Sperah, Afghanistan
Pat Tillman, who left a lucrative professional football career to join the Army seven months after Sept. 11, was killed in Afghanistan last week. Tillman, an Army Ranger, was taking part in a search for Taliban and al Qaida fighters in a remote area when his patrol was ambushed by rifle and mortar fire. Tillman, 27, forfeited a $3.6 million contract as a safety with the Arizona Cardinals to fight terrorism. He refused requests for interviews, saying that his story was no more important than his comrades’. “Pat knew his purpose in life,” said Tillman’s friend and former coach with the Cardinals, Dave McGinnis. “He proudly walked away from a career in football to a greater calling.”
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