House Bill Renames VA Clinic in Memory of Army Veteran, NFL Player Pat Tillman

Pat Tillman was an All-American college football player who lived his dream in the National Football League. He gave it all up to serve in the United States military, leading to his death and a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic being named in his honor more than two decades later.

House lawmakers on Wednesday passed bipartisan legislation to rename the VA outpatient clinic in San Jose the Corporal Patrick D. Tillman VA Clinic. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and co-led by Rep. Ken Calvert (D-Calif.), was co-sponsored by every member of the California Congressional delegation. Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Democrat Adam Schiff.

“Renaming the San Jose VA clinic after Corporal Pat Tillman is about carrying on his legacy of patriotism and passion, as well as the progress we must make as a nation,” said Panetta, who spoke on the House floor after his bill’s passing. “Pat did nothing half-baked, did everything with a full heart, and represented the very best of our country in academics, athletics, and in service to the United States of America.

Corporal Tillman served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. After his April 22, 2004, death, he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

“In this day of division and dysfunction, we must always be reminded of the service and sacrifice for our great nation that Corporal Tillman exemplified,” Panetta said. “At the same time, the circumstances surrounding his death in friendly fire remind us how our Army, Congress and our country must ensure that this never happens again and how we can always do better when it comes to serving those who serve us.”

Tillman’s Complicated Legacy

Tillman played college ball at Arizona State University and earned first-team All-American honors in 1997.

He was drafted by the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals in 1998, starting 10 games as a rookie. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he rejected millions of dollars in salary to join the military with his brother, Kevin, and in 2002 both completed basic training together. They eventually became Army Rangers.

Pat was deployed in 2003 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and later, in November 2003, graduated from Ranger School.

He was then deployed to Afghanistan, which ultimately led to his death and a public scandal involving the military and Pentagon. After claims by the Army that Tillman and his unit were ambushed outside Spera, roughly 25 miles from the Pakistani border, it was ultimately revealed that he was actually killed by friendly fire.

An investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), released on March 19, 2007, found that Tillman and an Afghan Militia Force soldier, Sayed Farhad, were killed when one segment of the platoon purportedly fired upon another due to the belief they were enemies.

Scrutiny at the time led to both the Department of Defense and Congress launching investigations into their deaths, though they were initiated after Tillman’s burial and amid broader questions about how he and Farhad were killed.

Perhaps nobody was more outspoken than Mary Tillman, Pat’s mother, who said following the Pentagon investigation that the briefing “was shamefully unacceptable.”

“Human beings continue to be sacrificed on the altar of a dual foreign military occupation,” Mary Tillman said March 26, 2007. “Thousands of Americans and Afghans, hundreds of U.S. allies, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis lives have been lost and shattered. The deception surrounding this case was an insult to the family; but more importantly, [it’s] primary purpose was to deceive a whole nation.

“We say these things with disappointment and sadness for our country. Nonetheless, we will continue our search for the truth. The truth is not what we received today. Once again, we have been used as props in a Pentagon public relations exercise.”

Calvert said in a statement on Wednesday that Pat Tillman’s “extraordinary sacrifice embodies the patriotism that inspires so many to serve.”