James Coleman
Orders vs. Morals
The struggle between right and wrong is a timeless battle that each person faces at critical moments in their lives. There will always arise an occasion when one is asked to go against their beliefs, and a choice must be made. In Jon Krakauer’s Where Men Win Glory, Pat Tillman was killed on active duty in Afghanistan by friendly fire, and the Army chose to cover it up. They ordered his platoon not to share any details of the fatal battle, and told them to inform anyone who asked that he was simply killed, leaving people to infer that it was by Taliban insurgents. Tillman’s friends and fellow soldiers were forced to make a decision that no man should have to make: to obey orders, or to do what was right.
Pat Tillman was the kind of man that people described as a self-confident, honorable, and respectable person. Tillman played football for the Arizona Cardinals for three years before the attack of 9/11 changed his life. He saw what the terrorists had done and decided that he felt morally obligated to serve his country, and fight for the freedom that the Taliban was threatening. This was the first example of a choice between “orders” and morals. Tillman gave up a multimillion dollar NFL contract that many people were urging him to keep, in order to enlist in the Army for a paycheck of just over $1,000 per month. He obviously did not care about the money, but instead chose to pursue what he felt was right and enlist. So, in 2002, Tillman and his brother Kevin both enlisted in the 75th Ranger Regiment.
When Tillman was deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, he was a crucial part of a tightly knit team. His platoon was closer than friends, they were more like family. So, when Tillman was killed by friendly fire, everyone was horrified. The battle had been so chaotic that in the midst of the fire, part of the platoon had mistaken Tillman and a few other men for enemy soldiers. They rained bullets down on the men’s position and Tillman was killed before anyone realized that they were shooting at their own men. Attack by friendly fire happens more often than the Army would like to admit. Men get in the heat of the battle and forget to double check their target before firing. Tillman’s death was the result of fratricide and instead of notifying his wife immediately about the cause, as protocol orders, President Nixon ordered that “until the investigation was complete...I [do] not want communication… outside this unit”(336). This was the first of many breaches in protocol involving Tillman’s death. His wife and family were not notified of his actual cause of death until much later. They burned his uniforms and some personal belongings, which was another breach, all in an effort to obscure the truth.
The final example of the choice between orders and morals came from Bryan O’Neal, who was with Pat Tillman when he was killed. After his death, O’Neal was sent to speak to Kevin, Pat’s brother. He stated that “I wanted right off the bat to let the family know what had happened...especially Kevin because I worked with him in the platoon… And I was quite appalled that when I was actually able to speak with Kevin, I was ordered not to tell him what happened”(339). O’Neal was forced to make the choice. He chose to follow orders even though he disagreed with them, and was left feeling guilty for the rest of his life.
This prompts the question, is it better to obey orders or do what is right? On one hand, obeying without question is a sign of true commitment and service. But, a person should be true to themselves first, and this is what could have saved the Tillman family much trouble. They continuously pestered the Army until they received the truth, and yet if the Army had simply been truthful in the first place, than the situation could have been much less painful. This proves the lengths that people and organizations will go to in order to preserve their image. But, the United States would be much better off if it was governed by people who choose to do what is right instead of blindly following orders.
Pat Tillman was the kind of man that people described as a self-confident, honorable, and respectable person. Tillman played football for the Arizona Cardinals for three years before the attack of 9/11 changed his life. He saw what the terrorists had done and decided that he felt morally obligated to serve his country, and fight for the freedom that the Taliban was threatening. This was the first example of a choice between “orders” and morals. Tillman gave up a multimillion dollar NFL contract that many people were urging him to keep, in order to enlist in the Army for a paycheck of just over $1,000 per month. He obviously did not care about the money, but instead chose to pursue what he felt was right and enlist. So, in 2002, Tillman and his brother Kevin both enlisted in the 75th Ranger Regiment.
When Tillman was deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, he was a crucial part of a tightly knit team. His platoon was closer than friends, they were more like family. So, when Tillman was killed by friendly fire, everyone was horrified. The battle had been so chaotic that in the midst of the fire, part of the platoon had mistaken Tillman and a few other men for enemy soldiers. They rained bullets down on the men’s position and Tillman was killed before anyone realized that they were shooting at their own men. Attack by friendly fire happens more often than the Army would like to admit. Men get in the heat of the battle and forget to double check their target before firing. Tillman’s death was the result of fratricide and instead of notifying his wife immediately about the cause, as protocol orders, President Nixon ordered that “until the investigation was complete...I [do] not want communication… outside this unit”(336). This was the first of many breaches in protocol involving Tillman’s death. His wife and family were not notified of his actual cause of death until much later. They burned his uniforms and some personal belongings, which was another breach, all in an effort to obscure the truth.
The final example of the choice between orders and morals came from Bryan O’Neal, who was with Pat Tillman when he was killed. After his death, O’Neal was sent to speak to Kevin, Pat’s brother. He stated that “I wanted right off the bat to let the family know what had happened...especially Kevin because I worked with him in the platoon… And I was quite appalled that when I was actually able to speak with Kevin, I was ordered not to tell him what happened”(339). O’Neal was forced to make the choice. He chose to follow orders even though he disagreed with them, and was left feeling guilty for the rest of his life.
This prompts the question, is it better to obey orders or do what is right? On one hand, obeying without question is a sign of true commitment and service. But, a person should be true to themselves first, and this is what could have saved the Tillman family much trouble. They continuously pestered the Army until they received the truth, and yet if the Army had simply been truthful in the first place, than the situation could have been much less painful. This proves the lengths that people and organizations will go to in order to preserve their image. But, the United States would be much better off if it was governed by people who choose to do what is right instead of blindly following orders.