Pat Tillman Sacrifice

Sacrifice is not facile. It is not glorious and it is not enjoyable. It requires loss and pain, Heroes make sacrifices. This narrative has bombarded the world. Heroes make sacrifice and they are able to do so because they are courageous and brave. This idea is either explicitly or implicitly presented to people, either through books, movies or in TV shows. The plot of the book, The Hunger Games showcases an example of what people think of as heroism with the character, Katniss Everdeen—a girl who sacrifices her own safety in order to keep her younger sister from harm. Heroism and sacrifice are often associated together, which explains why the military and government handled Pat Tillman’s death the way they did. People are constantly hearing …show more content…
He fought for his country and although he did not sacrifice his life on the day he died, he sacrificed it every day he fought in the war. Pat made this sacrifice possible with the values he had ingrained in the essence of his being. Before committing a single heroic act, the potential for heroism already existed in Pat and he did not disappoint; whether on a football field or on a battlefield. Pat Tillman was an ordinary man who did extraordinary activities that impacted the lives of people he both knew and did not; similar to Pat Tillman, Sherwood Davis—another ordinary man—who not only transformed his own life but he also influenced the lives of countless children. I first encountered Sherwood at the age of …show more content…
While in the army, he looked out for the underdog soldiers such as Bryan O’Neal. He took care of soldiers such as Bryan and he never became involved in hazing despite its popularity. Bryan mentions Pat with fondness, “Pat was a great guy. I looked up to him and I never wanted to disappoint him” (“The Tillman Story”). Despite his celebrity position and strength, Pat did not use his advantages in order to bully those weaker than him. This presents one of the marks of a true hero. Qualities such as these illustrate why heroes are esteemed and Pat fits this bill. His family, friends and fellow soldiers regarded him highly. This regard made the actions of the government after his death so abhorring. The highest level of the government sanctioned the cover-up of what actually happened to him and “cast a cloud of bewilderment and shame over the tragedy, compounding the heartbreak of Tillman’s death” (Krakauer). Pat Tillman did not deserve the shame that associated with his death, although he had no fault in the matter. Further evidence that Pat Tillman had the characteristic of a true hero remains seen in what he wrote in his journal while serving in Iraq. He wrote that he wanted “to do good, influence lives, show truth and right” (Krakauer). Pat mentioned attributes of heroes in his journal showing that he recognized the significance of these values and consciously aspired towards them. Pat