Tillman's brother breaks silence

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John Faherty

The Arizona Republic

Kevin Tillman has finally spoken.

The former Army Ranger served in Iraq and Afghanistan along with his older brother, Pat Tillman, who was celebrated as a paradigm of American patriotism when he quit the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army.

Kevin has remained silent since his brother's 2004 death. But, this week, he wrote what can only be described as a scathing indictment of the war in Iraq, the Bush administration and American apathy.

"Somehow, the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes," Kevin wrote on Truthdig.com, which purchased his work.

The brothers, both Arizona State University graduates, joined the Army in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The brothers served together as Rangers with the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment.

They were in Afghanistan when Pat, 27, was killed by friendly fire in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border.

Since his discharge from the Army, Kevin has not spoken publicly about the war or his brother's death.

But in Truthdig.com, Kevin wrote openly about the war and America's response to it.

"Somehow, the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

"Somehow, this is tolerated.

"Somehow, nobody is accountable for this."

After starring for Arizona State University's Sun Devils, Pat Tillman was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998. He played with the team for four years.

On Sept. 12, 2001, he gave an interview in which he talked about how "stupid" football seemed relative to world events.

"At times like this, you stop and think about not only how good we have it but what kind of system we live under," Pat said.

"My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor. And a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars. And I really haven't done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that."

In the spring of 2002, Pat was on the verge of signing another contract with the team when he decided to join the Army, instead.

Kevin, who played minor-league baseball after playing at ASU, joined the Army with his brother.

The Tillmans were initially sent to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2003, the brothers returned to the U.S. for training to become Army Rangers.

After that, they were sent to Afghanistan.

Kevin stayed in the Army until his discharge last year.

In the aftermath of Pat's death, his family would come to vehemently criticize the Army's investigation of the events that led to Pat's death and the Army's actions after he was killed.