Reply #46: I want to say his killing was a tragic accident in combat

[malmapus]

I don't have all the facts, I don't know what happened out there. But I have been sitting here reflecting on personal experience (probaly more than I should have..gonna pay for it I'm sure today).

But if he was 70 yards away, that is a freaking long distance. Hear me out, all I can remember from my boots is the sound of my M-16 and the weapons of my team / buddies close to me (as well as the occasional round passing by that got to close). There is shouting and other stuff. If Pat was 70 yards away shouting his name, no way in hell would the guys be able to hear him and from 70 yards he's a silouette, espicially if he would be hunkered down trying not to get shot. Combat is freaking chaos on earth, I don't know how it started, but Rangers are well known for making chaos when shit hits the fan (that's what they do, blow stuff up).

3 rounds in his head, I take that to be a tight shot group. Could have been one Ranger put those rounds through him with weapon in burst.


Now what I believe is that the Army did try to cover it all up, of all the people to be killed by friendly fire, it was this pro-football guy. The man who left it all to serve his country. Not only serve his country but volunteered to be a Ranger. He could have gone in and worked the S-1 behind a desk, but he wanted to be all he could be so to speak and became this patriot that the administration and media drooled over.

But like I said, I wasn't there when it happened so I am just reflecting on personal experience of being in a fire fight. I guess I just still remember some of the Ranger creed "never shall I fail my comrades," when I went through Pre-Ranger and want to believe it still holds meaning.

Hope what I tried to convey makes any type of sense. I don't want to sound like I'm defending his killers, well if it was an accident I am..because the one who put those rounds through him will be living with it for the rest of his life.