How An Army Officer And Diplomat Wrote His Way Through Trauma

Soldier Speaks Up A Decade After Pat Tillman's Friendly-Fire Death

Ten years after the friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan that killed U.S. Army Ranger and former NFL star Pat Tillman, one of the soldiers who mistakenly pulled the trigger says he's still haunted by demons from the night of April 22, 2004.


Steven Elliott tells NPR's All Things Considered that on the night of the incident, he could see only "shadowy figures" and had every reason to believe that when his squad leader, Sgt. Greg Baker, opened fire on what turned out to be Tillman's position, there were no "friendlies" in the area.


"We'd all been firing our weapons at various positions, up to that point, effectively enemy positions," Elliot tells host Melissa Block. "The sun had been set for roughly 20 minutes, so the lighting conditions were poor to say the least."

Read the entire story and/or listen to the interview by clicking here.

From the ESPN website:

Death Memorial

PFC Robert A. Guy

My son, PFC Robert A. Guy, a Marine, died on April 21st, 2005. He allegedly committed suicide. Which I was told two months later on the phone. He was put on Zoloft by a base doctor with no supervision.  He and two other Marines were requested to guard an Iraqi detainee, he allegedly pointed his rifle at the detainees head, racked the bolt and sent the bolt home. It is a matter of record that his rifle was empty.

He denied these allegations and stated he was guilty of improper clearing procedures. So of course, he was involved in an NJP. The most he could get out of this was…1) Lose 1/2 months pay for two months.  2) Bust him down a rank, from PFC to Private. 3) Give him 45 days extra duty (which would have been suspended, due to time served in Iraq).

The day of the NJP hearing (April 21st, 2005) the Company Commander felt he wasn’t qualified to dole out punishment and passed it up the chain of command to the Battalion Commander. A 1st Sgt. allegedly told him (when he signed the paper stating he understood what had taken place), “Boy, you just signed your ass away. You’re getting a dishonorable and spending thirty years in Leavenworth.”

Later that evening he asked to see the Chaplain.  He was told there was not a Chaplain on base, in order for him to speak to him they would have to get a convoy together. He was asked if it could wait until the morning. Knowing my son… not wanting to inconvience anyone and feeling he had no choice, he said “I guess so”.

Well, apparently it couldn’t. A very short time later he went into a port-a-john and blew his brains out.

Immediately all the Sgt’s were called together and told ‘to tell their men what had happened and to tell them there was a Chaplain available if anyone needed to speak to him’.

I received the ‘Field Investigation Report’ that was so full of discrepancies. It had been almost 2 years before I received the ‘Command Investigation Report’. I’ve waited so long for this report, hoping it would give me some answers. When it came, the answers were not there. It was more questions and more confusion than before. I want to get an attorney, but do not know what kind of attorney I need and where to find one. I have called everyone I can think of and all I get is a run-around. I have written a letter to the President of the United States, contacted my local Congressman, contacted both my State Senators and had my son’s story put in the newspaper. I have called numerous people affiliated with the Marine Corps and NCIS and all I get is lies, promises and people who apparently get paid to due nothing but say, “I’ll check into that and get back to you”.

My son died in Iraq, he was not killed by Iraqis, he was killed by the United States Marine Corps. I hold them responsible completely. In my yard about 18 feet high flies an American flag and a Marine Corps flag.  Bobby was so proud to be a Marine, he was going to make it his life’s choice. He wasn’t in there just for his four years.

So many times I’ve wanted to set fire to the Marine Corps flag, but as I told the newspaper people, “It flies for Bobby and the guys who went before him and the ones who will go after him, it damn sure don’t fly for the Corps.”

I am still very angry and my heart breaks anew every day. He was my son long before he was a Marine. I need someone to help me.  Tell me where to turn and who to talk to. I will never give up, someone needs to be held accountable for his death. All I’ve asked for from the beginning is the truth and I can’t even get that.

Thank you for your time and any assistance you may be able to provide.

Warmest regards,

Ann R. Guy

If you have any information about this case, please contact me through this website.

Death Memorial

Col. Philip Michael Shue Died April 16, 2003

No Way Out

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