't feeling the impact of this war like the Tillmans are. People don't even see the photos of the coffins coming home. Most people in this country have absolutely no personal tie to this war. A smaller percentage of the overall population is serving in Iraq than at any time in our country's modern history.

Most of you can not say the name of someone from your job, your school, or your block that has died. Most of you have not been asked to sacrifice anything. Most of you don't fear that terrible knock coming at your door. The war is something you watch on TV after coverage of the Michael Jackson trial and the Runaway Bride. For most of you, Iraq is an issue, not an experience.

Pat Tillman's death has put a very familiar face on this war now. He is a man many of us felt we knew. Sports fans saw him grind his way from college into the pros with the Arizona Cardinals. We tracked his progress. We cheered for him. And we were amazed when he gave up playing at Lambeau Field to march in formation at Mr. Benning's School for Boys.

Pat Tillman was one of the 183 American troops that has died in Afghanistan.

Pat Tillman was not character in a video game. He was not a piece on a chess board. He was a real person. And a damn good one. Just like every single one of our troops who has died. Even if you weren't a sports fan, you know his name now.

Honor him by finding out the names of some others.