An Unfriendly Truth

I confess that I've never turned to ESPN before for high-powered investigative reporting, but "An Un-American Tragedy" by Mike Fish has converted me. Fish raises troubling questions about the friendly fire death of Army ranger and former NFL safety Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, how the Army acted afterward and whether his death was used for political purposes. To report this story, ESPN.com reviewed Army documents and interviewed some of Tillman's relatives, his fellow Rangers, Army officials and medical and military experts. In addition to Fish's sharply written story, the Web package includes an interactive map of the Afghan valley where Tillman died, profiles of the other Rangers shot that day, a timeline, great photos and links to transcripts of the investigation. My gratitude to the Poynter Institute's Al Tompkins for pointing out this excellent story.