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Credit: Inside the MagicIt’s been more than 20 years since Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. Initially, the military claimed that Tillman was killed fighting the Taliban; however, it was later revealed that Tillman was killed in a friendly fire incident.
Several Congressional and military investigations never came to a clear explanation as to how Tillman was killed or who was responsible for the misinformation his family and the American public received.
Since his death, his widow, Marie, has started The Pat Tillman Foundation, which donated money to military veterans to finish schooling and retrofit their homes to accommodate them after injuries they suffered while serving.
Since 2014, the ESPY Awards have given the Pat Tillman Award, which awards people who have a close connection to sports and have served others in a way that echoes Pat Tillman’s legacy.
This year, the ESPY Awards chose to give the Pat Tillman Award to Prince Harry. This controversial decision has been ridiculed by people across the spectrum, including Tillman’s mother, Mary, who called giving the award to a member of the Royal Family “disgraceful.”
Prince Harry served two tours in Afghanistan as a member of the Royal Air Force, and his brother, Prince William, also served in the RAF.
After serving in the military, Prince Harry turned to sport and founded the Invictus Games, which allows wounded military veterans to compete against each other.
Despite seemingly meeting the criteria for the award, it was an odd choice to give it to a member of the Royal Family, especially one who has been so controversial since his marriage to actress Meghan Markle.
A recent story illuminates how Prince Harry received the award. It was thanks to the help of his friend, Disney CEO Bob Iger.
According to reports, the Disney CEO stepped in to ensure that Harry received this prestigious honor.
A source told Radar Online:
ESPN is owned by Disney, and Harry’s buddy Bob Iger is the CEO of the company! Iger has a close relationship with all the royals after receiving an honorary knighthood last month.
The word is Harry seized upon his connection to the royal family to pitch him new opportunities at the network and Bob’s listening — despite Harry’s estrangement from the family.
However, there seems to be more to it than CEO Bob Iger helping out a friend. Four years ago, Harry and Meghan Markle signed a television deal with Disney, and the Disney CEO saw this as a jumping-off point for future productions.
Upon hearing that Prince Harry was receiving the award, Tillman’s mother, Mary, told the Daily Mail:
There are far more fitting recipients. There are individuals working in the veteran community who are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.
These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognized.
In his acceptance speech, Harry praised Mary and Tillman’s widow, Marie, for their dedication to Pat and the charity work that his foundation continues to do.
Pat Tillman gave up a multi-million contract to become an Army Ranger. Despite his celebrity, Tillman refused to give interviews about his time in the military or why he gave up his career as an NFL player to join the army.
You can donate to the Pat Tillman Foundation here.