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# ‘Boots on the Ground By Dusk
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/boots-on-the-ground-by-dusk/
- Published: 2008-05-30T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:06:12.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*My Tribute to Pat Tillman’*

*By BYJACKNEWORTH BOOKREVIEW JACK NEWORTH*

It’s perhaps fitting that it’s Memorial Day as I write this review of a book about the life and death of Pat Tillman, a charismatic NFL star who left behind a $3.6 million contract and a new wife to fight for his country after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11\. Tillman was so famous that following his enlistment, he received a congratulatory letter from Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.

When Tillman, 27, was killed in a fire fight in Afghanistan on April 24, 2004 the entire country grieved. His memorial service was broadcast on national television. We were told by the military that, after his convoy had been ambushed, he had charged up a hill, forcing the enemy to withdraw, and thus saved the lives of his fellow Rangers. The Army posthumously awarded him a Silver Star. The only problem was, the story wasn’t true.

Four weeks later, Kevin Tillman who was in the same platoon but was not present when his brother was killed, was told by his sergeant that Pat was killed by “friendly fire.” Pat’s mother, Mary, would have to hear the shocking news from a reporter who called assuming she knew already.

“Boots on the Ground By Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman” (coauthored by Narda Zacchino) is Mary Tillman’s emotional and compelling account of her quest for the truth about her son’s death. It outlines the ensuing cover-up, which, after four years, seven military investigations and two congressional hearings, still leaves many questions unanswered.

“Friendly fire” is a fact of war. Outright lies from the military, generally aren’t. From the very beginning Mary Tillman was slightly suspicious of the government’s story, “It was so contrived, it sounded like a John Wayne movie.” However, it wasn’t the first time this administration fabricated a story about one of its soldiers.

On March 23, 2003, Pfc. Jessica Lynch, a 19-year-old supply clerk, was captured by Iraqi forces in a fire fight during which she emptied her weapon rather than surrender. However, the truth was she had been rendered unconscious when her truck turned over and had not fired a single shot. And a week later Lynch was heroically rescued from an Iraqi hospital. But, in fact, Lynch had not been rescued under gunfire as the hospital had been abandoned and was empty of any personnel.

Why did this government lie so often? In Pat Tillman’s case, his death occurred during the month the Abu Ghraib prison scandal broke. In addition, the recent rebellions in Najaf and Fallujah handed the U.S. forces their first tactical defeat. And this was the worst month to date in the war in Iraq in terms of casualties. President Bush’s approval rating was dismal. The government needed to rally the country behind a failing war so Pat Tillman’s death became the perfect propaganda.

And the “story” might have worked, were it not for the Tillman family’s unflagging efforts to get at the truth. Pat’s death was, at best, a result of gross negligence and incompetence, and, at worst, a sinister cover-up by high-ranking officials willing to lie to a soldier’s family and the public in exchange for higher approval ratings.

The book title comes from the controversial order received by Pat Tillman’s commanding lieutenant, that they were to split the convoy in two and “have boots on the ground by dusk.” The order was given far away from the battlefield and was strongly objected to by the lieutenant. The latest story, which is highly questionable, is that the order was in fact “by dawn” and was somehow misunderstood.

As with most cover-ups, it comes with inconsistencies. Tillman’s uniform, body armor and journal were destroyed. Why? Pat Tillman’s head was nearly blown off and yet medical records from the field hospital indicate he was given CPR and defibrilla-tion. The Afghani soldier killed next to Tillman was shot eight times in the chest and yet the official report says he was prone at the time of the shooting.

It’s incomprehensible how a government asks its citizens to serve in its military when its leader opposes increased GI benefits, when its wounded are treated with inferior care (Walter Reed) or when it lies to the grieving families about the facts surround soldiers’ deaths. It’s perhaps fitting this is written days after a former press secretary said of the current president that he was not “open and forthright,” and that he had relied on “propaganda” to sell the war. It’s also worth noting that Rumsfeld, who wrote to Pat Tillman when he enlisted, didn’t send a word to the Tillmans upon Pat’s death.

The determination and courage of Mary Tillman and her family is remarkable. Pat Tillman sacrificed everything for honor and country. “Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman ” is important reading for anyone who values those principles.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/053008-19_01.jpg)

(Photo: Photo courtesy Modern Times)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 30, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/053008.pdf?ref=smdp.com)