TheNoNamedOne
08-01-2007, 08:21 PM
Pat Tillman's death is a prime example of lying about facts in a combat related death. Incidents such as his may be due to embarrassment, a wish to make a family proud, to mitigate loss by appealing to patriotism etc...
Not only death citations, but perhaps awards and medals from actions in combat (or supposed combat), too, are embellished. The motive to do so is quite strong, and along with those reasons listed above, serve to deepen military pride in service and history. I am not suggesting that all are embellished or outright falsifications and lies, but I do think that it may be more than a small percentage that are so.
How about you? Do you believe all the heroic action described in the citations and awards? I don't, and am quite skeptical of them. I tend to think that those which are uncovered as lies are like the tip of an iceberg -- giving us a glimpse at only 10% of the lies.
Romanticising real deeds and deaths with fictitious flare soothes the soul of survivors who take some comfort in that, or in telling their children how a father or mother died. Perhaps it is a little like ointment for the heart -- almost as if it, too, comes nicely folded in the shape of a flag that is government issued.
Not only death citations, but perhaps awards and medals from actions in combat (or supposed combat), too, are embellished. The motive to do so is quite strong, and along with those reasons listed above, serve to deepen military pride in service and history. I am not suggesting that all are embellished or outright falsifications and lies, but I do think that it may be more than a small percentage that are so.
How about you? Do you believe all the heroic action described in the citations and awards? I don't, and am quite skeptical of them. I tend to think that those which are uncovered as lies are like the tip of an iceberg -- giving us a glimpse at only 10% of the lies.
Romanticising real deeds and deaths with fictitious flare soothes the soul of survivors who take some comfort in that, or in telling their children how a father or mother died. Perhaps it is a little like ointment for the heart -- almost as if it, too, comes nicely folded in the shape of a flag that is government issued.