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| From NFL to Ranger, Tillman ready to go. |
| 2003-02-10 |
| The phone rang in Larry Marmie's house late Sunday night. It was Ranger Tillman checking in, saying hello from his new station at Fort Lewis, Wash. "Are you in a position now where you can actually be deployed?" the Cardinals defensive coordinator asked. "Within 18 hours," Pat Tillman replied. Just like that, the phone will ring and Tillman could be on his way to Iraq. For those keeping score, Tillman and his brother, Kevin, are now full-fledged Army Rangers. They completed infantry training. They became certified airborne parachutists. And just before Christmas, they graduated from RIP, the Ranger Indoctrination Program that separates great men from the really good ones. Of course, no one doubted Tillman would get to this point when he walked away from the decadent life of a professional athlete and a contract that would've paid him $3.6 million over a three-year period. After he told a friend at Arizona State that life had become "too (bleeping) easy," no one thought Tillman wouldn't succeed at scaling mountain cliffs, slogging through dangerous swamps and jumping five times out of a perfectly good airplane. But it's a different world now. If the United States attacks Iraq in the coming weeks, chances are good that Rangers will be first on the scene. And that could mean deployment of the Tillman brothers, who are now part of the 75th Ranger Regiment, a brotherhood of three battalions and 2,300 men. "He will move with his unit for whatever that unit is involved in, be it training or real world," said Carol Darby, spokesperson for the Army Special Operations command. "He's a full-fledged Ranger now. He's ready for combat." While Tillman has one step left - the arduous "Ranger School" where graduates earn the coveted Ranger tab - it is not what Darby called a "showstopper." Darby said many Rangers who don't have their tab participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. A story in the New York Times pointed out that many newborn Rangers were ordered to Somalia in 1993, thrust into frenzied battles that were reenacted in the movie Black Hawk Down. Essentially, Tillman is primed and loaded for bear. And if you think the change in the world climate has made the former NFL safety yearn for the comfort of a 5-11 football team, you're wrong. "I can tell you that he sounded extremely upbeat and happy," Marmie said. "He was really feeling good about things." It has been eight months since Tillman came home from his honeymoon and promptly left the Cardinals to become a legitimate American hero. He is an athlete who has learned combat skills, compass readings and how to survive chemical and nuclear attacks. And now that his country may soon be calling, Tillman couldn't be more enthused about his new uniform. "I've worked for the Army for 27 years, and it's a time unlike any I've ever seen," Darby said. "I've seen some people making some very difficult decisions during a very difficult time for our nation. And while I can't speak for any single soldier, I can tell you that Ranger Tillman has made it very clear that he wants to be a Ranger. He's worked toward a goal, he's made it, and he's declined all media interviews. And we all think it's very admirable." But, one day, Tillman will surely tell his story to a captivated nation. God willing. Unlike many athletes, Pat Tillman is a real role model. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 God Bless Pat and his ultimate sacrifice. Reading these articles now bring goose bumps and tears. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4508 2004-04-23 3:05:01 PM |
| #5 I grew up watching the Cardinals when they played in St. Louis. We made jokes about them toward the end of their run here. But Cardinal jokes are now over. Good luck, Ranger! |
| Posted by: Christopher Johnson 2003-02-10 20:02:24 |
| #4 Amen, and Godspeed to you, Pat. |
| Posted by: growler 2003-02-10 15:52:54 |
| #3 Amazing. A true American hero. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-02-10 14:16:02 |
| #2 Good luck and good hunting, Pat. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-02-10 13:40:37 |
| #1 Amen, and Godspeed to you, Pat. |
| Posted by: growler 2/10/2003 3:52:54 PM |