By Andrew Malekoff

Another Veteran’s Day 2022 passed a few weeks ago. In six months we will commemorate Memorial Day. I don’t know if it was calculated, but I do appreciate having these two bookend observances, alternating halfway throughout each year, to honor those that served our nation.

Beyond the calendar days that have been carved out to officially honor and remember our veterans, I always find time to quietly reflect on the commitment, courage and sacrifice of those who served our nation.

Official observance days like these remind us of the irredeemable debt of gratitude we owe to generations of troops, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice, to protect and preserve our democracy – our way of life – a battle we continue to fight mightily today against enemies foreign and, increasingly, domestic.

With the growth of social media, more and more people post photos and remembrances of their loved ones in uniform.

This allows me to get to know strangers who I find myself drawn to, whose stories are captivating and worth amplifying because of the universal truths they reveal, whether tragic or heroic. The photos offer a sense of pride and, too often, heartbreak.

The story I am about to tell you is not a new one. I know. Yet, the story of Pat Tillman is one that has stayed with me for decades and won’t let go. It bears repeating. And, remembering.

Mary Tillman is the mother of Army Ranger Pat Tillman who was killed in Spera, Afghanistan in 2004. She wrote the 2008 book “Boots on the Ground by Dusk.” The book details her efforts to find the truth behind her son’s death and expose a cover-up by the Pentagon and the White House.

She dedicated the book to “all military families, who are seeking to understand the sacrifices their sons and daughters have made. They too are entitled to the truth from their government.” I am reminded of the poster: “When government lies, democracy dies.”

Pat Tillman was arguably the most famous soldier serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was an outstanding professional football player with the Arizona Cardinals who passed up a multi-million dollar contract to join the U.S. Army in 2002.

Tillman’s family had a legacy of military service and he felt compelled to follow in their footsteps after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack against America. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment.

Pat Tillman had movie star good looks and an incisive and curious mind. He was a free spirit. He did not subscribe to any religion, yet he was deeply spiritual.

He married his high school sweetheart Marie and, with her support, he enlisted in the Army along with his younger brother Kevin.

The day after 9/11 he spoke out on a web interview, “My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that,” said Tillman. “And so I have a great deal of respect for those that have, and what the flag stands for.”

When the United States’ invaded Afghanistan in 2002, Tillman said, regarding his decision to enlist, “Sports embodied many of the qualities I deem meaningful. However, these last few years, and especially after recent events, I’ve come to appreciate just how shallow and insignificant my role is. It’s no longer important.”

Tillman expected to serve in Afghanistan, but did not anticipate the war in Iraq where he spent his first tour of duty, all the time uneasy about fighting what he considered to be an illegal war.

Sometime later, while in a canyon in Afghanistan, he was killed by gunfire. His death on April 22, 2004 was first attributed to an ambush by enemy forces. A nationally televised memorial service was held to honor him on May 3, 2004.

As more details were known regarding the circumstances that led to his death it was clear that he was not ambushed by the enemy but was killed as the result of fratricide – “friendly fire.”

Official documents later revealed that the Army withheld this information from the family and public until sometime after the memorial service.

In the intervening years, Pat’s mom Mary doggedly poured through thousands of pages of heavily redacted testimony in order to get to the truth. Regarding her tireless search she observed, “This isn’t about Pat, this is about what they did to Pat and what they did to a nation. By making up these false stories you’re diminishing their true heroism.”

Although the Tillman Story is more well-known than other accounts of war, and the war in Afghanistan has come to a close, in the days, months and years to come more and more soldiers will be completing their service and returning home from wherever they may be stationed.

Sadly, there are always too many returning veterans and families that are left with only emptiness, grief and futility.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data, NY State is home to 678,833 veterans (152,985 on Long Island). Tragically, 6.8 percent live in poverty, and 1,270 are homeless.

In all cases, we owe our veterans and their families our understanding and support.

On Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day and each and every day.

We owe them everything.