Jessica Lynch. As she lay wounded, fought off attackers, first using a gun, then using a knife, until, outnumbered, she was captured. After captured she was mistreated by her captors, before she was heroically rescued by fellow soldiers.
That story turned out to be total bullshit. There was no heroic struggle and there was no heroic rescue.
Pat Tillman. Killed on a mountain ridge in Afghanistan by the Taliban while bravely protecting others in his unit.
Also bullshit. He was killed by friendly fire.
The most disturbing thing about these incidents is that the Pentagon knew the truth behind these stories, but chose to lie and put forward these myths. It is an insult to Lynch, who disavowed the heroic story as soon as she was able to, and to Tillman, whose parents have lashed out against the Army for using their son for propaganda.
Lynch, the diminutive woman with the courage of 10 men, and Tillman, a pro football player who turned down millions in order to serve his country, are undoutedly heroes worthy of our praise, regardless of all the mythmaking surrounding them. It’s too bad the government felt the need to use them for their own promotional purposes.
Our government are bold-faced liars with no shame. Read those two stories and try to argue otherwise. I’d love to hear your justification.
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