Former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, opening statements at August 1, 2007 congressional hearing on the death of Army Ranger, Pat Tillman.
Video Transcript
we would hear what you have to saythank you mister chairman members of the
committee you've requested that uh... weappear today to discuss our knowledge of
the circumstances surrounding the deathof u_s_ army corporal after tomfirst i want to again extend my deepest
sympathies to the tillman familypurple tillman staff and the deaths of
thousands of men and women who havegiven their lives in our nation's
service have brought great sorrowto the lives of their families and their
loved onesbears' agree felt by all who have had
the privilege of serving alongside thosein uniformhandling of the circumstances
surrounding purple tones deathcould only have added to the pain of
losing a loved onei personally and i'm sure all connected
with the department extenderdeep regretone of the department of defense is
foremost responsibilities is to tell thetruth to someof the three million military civilian
contractors employees who dedicate theircareers to defending our nationto the military families who endure the
extended absence of their fathersmothers husbands wivessons and daughtersand to the american people for whom all
of those connected to the department ofdefense strive each day to protectin march two thousand two early in my
tenure as secretary of defense i wrote amemo for the men and women of the
department of defense title principlesfor the department of defensei've attached a copynow that memo to my testimonyyou'll note that principle number one
the very firstaddresses the points that both you and
mister davis of many it says do nothingthat can raise questions about the
credibility of d_o_d_department officials must tell the truth
and must be believed to be telling thetruth or are important work is
underminedmr chairman your invitation to today's
hearing u_s_ that we'd be prepared todiscuss how we learned of the
circumstances surrounding purple tillmanstaffwhen we learned of itand whom we discussed iti'm prepared to respond to the questions
which pertain to these matters to thebest of my abilityin december two thousand six i sent a
letter to the actinginspector general of the department of
defense mister thomas kimballdescribing my best recollection of those
eventswhich by that point had occurred some
two and a half years previouslythe committee has been given a copy of
that letter and i'd like to quote aportion of itquote i'm told that i received word of
this development sometime after maytwenty two thousand four but my
recollection reflects the fact that itoccurred well over two years agoas a result i do not recall when i first
learned about the possibility thatcorporal tillman staff might have
resulted from fratricidei went on to say i'm confident that i
did not discuss this matter with anyoneoutside of the department of defenseobviously during that early period i
have subsequently tube for that perioduh...when i wrote in december two thousand
six remains my best recollection todayand when i was informed and with whom i
talked before may twentyunderstand that the may twenty two
thousanddate which shortly before their children
family was informed of the circumstanceson may twenty six two thousand fouryour invitation to appear before the
committee also asked about my knowledgeof a personal four or p four message
dated april twenty ninth two thousandfourthat message was not addressed to mei don't recall seeing it until recent
days when copies have been madeavailablethere are a great many indeed many
thousands of communications throughoutthe department of defense that the
secretary of defense does not seeand stand at the acting inspector
general's report concluded that therewere errors among some of those
responsiblefor the initial reportsany reason such as situation are most
unfortunate the two months were owed thetruth delivered in a forthright and
timely mannerand certainly the truth was owed to the
memory of the man who's valor dedicationand sacrifice to his country remains an
example for all thank you misterchairman
The construction contract for the Colorado River Bridge, was awarded to the joint venture partnership of Obayashi Corporation and PSM Construction USA, Inc., in October of 2004 for US$ 114 million. Construction began in early 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2010. When completed, the 2000 ft-long (610 m) Colorado River Bridge will span the Black Canyon (about 1500 ft/457 m south of the Hoover Dam), connecting the Arizona and Nevada Approach highways nearly 900 ft (274 m) above the Colorado River. The construction requirements and challenges are as difficult as any in the world.
ESPN Nov 2009 - Marie Tillman, the wife of former Arizona cardinal and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, speaks for the first time since her husband's death from friendly fire.
John Anderson, ESPN SportsCenter Anchor, Co-Host of ABC's Wipeout and Pat Tillman Foundation supporter - invites you to support the Tillman Military Scholars program.
Pat's Run in San Jose, April 25th 2009. A benefit for Pat Tillman, former NFL Arizona Cardinals. Who died in Afghanistan.The foundation goal & mission is to carry forward Pat's Legacy by inspiring people to make positive changes in themselves and in the world around them. Over 6000 joggers & runners participated in the events.National Anthem by Thia Megia volunteer
BAR-LEV: There's a sense that this is a story that is over. That this is something we look back on about the Bush administration. In fact, this is a story that continues to this day. Nobody's ever been called to account for their actions...This was a deliberate attempt to cover up the facts.
Paying attention to the neverending story at
http://www.michaelmoore.com
Michael Moore discusses 'The Tillman Story' with (L-R) Actor Josh Brolin, former soldier Russell Baer, producer John Battsek and director Amir Bar-Lev following a special screening at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 on August 11, 2010 in New York City.
'The Tillman Story' opens Friday, August 20th in New York and Los Angeles. Don't miss it: http://www.tillmanstory.com/
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform holds a hearing entitled "Misleading Information from the Battlefield." The hearing focuses on the death of Army Ranger Specialist Patrick Tillman in Afghanistan and the capture and rescue of Army Private Jessica Lynch in Iraq. The Committee examines why inaccurate accounts of these two incidents were disseminated, the sources and motivations for the accounts, and whether the appropriate Administration officials have been held accountable. Specialist Patrick Tillman's brother Kevin Tillman gives opening remarks.
Keith Olbermann asks Wes Clark about the cover-up of Tillman's murder. Clark says orders for such a whitewash would have to come from "the very top." The Rabbit Hole on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rabbitholenews
Marie Tillman discusses her experience at CGI U and as advocate and founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation, a nonprofit organization that invests in veterans and their families through education and community. In the fall of 2008, she began a major initiative, the Tillman Military Scholars program, which aims to create the next generation of leaders by helping a select group of veterans, active service members, and their dependents fulfill their academic dreams.
Video production courtesy Triton TV /
This is an amazing bridge. The 1,900-foot engineering wonder perched 890 feet above the Colorado River bridges 2 states, Nevada and Arizona. It took five years and 21,000 workers to build the dam, and it cost $240 million. The Mike O'Callaghan and Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge is the longest bridge built with concrete arches in the western hemisphere, according to the Transportation Department. The arches measure 1,060 feet.
Songs and Music content by: Emerson Lake and Palmer, and Muse.
A full wrap up of the festivities surrounding the opening of the Hoover Dam Bridge that is officially named the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.
