Bush can't recall on Tillman By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer
President Bush said Thursday he can't recall when he learned that Army Ranger Pat Tillman died by friendly fire, not at the hands of the enemy in Afghanistan, as the Pentagon originally claimed.
"I can't give you the precise moment, but obviously the minute I heard that the facts that most people believed were true were not true, that I expect there to be a full investigation and get to the bottom of it," Bush said in response to a question at a news conference.
His comments came as congressional Democrats press an investigation to determine what the White House and top Defense Department officials knew about the circumstances of Tillman's death on April 22, 2004, and when. Though Tillman's direct superiors knew almost immediately that his death was friendly fire, the truth was kept from the public and Tillman's family for five weeks.
Tillman's death attracted attention because he had turned down an NFL contract to join the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
"I can understand why Pat Tillman's family, you know, has got significant emotions. A man they loved and respected was killed while he was serving his country," Bush said.
"I always admired the fact that a person who was relatively comfortable in life would be willing to take off one uniform and put on another to defend America, and the best way to honor that commitment of his is to find out the truth, and I'm confident the Defense Department wants to find out the truth too and will lay it out for the Tillman family," Bush said.
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