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Military Hit By Bombing; Grenade At School; Military Misinformation?; Georgia Wildfire
Aired April 24, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning. I'm betty Nguyen, filling in for Heidi Collins today.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Stay informed in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here is what's on the rundown for you this morning.
The 82nd Airborne taking a big loss in Iraq. The unit loses nine soldiers in a suicide attack.
NGUYEN: Private Jessica Lynch. Her rescue in Iraq didn't go down as the military initially describes it. Congress hears from Lynch today. And you can see it live.
HARRIS: Books, backpacks and guns. Firearms perfectly acceptable at one American university. Will the Virginia Tech massacre change that? It is Tuesday, April 24th and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: First up, two suicide bombers, one common mission, and they achieved horrific success. Nine U.S. soldiers killed and 20 wounded. It is the single, deadliest attack on U.S. ground forces in a year and a half. And for the soldiers' base back home, the worst losses yet of the war. Arwa Damon is in Baghdad to bring us up to speed on exactly what happened.
Hi there, Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty.
Well, it was an utterly devastating attack, but two suicide car bombs plowed into a small U.S. patrol base just north of Baghdad in the Diyala Province, killing nine U.S. soldier and wounding another 20. The Islamic state of Iraq has posted a claim on a Web site that says that it was responsible for the violence there. But really in Diyala, over the last few months, we have seen an increase in violence, an increase in intensity of the battle that is happening for that province.
U.S. forces are increasingly finding themselves face to face with elements of al Qaeda in Iraq that has declared huge portions of Diyala Province to be under its umbrella and under its control. And over recent weeks we've seen the U.S. military taking the fight through these small villages and towns in that area, setting up small patrol bases like the one that was attacked. But many of the soldiers will tell you that the fight against al Qaeda that exists in Diyala right now is an unbelievably difficult one and not always very pretty. Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, why is there an escalation in violence against U.S. forces there in the Diyala Province?
DAMON: Well, Betty, it's really for a number of reasons. First and foremost, while we had these crackdowns in al Anbar province, which is just to the west, and in Baghdad, which is just to the south of the province, the insurgency found in Diyala a lesser number of U.S. troops and was able to move its operation there and set up a stronghold. And the province itself is an ethnic microcosm of Iraq and already had an al Qaeda presence in it that U.S. forces were trying to combat. But it really was fertile ground for al Qaeda to move in and set itself up. In fact, to such a degree where as this province, certain areas of it that used to be more ethically mixed Sunni and Shia are now becoming prominently Sunni.
Now the U.S. is going out, actively trying to root out these strongholds, but it is proving incredibly challenging.
Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, CNN's Arwa Damon live for us in Baghdad. Thank you.
HARRIS: Want to get you to T.J. Holmes in the CNN NEWSROOM and T.J. is following a story for us out of Southlake, Texas.
And, T.J., it was a week ago that we were talking about the horrors on the campus of Virginia Tech. And since that time, it seems, we've been talking about little else than scares and threats to campuses.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We had them here and there. We saw one just yesterday at a college campus where they had to be evacuated. It was a bomb threat there. And things keep popping up.
But we have a school this time. An elementary school we're talking about. And, Tony, man, it seems like that show and tell has gone terribly wrong in Southlake, Texas, because a fourth grader apparently brought a grenade to school. Again, this is an elementary school. Old Union Elementary School where a fourth grader apparently brought a grenade with the pin still in it to school.
Officials say it appears the grenade was hollow. So, still, it may not be armed and explosive. But at the same time, you've got a grenade in the school, you've got elementary students around. You don't take any chances. The school has been evacuated. They're trying to work this thing out and figure out and detonate this thing or make sure it is not dangerous.
But, again, just a scary situation. Who know where this fourth grader got this grenade. Found it. Could have been laying around somewhere. Could have gotten it at home. Who knows right now.
But brought it to school. Everybody has been evacuated as a precaution. We're going to keep an eye on this and hopefully it's certainly a scare but maybe nobody is in danger in this thing.
But, yes, you're right, Tony, we've seen these things pop all over the country. We haven't reported all of them, but there were a ton of them. There are plenty more we still haven't even touched on yet.
HARRIS: And that's the point, yes, there have been many more that we just haven't reported.
T.J., appreciate it. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right.
HARRIS: The truth as a casualty of war. Democratic lawmakers say military misinformation is the focus today of a Capitol Hill hearing. It is getting underway right now. Live pictures there for you live from the Pentagon. And Barbara Starr.
Barbara, good morning to you.
Why is this hearing being held?
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, this is a hearing that's being held because the Democrats, now in the majority, of course, want to have this hearing. It's really pretty interesting. As you say, the title of this hearing says it all. It's called "Misleading Information From the Battlefield." This is the House Oversight Committee. And what they are doing is looking into two notorious cases of information gone wrong from the battlefield.
What you see here on this picture that we're all looking at is a number of photographers huddled around, waiting for the witnesses to come into the hearing room. They will be members of the family of Pat Tillman, Specialist Pat Tillman, that football player turned soldier that was killed in Afghanistan. And also we are expecting to see former Private Jessica Lynch, the young Army private that was in an ambush in Iraq in the early days of the war.
In both cases, both the Tillman death and the rescue of Private Lynch, the media got it wrong. And question is, why did the media get it wrong. Some of it was misleading information from the battlefield.
In the case of Private Tillman, of course, his family has long been a very stridently opposed to how the Army handled that case. First saying that Tillman died in a friendly fire and then revealing -- excuse me. First saying that Tillman died in combat and then revealing days later that he was a victim of friendly fire from his own fellow troopers.
In the case of Private Lynch, the media reporting that she was in a shootout with insurgents in Iraq and, of course, basically she was in an ambush, taken hostage, taken to a hospital, and then rescued days later. Both of these cases looking at why the media got it wrong, why perhaps at the beginning the military put the wrong information out there for the media to report.
Tony.
HARRIS: So, Barbara, is this committee building a credible case against the Army, if the Army was not as forthright as it could have been in reporting these two incidents, is that it?
STARR: Yes, that's exactly right. You know, basically it all starts from the point of the information that the U.S. Army put out on the battlefield at the time which caused the media to get it wrong. Why didn't the Army report right from the start to both the Tillman family and the news media that it knew or certainly suspected that Private Tillman was a victim of friendly fire? Why did the Army put out at the beginning that Private Lynch was in some sort of heroic shootout when this young soldier was so badly wounded, she was basically unconscious and taken to an Iraqi hospital, treated there and rescued? Why did all the information go so wrong?
Now, what should be made clear, Tony, is both of these cases, for months now, it's basically now been known what happened. But it wasn't until the Democrats were in the majority that there was really the political muscle power to have this hearing take place in the open.
Tony.
HARRIS: And truth be told, the Tillman family wants even more information. It feels that there is more to be learned.
STARR: The Tillman family does. They are very strident advocates, of course, for the full truth surrounding the death of Pat Tillman. One of the questions still on the table, does the CIA have overhead video from a predator drone flying overhead that might have seen this whole incident take place? That's one of the things we expect this hearing to address in the hours ahead.
HARRIS: Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr for us this morning.
Barbara, thank you.
STARR: Sure.
NGUYEN: Well, let's get you more on a developing story that we are following today regarding Vice President Dick Cheney. We have learned that he took a visit to the doctor's office today for a check- up of a blood clot in his left leg. This was not an emergency visit, but a check-up on that blood clot in his left leg. And as you may recall back on March 5th, doctors discovered that Cheney had a clot called a Deep Venous Thrombosis in his lower left leg and he went to go get that checked out. As we all know, 66-year-old Cheney has a history of, you know, heart problems. But blood clots in the form of a Deep Leg Vein Thrombosis can be killers if they break off and float into the lung. So he was getting a check-up today with his doctors just to check that left leg one more time and make sure all is well.
HARRIS: Boy, oh, boy, take a look at this. Storm chasers had their hands full with this one. Chad indicating that it was way too close. That the storm chasers were way too close on this one.
NGUYEN: I mean just look at the pictures of that. I mean how clear this tornado is. The good thing is, as you see there on the ground, there's no homes or anything near by.
HARRIS: Right. (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: But still, how close these storm chasers got. It amazes me.
HARRIS: And the folks there say, well, they lucked out. But what's in store for today? That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: More of this, we're hearing from Chad Myers. Hopefully it will stay in the Plains and not come to the inner cities where there are lots of people.
HARRIS: That's right.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Boy, a relentless wildfire disrupting lives in southeast Georgia. It has been burning for more than a week now. Not only flames, but choking smoke causing big problems for residents and firefighters. CNN's Sean Callebs reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Bone dry, south Georgia is burning.
NICKIE JORDAN, GEORGIA FOREST COMMISSION: If you can keep it inside the control line and fuel its burn out, we're ahead of the game.
CALLEBS: After more than a week, some 56,000 acres of mostly pine forest has been consumed by flames. At its height, this is what the fire looked like from space. Smoke enveloping a wide swath.
CHRISTY FULLARD, LOST HOME IN FIRE: I still thought something would be here. Something.
CALLEBS: This is the harsh reality on the ground for the Fullard family.
FULLARD: You can see the frame and everything. I mean, we knew, you know, there was nothing left. And that's when it was the hardest.
CALLEBS: Their home of 10 years simply gone. Forced to evacuate twice as flames threatened, Christy, her husband Robin, have three children and one on the way. They escaped with only the clothes on their back. A lifetime of photos and heirlooms passed down through the generations, all in ashes. Eighteen homes, some vacant, destroyed by this, the largest forest fire in their state in more than half a century. This inaccessibility has also worked against crews who have been fighting the fire from above and on the ground with bulldozers carving fire breaks.
JORDAN: We go four steps forward and come back two. It's been slow progress, but we're making good progress now.
CALLEBS: Sean Callebs, CNN, in Ware County, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: In other news, U.S. troops under attack in Iraq. We are going to take you on a drive with soldiers dodging danger on the streets of Baghdad. You have to see this right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Also, gun on campus. A reality at one college. Students allowed to carry weapons and their classmates don't have to know. Undisclosed, coming up in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: There's uncertainty in the food chain. From pets to people, there are concerns about what we eat. Food safety questions ahead.
HARRIS: One fan needed pads and a helmet.
NGUYEN: Ouch! Poor little thing.
HARRIS: Yes. There ought to be a law, no kids unattended on the sidelines. How do you mind? Oh, poor kid. Pictures, details coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Betty Nguyen.
Football star turned soldier, Pat Tillman's mother and brother on Capitol Hill today discussing the friendly fire death. And the way the military handled it. We have live coverage in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And we want to get you back to T.J. Holmes in the CNN NEWSROOM. And T.J. is following developments with this grenade scare in a Southlake, Texas, elementary school, T.J.?
HOLMES: Yes, that's the key there that might surprise people when you say elementary school.
HARRIS: Yes.
HOLMES: We've been talking about school scares certainly after the week we saw last week at Virginia Tech.
HARRIS: Sure.
HOLMES: Yes, this is one at an elementary school now. And this is all prompted because a fourth grader reportedly brought a grenade to the school. Again, this is the Old Union Elementary School. This is in Southlake, Texas. This is a suburb of Ft. Worth.
Nobody injured at this time. Don't know if it's a live grenade as well. But, according to police and officials there, that it did still have the pin in it.
Don't know why the student might have brought it to school. Don't know where the student might have gotten the grenade. But again, no one has been injured. But the school has been evacuated. Some 530 people had to be evacuated from that school as a precaution. And police, right now, are trying to work through this thing.
So, again, add to another the week of scares. We've kind of seen bomb threats, all kinds of scares at schools around the country. But this is one of the few we've seen at an actual elementary school.
Again, trying to get some answers here. You hate to -- don't want to use the word innocent, but this could have been a kid just curious, picked up something, brought it to school. Who knows what was going on there. But they're trying to get to the bottom of that.
Again, we're zooming in and showing you where this is. Southlake, Texas, is where it is. Old Union Elementary School. But the key still, nobody has been injured. Everybody taken out of that school. So it appears that none of them are in any danger right now and police are just trying to work through this -- figure out this grenade that still had a pin in it. So we'll stay on top of that and hopefully this will be resolved soon.
Tony.
HARRIS: OK. T.J., appreciate it. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right.
NGUYEN: One of the world's most respected journalist, David Halberstam, has died. Halberstam was killed in a car accident near San Francisco yesterday. He was on his way to interview football legend Wyatt Tittle (ph) for a new book.
Halberstam began his career more than a half century ago as a newspaper reporter. He covered the civil rights struggle for "The Tennessean" in Nashville, and later the Vietnam War for "The New York Times." He won a Pulitzer Prize for his Vietnam reporting. Then he turned from daily papers to books. Here's just a sample.
In 1972, his best-seller "The Best and The Brightest," was a critical account of the U.S. involvement in southeast Asia. 2002, "War In a Time of Peace," focused on U.S. foreign policy. And Halberstam loved sports. In fact, his books on that topic include, "The Education of a Coach," about the New England Patriot's Bill Belichick. Halberstam's widow, Jean, says she will remember him most for "unending bottomless generosity to young journalists." David Halberstam was 73 years old.
HARRIS: OK. We told you a short time ago that Vice President Dick Cheney was on his way to George Washington Medical Center just to have his leg, his lower left leg, checked out. The source there of that blood clot.
We now understand that the vice president has been checked out and is returning now to the White House. Once again, Vice President Dick Cheney has visited the doctor at George Washington Medical Center, has had his lower left leg checked out and has now, we understand, returned to the White House. We will continue to follow developments on that story for you here in the NEWSROOM.
And still to come, how safe is the food you eat and what can the government do to protect you? Lawmakers looking for answers today. The story straight ahead for you in the NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: And delivery for you. Uh-uh. The post office has a problem with the dog named Nugget. Yes, mail call in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A story we're working on. Let's get you straight to the newsroom and CNN's T.J. Holmes.
What do you have, T.J.?
HOLMES: Well, we're getting some of the first pictures from that scene we've been telling you about down there in Southlake, Texas, where a school has been evacuated because of a grenade scare. And the key here is that this is an actual elementary school we're taking a peek at here. This is out of Southlake, Texas.
We can't see from this live picture from our affiliate, WFAA, where exactly everyone has been evacuated to. But some 530 students, faculty and staff, has to be taken out of that school and taken away from it because of this grenade scare.
Now what happened this morning, police discovered or rather school officials discovered that a fourth grader had brought a grenade to school. That grenade still had the pin in it. However, they said it did not appear to be a live grenade. It appeared to be a hollow grenade. But, still, certainly not wanting to take any chances when you've got students around. So, again, 530 people were evacuated.
We're just seeing a live picture here of some of the police there in Texas. The Southlake area is about -- or just outside of Ft. Worth. Kind of a suburb there. But the school is the Old Union Elementary School in Southlake.
The folks watching know the area, familiar with it, may even have kids or family or friends or somebody affiliate with the school. Nobody has been injured. And at this point nobody in danger because this school has been evacuated and the 530 students, faculty and staff, have been taken out of the school and away from the school.
So, again, police don't believe that this grenade was live. Again, calling it a hollow grenade. But still, not taking any chances with the grenade with the pin in it on the grounds of an elementary school. Still working to find out exactly why this fifth grader brought it to school. If he got it from home, found it on the street somewhere, where a child would come into contact with a grenade with a pin in it. Certainly a big question there.
But certainly with the week we've seen, the past week, nobody is taking any chances with any of these scares at school. We've seen several of them. Haven't been able to report on all of them. There really have been so many. But in each and every one of them, certainly cannot take any chances with the lives of students, faculty and staff and people who are dealing with our schools.
So this is another case we're trying to keep an eye on and really try to get some details about it. But, hopefully, we'll get the all clear on this grenade situation soon and certainly bring that to you and maybe find out where in the world a fourth grader gets a grenade.
Guys.
NGUYEN: That is the question. I mean the good news, though, is that no one's been injured and an evacuation has occurred there at the school.
T.J., thank you.
HOLMES: All right.
HARRIS: U.S. troops under attack in Iraq. We will take you on a drive with soldiers dodging dangers on the streets of Baghdad. See it right here in the NEWSROOM.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rusty Dornin in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where the 82nd Airborne is mourning nine of their own. Details coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: And good morning. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Take a look at your screen right now because we are watching the House committee on oversight and government reform which is holding a hear right now dealing with the misleading information from the battlefield. They're going to be looking at two cases in particular, one dealing with Pat Tillman who was killed in Afghanistan. At first we learned that it was because of insurgent fire, but then later we learned that it was actually from friendly fire. They're also going to be looking into the story of Private Jessica Lynch, her capture and rescue in Iraq back in March of 2003. The Defense Department, in fact, disseminated some information that turned out to be misleading and inaccurate. So they're going to try to get to the bottom of this information. Who sent it out, why was it wrong.
HARRIS: There's Jessica Lynch. NGUYEN: And find out who is responsible for it. In fact, they were all just sworn in not too long ago. Let me tell you who is going to be speaking just briefly. As you saw there, Jessica Lynch, she will be speaking. Also, Mary Tillman, the mother of Pat Tillman and Kevin Tillman, the brother of Pat Tillman. So we're going to learn a lot more about exactly what occurred and why the information was so wrong when it was disseminated to the media.
HARRIS: And among our top stories this hour, two suicide bombers in a car and on a mission. The target, a patrol base in Diyala province. Nine U.S. soldiers killed, 20 others wounded, all members of the Army's 82nd airborne based in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJOR TOM EARNHARDT, U.S. ARMY: This is the worst incident we've had in the whole global war on terrorism. We're coping. Paratroopers have an indomitable spirit. Our families tend to adopt that same spirit. And we're, you know, it's time to band together and we'll hug and we'll cry and we'll get through it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Let's get the latest from Ft. Bragg, home of the Army's 82nd airborne. CNN's Rusty Dornin is there. Rusty that has to be one devastated base today.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, very tough day here, Tony. And as the major was just describing, you know, they try to just reach out to these families and sort of put their arms around them. They want to make sure that all the families always have someone from the 82nd airborne by their side to make funeral arrangements, to get counseling, that sort of thing. We understand that three of the families of the nine soldiers live right here around Ft. Bragg. But it's unclear whether all of the families have been notified in the incident, the deaths of these soldiers. But it has been devastating.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EARNHARDT: The loss of any one paratrooper is catastrophic to us and it's unacceptable. But at the same time, when you talk about losing nine paratroopers, nine of your brothers, that aren't coming home with the unit, it's a gut check for the entire division. We're all profoundly affected. Automatically, we shift to thinking about the families because our families are our backbone. If they're not there, we can't get our job done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: What they do is they send out family assistance teams after the families have been notified. And that includes helping them with funeral arrangements and having counseling and that sort of thing. Now, the base says there won't be any press conferences involving this incident. And it's unclear when the names of the soldiers will come out because they have to take at least 24 hours after all of the families have been notified. Of course, the 20 who were wounded, 15 of those paratroopers did return back to duty and the other five are hospitalized, but apparently their injuries are not life threatening. Tony.
HARRIS: CNN's Rusty Dornin, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina for us. Rusty, thank you.
NGUYEN: We want to take you back now to Washington and that hearing on misleading information from the battlefield. We're listening right now to Kevin Tillman, the brother of Pat Tillman who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
KEVIN TILLMAN, CPL. PAT TILLMAN'S BROTHER: Did it appear that the enemy's volume of fire into the kill zone diminished? Above the din of battle, Corporal Tillman was heard issuing fire commands to take the fight to an enemy on the dominating high ground. Always leading from the front, Corporal Tillman aggressively maneuvered his team against the enemy position on the steep slope. As a result of Corporal Tillman's effort and heroic action, the trail element of the platoon was able to maneuver through the ambush position of relative safety without suffering a single casualty.
The fight that ensued at Corporal Tillman's position increased in intensity. Corporal Tillman focused all his efforts on keeping the men of his team safe while continuing to press the attack himself without regard for his own personal safety. In the face of mortal danger, Corporal Tillman illustrated that he would not fail his comrades. His actions are in keeping with the highest standards of the United States army. This was an area that inspired countless Americans, as intended.
There was one small problem, with a narrative, however. It was utter fiction. The content of the multiple investigations reveal a series of contradictions that strongly suggest deliberate and careful misrepresentations. We appeal to this committee, because we believe this narrative was intended to deceive the family, but more importantly, to deceive the American public. Pat's death was clearly the result of fratricide. It was due to a series of careless actions by several individuals in our own platoon after a small harassing ambush.
During this uncontrolled shooting, the driver of the vehicle himself recognized friendlies immediately but kept driving for approximately 400 meters, while the soldiers in the back of his truck continued to shoot at the hillside where the U.S. soldiers were and civilians. The vehicle saw arms and hands waving, smoke was found, handgun flares. An Afghan soldier was immediately recognized. They never felt threatened and they still shot up the village unprovoked.
The vehicle behind them clearly saw the U.S. soldiers on the hillside and were calling cease-fire. The end results were the death of Pat and the Afghan soldier as well as two more soldiers wounded in the village. The signs were available, but the decision to shoot was made. This was not some fog of war. They simply lost control. According to the sworn statements, statement on April 26th by the fellow soldier who was right next to Pat, literally right next to Pat, quote, I remember watching the friendlies just shooting at us, a 50 cal rolled up into our sites and started to unload on top of us. They would work in bursts, 50 cal for 10 to 15 seconds, 240 bravo for 10 to 15 seconds back and forth. Specialist Tillman and I were yelling cease, stop, stop, friendlies, friendlies, cease-fire. But they could not hear us.
Tillman came up with the idea to let a smoke grenade go. They stopped -- this stopped the friendly contact for a few moments and that's when I realized the AMF soldier was dead. At this time the GMB (ph) rolled into a better position to fire on us. We thought the battle was over though so we were relieved. Getting up, stretching out and talking with one another. When I heard some 556 rounds coming from the GMB, they started firing again. That's when I hit the deck. Specialist Tillman at this time was hit by small arms fire. I know this -- I know this because I could hear the pain in his voice as he called out cease-fire, friendlies, I am Pat F--ing Tillman, damn it. He said this over and over again until he stopped, end quote.
The facts of this case clearly show Pat and the Afghan soldier were killed by fellow members of his platoon as well as the wounded soldiers on the hillside and they knew this immediately. Revealing that Pat's death was a fratricide would have been yet another political disaster during a month already swollen with political disasters and the brutal truth that the American public would undoubtedly find unacceptable. So the facts needed to be suppressed and alternative narrative had to be constructed. Crucial evidence was destroyed including Pat's uniform, equipment and notebook. The autopsy was not done in according to regulation and the field hospital report was falsified. An initial investigation completed with eight to 10 days before testimony could be changed or manipulated in which hit disturbingly close to the mark disappeared into thin air and was conveniently replaced by another investigation with more palatable findings.
This freshly manufactured narrative was then distributed to the American public and we believe the strategy had the intended effect. It shifted the focus from the grotesque torture at Abu Ghraib in a downward spiral of an illegal act of aggression to a great American who died a hero's death. Or a month after Pat's death, when it became clear that it would no longer be possible to pull off this deception, a few of the facts were parceled out to the public into our family. General Kensinger (ph) was ordered to tell the American public May 29th, five weeks later, that Pat died of fratricide, but with a calculated and nefarious twist.
He stated, quote, there was no one specific findings of fault, end quote, and that he, quote, probably died of fratricide, end quote, but there was a specific fault and there was nothing probable about the facts that led to Pat's death. The most despicable part of what General Kensinger told the American public is when he said, quote, the results of this investigation in no way diminished the bravery and sacrifice displayed by Corporal Tillman, end quote. This is an egregious attempt to manipulate the public into thinking that anyone who would question this 180-degree flip in the narrative would be casting doubt on Pat's bravery and sacrifice. Such questionings says nothing about Pat's bravery and sacrifice any more than the narrative for Jessica diminishes her bravery and sacrifice. It does, however, say a lot about the powers who perpetrated this.
After the truth of Pat's death was partially revealed, Pat was no longer of use as a sales asset and became strictly the army's problem. They were now left with the task of briefing our family and answering our questions. With any luck, our family would sink quietly into our grief and the whole unsavory episode would be swept under the rug. However, they miscalculated our family's reaction. Through the amazing strength and perseverance of my mother, the most amazing woman on earth, our family has managed to have multiple investigations conducted.
However, while each investigation gathered more information, the mountain of evidence was never used to arrive at an honest or even sensible conclusion. The most recent investigation by the Department of Defense inspector general and the criminal investigative division of the army concluded that the killing of Pat was, quote, an accident. The handling of the situation after the firefight were described as a compilation of, quote, missteps, inaccuracies and errors in judgment which created the perception of concealment.
The soldier who shot Pat admitted in his sworn statement that just before he delivered the fatal burst from about 35 meters away, that he saw his target waving hands, but he decided to pull the trigger anyway. Such an act is not an accident. It's a clear violation of the rules of engagement. Writing up a field hospital report stating that Pat was, quote, transferred to intensive care unit for continued CPR after most of his head had been taken off by multiple 556 rounds is not misleading. Stating that a giant rectangle bruise covering his chest that sits exactly where the armor plate that protects you from bullets is being, quote, consistent with paddle marks is not misleading. These are deliberate and calculated lies.
Writing a silver star award before a single eyewitness account is taken is not a misstep. Falsifying soldier witness statements for a silver star is not a misstep. These are intentional falsehoods that meet the legal definition for fraud. Delivering false information at a nationally-televised memorial service is not an error in judgment. Discarding an investigation that is not fit a preordained conclusion is not an error in judgment. These are deliberate acts of deceit. This is not the perception of concealment. This is concealment.
Pat is, of course, not the only soldier where battlefield realities reach the family and the public in the form of a false narrative. First Lieutenant Ken Ballard died in Najaf, Iraq, just one day after Pat's fratricide went public. His mom Karen Meredith was told that Ken was killed by a sniper on a rooftop. Fifteen months later, she found out that he was killed by an unmanned gun from his own vehicle.
First lieutenant -- excuse me. Private Jesse Booty (ph) was killed May 5th, 2004, in Iraq. He's family was told he was killed in a vehicle accident. A year later they received the autopsy report and they found that he was shot in the back. The army was forced to concede that he was accidentally shot by a Polish soldier. Just recently out of nowhere, a lieutenant showed up at their family's house and told them that an officer in his own unit had shot him. They are still looking for answers. Sergeant Patrick McCafferty was killed June 22, 2004 in what the family was told, as quote, an ambush by insurgents. Two years later they found out that those quote, insurgents, happened to be the same Iraqi troops that he was training. Before his death he told his chain of command that these same troops that he was training were trying to kill him and his team. He was told to keep his mouth shut.
About a year ago I received a phone call, I was at my mom's house. And it was an emergency breakthrough from the operator. It happened to be a woman named Dawn Hellerman from North Carolina. So it was 2:00 in the morning her time. Her husband, Staff Sergeant Brian Hellerman was killed in Iraq. She was tired of getting -- receiving new official reasons why her husband had died. She was desperate for help so she called us. The system had failed her. Those soldiers deserve better and their families deserve better.
Our family has relentlessly pursued the truth on this matter for three years. We have now concluded that our efforts are being actively thwarted by powers that are more important -- excuse me -- that are more interested in protecting a narrative than getting at the truth or seeing that justice is served. That is why we ask Congress as a sovereign representative of the whole people to exercise its power to investigate the inconsistencies in Pat's death and the aftermath and into all the other soldiers that were betrayed by this system.
The one bit of truth that did survive these manipulations was that Pat was and still is a great man. He is the most wonderful older brother to ever exist. Pat wanted to leave a positive legacy based on his actions and he did that. But Pat's death at the hands of his comrades is a terrible tragedy. But the fact that the army in what appears to be others attempted to hijack his virtue and his legacy is simply horrific. The least this country can do for him in return is to uncover who is responsible for his death, who lied and covered it up and who instigated those lies and benefited from them. Then ensure that justice is meted out to the culpable. Pat and these other soldiers volunteered to put their lives on the line for this country. Anything less than the truth is a betrayal of those values that all soldiers who have fought for this nation have sought to uphold. Thank you for your time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much, Mr. Tillman.
HARRIS: What a strong statement this morning from Kevin Tillman, the brother of Corporal Pat Tillman and what strong accusations this morning of a cover-up, collusion, conspiracy in the handling of the investigation of Corporal Tillman's death by friendly fire, much more to talk about with respect to the testimony from Kevin Tillman. Before we break away, let's take you back to the hearing room to hear from Jessica Lynch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you better pull it a little closer.
PVT. JESSICA LYNCH, US ARMY (RET): Is that good?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's great. LYNCH: I have been asked here today to address misinformation from the battlefield. Quite frankly, it's been something that I've been doing since I returned home from Iraq. However, I want to note for the record that I am not politically motivated in my appearance here today. I lived the war in Iraq. And today I still have family and friends fighting in Iraq. My support for our troops is unwavering. I believe that this is not a time for finger pointing. It is time for truth, the whole truth, versus hype and misinformation. Because of the misinformation people tried to discount the realities of my story, including me as part of the hype. Nothing could be further from the truth. My experiences have caused a personal struggle of all sorts for me.
I was given opportunities not extended to my fellow soldiers and I embraced those opportunities to set the record straight. It is something that I have been doing since 2003 and something that imagine I will have to do for the rest of my life. I have answered criticisms for being told -- being paid to tell my story. Quite frankly, the injuries I have will last a lifetime and I had a story to tell, a story that needed to be told so people would know the truth.
I want to take a minute to remind the committee of my true story. I was a soldier. In July of 2001 I enlisted in the army with my brother Greg. We had different reasons of why to join, but we both knew that we wanted to serve our country. I loved my time in the army and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have served the country in a time of crisis. In 2003 I received word that I would be deployed. I was part of a 100-mile-long convoy going to Baghdad. I drove a five- ton water buffalo truck. Our unit had some of the heaviest vehicles and the sand was so thick that our vehicles would just sink. It would take us hours to just travel the shortest distance. We decided to divide our convoy up so that the lighter vehicles could reach our destination. But, first came the city of Nasiriyah in a day that I will never forget.
The truck I was driving broke down and I was picked up by my roommate and best friend Lori (INAUDIBLE) who was driving our first Sergeant Robert Dowdy (ph). We also picked up two other soldiers from a different unit to get them out of harm's way. As we drove through Nasiriyah trying to get turned around to leave the city, the signs of hostility were increasing. There were people with weapons on the rooftops and street watching our entire move.
The vehicle I was riding in was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and slammed into the back of another truck in our unit. Three people in the vehicle were killed upon impact. Lori and I were taken to a hospital where she later died and I was held for nine days. In all, 11 soldiers died that day, six from my unit and two others - six others from my unit were taken prisoner, plus two others.
Following the ambush, my injuries were extensive. When I awoke, the Iraq hospital, I was not able to move or feel anything below my waist. I suffered a six-inch gash in my head. My fourth and fifth lumbar were overlapping, causing pressure on my spine. My right humurus (ph) was broken. My right foot was crushed. My left femur was shattered. The Iraqis in the hospital tried to help me by removing the bone and replacing it with a 1940s rod that was made for a man. Following my rescue, the doctors in Landstuhl, Germany filled in a physical exam that I had been sexually assaulted. Today I still continue to deal with bowel, bladder and kidney problems as a result of the injuries. My left leg still has no feeling from the knee down and I'm required to wear a brace just to stand and walk.
When I awoke I did not know where I was. I could not move. I could not call for help. I could not fight. The nurses at the hospital tried to soothe me and they even tried unsuccessfully at one point to return me to Americans. On April 1st, while various units created diversions around Nasiriyah, a group came to the hospital to rescue me. I could hear them speaking in English but I was still very afraid. Then a soldier came into the room. He tore the American flag from his uniform and he handed it to me in my hand and he told me, we're American soldiers and we're here to take you home. And I looked at him and I said, yes, I'm an American soldier, too.
When I remember those difficult days, I remember the fear. I remember the strength. I remember that hand of that fellow American soldier reassuring me that I was going to be OK. At the same time, tales of great heroes were being told. At my parents' home in Ward (ph) County, West Virginia, it was under staged by media, all repeating the story of the little girl Rambo from the hills of West Virginia who went down fighting. It was not true. I have repeatedly said when asked that if the stories about me helped inspire our troops and rally a nation, then perhaps there was some good.
However, I'm still confused as to why they chose to lie and try to make me a legend when the real heroes of my fellow soldiers that day were legendary. People like Lori (INAUDIBLE) and 1st Sergeant Dowdy who picked up fellow soldiers in harm's way or people like Patrick Miller or Sergeant Donald Waters (ph) who actually did fight until the very end. The bottom line is the American people are capable of determining their own heroes -- ideals for heroes and they don't need to be told elaborate lies.
My hero is my brother Greg who continues to serve his country today. My hero is my friend Lori(INAUDIBLE) who died in Iraq to set an example for generations of Hope and Native American women and little girls everywhere about the contribution just one soldier can make. My hero is every American who says my country needs me and answers that call to fight. I had the good fortune and opportunity to come home and to tell the truth. Many soldiers like Pat Tillman who did not have that opportunity. The truth of war is not always easy. The truth is always more heroic than the hype. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much, Ms. Lynch. Dr. Bollis?
DR. GENE BOLLIS, LANDSTUHL MED. CTR, GERMANY: Mr. Chairman and members of the committee --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a button on the base of the mike. Push it in.
BOLLIS: OK? Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, thank you for inviting me here today. My name is Gene Bollis and I am a neurosurgeon. Specifically, I specialize in neuro-trauma, spine surgery and radial surgery. I graduated from the University of Michigan's medical school and did my subsequent training at the University of Colorado, health sciences center in Denver, Colorado. I have over 30 years of surgical experience. I was drafted into the military out of my training in 1965 and served as a flight surgeon and subsequent division surgeon of the 8th infantry division in Germany. For the next several decades I worked as a practitioner of neurosurgery in the Boulder, Denver, area where I have performed hundreds of surgeries on victims of trauma. In 2001 before the attacks of September 11th, I was asked to apply for the position of chief of neurosurgery at Landstuhl regional medical center in Germany.
HARRIS: We're listening to this hearing before the House oversight and government reform committee this morning. Democratic lawmakers saying military misinformation is the focus of the hearing. We heard from former Private Jessica Lynch just moments ago, listening just a moment there to Dr. Gene Bollis, former chief of neurosurgery at Landstuhl regional medical center in Germany. And moments before that just explosive testimony from Kevin Tillman, the brother of Corporal Pat Tillman killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan. There is much to talk about in breaking down what we've heard so far this morning. We will do that for you next hour right here in the NEWSROOM.
And good morning to you, again, everyone. You are with CNN. You are informed. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: I'm Betty Nguyen. Heidi Collins is off today. We do have some developments that are keeping in tune here in the NEWSROOM on this Tuesday, 24th day of April. Here is what is on the run down. Nine soldiers assigned to the 82nd airborne killed in a suicide attack. Al Qaeda in Iraq taking some of the credit for that attack.
HARRIS: The risk of dangerous weather running high on the plains. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas could get hit with powerful tornadoes today.
NGUYEN: Either kick the habit or get kicked out of your home. That's right. A public housing complex bans smoking. That has some residents smoldering, here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: First up this hour, the truth as a casualty of war. Right now lawmakers focusing on the military and questions about misinformation. Jessica Lynch among those testifying live now to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, a powerful testimony in the last hour. Remind us again if you would, why this hearing is being held.
JAMIE McINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's two very different and interesting cases. Both the case of Private Jessica Lynch and the case of Corporal Pat Tillman. Both of them involved misinformation from the battlefield. One, the Tillman family particularly believes that the misinformation was deliberate, an attempt to build Pat Tillman into a hero, to rally political support for what the families says was a flagging cause, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now four separate investigations have failed to come to that conclusion, but that's one of the reasons that Congressman Henry Waxman who you see here called these hearings because he believes the truth still hasn't been found. And as we heard,
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