Where+Men+Win+Glory+,+D.+Foderaro

**Journal Entry #1 (pp. 1-105)**

This first quarter of the novel served to introduce and also go into depth about the life (especially early life) of Pat Tillman. Tillman was made out to be somewhat of a hero in these pages due to the immense sacrifice he made which ultimately led to his early death at the age of 27. It is widely known that Tillman left the NFL to serve in the U.S. Army shortly after [|9/11] and was tragically killed by friendly fire; however, this first section documents his high school and college years. Notably, Pat would not have become such an outstanding football player if not for his self-drive and motivation. Despite his high school baseball coach telling him he would never be able to play football, Pat gave up baseball for that very sport. This shows what kind of person Pat Tillman was. The novel goes on to talk about the highs and lows of Tillman’s life up until he would get to play Division I football at Arizona State and later professional football. In addition to Tillman’s life and journey, this sectioncontains a parallel story. It talks about the events and occurrences happening in the [|Middle East in the 70's-80's] while Pat is growing up. To sum it up, the author takes the time to document all the conflict occurring and the struggles people fced in those areas. The Soviet-Afghan conflict was detailed as well as internal conflict and civil war inside Afghanistan generally dealing with multiple groups pushing for power. Additionally, the rise of al-Qaeda and the Taliban was documented. Osama bin Laden was introduced and, from there, all events leading up to 9/11 are noted. 9/11 was THE life-changing event for Pat Tillman. Although I have only read a quarter of the book so far, I can confidently say this is one of my favorite books. I enjoy the parallel story plots and it helps me better understand the course of history. Not only is this informative, but it is also, above all, very inspirational. The heart-touching story of the star football player giving up millions of dollars to serve his country is an example for people across the globe to make sacrifices for things greater than themselves. media type="youtube" key="kv4s3fn8jDc" height="263" width="313" align="left" · Emotional effect 9/11 · Rival schools (pride & tension) · Al-Qaeda mindset · College to NFL transition · Middle East in 1970’s-80’s

**Journal Entry #2 (pp. 106-200)**

After reading the first half of __Where Men Win Glory__, I’m as hooked as ever. The life of Pat Tillman is extraordinarily interesting as was the situation unfolding in the Middle East. His life after high school is detailed and it has even more twists and turns. Tillman had developed into an elite football player and decided to take up Arizona State University on an athletic scholarship the school had offered him. He made the trip out to the campus to begin his freshman year after completing a 30-day jail sentence and community service hours he’d received after being charged with a misdemeanor offense. His collegiate career was another proving point for him. Nobody, except for Pat and those close to him, thought he would ever get a starting position on either offense or defense; however, that is exactly what he did. His team did very well during Pat’s four years. Upon graduating, Pat would be drafted to the NFL with the 226th pick by the Arizona Cardinals. His brief stint with the Cardinals surprised almost everyone as he acquired a starting position as a free safety. Pat was on the road to making millions of dollars. The single most important and biggest turning point in Pat Tillman’s life was 9/11. The ascent of Osama bin Laden to supreme power is documented. Ironically, it was simultaneous with Pat’s rise to glory. The significance of bin Laden was starting to be noticed as he began an unruly leadership of al-Qaeda and was launching attacks on many countries, mainly the U.S. It all led to 9/11. After 9/11, as another NFL season was just underway, Pat decided it would be better if he served in the Army rather than play in the NFL. Pat Tillman gave up a life of luxury in order to serve his country. The early years of his enrollment were noted. The unbelievably selfless act left a lasting impact on me. To give up all the popularity and money that comes with being a professional football player seems almost unthinkable to me. This was far and away the [|sacrifice of a lifetime]. I believe that everybody should look at Pat Tillman as a role model they should strive to be like.

· Hardships of long-distance relationships · Rose Bowl traditions/festivities <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">· Army soldier living conditions <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">· U.S. Army barracks <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">· Work ethic of pro athletes

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">** Journal Entry #3 (pp. 201-310) ** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The third quarter of the book __Where Men Win Glory__ focuses solely on the development of the war in the Middle East and Pat Tillman’s involvement in it. Since 9/11, the violence and conflict in the Middle East continued to escalate. Pat, along with his brother Kevin, were sent on multiple missions, some of which the Tillman brothers weren’t too fond of. Pat continued to have internal conflict: he hates that he doesn’t get to be with his wife, Marie, and he misses her deeply. Obviously, being [|married to a sold][|ier] is hard on both spouses. However, he believes that joining the army was the right thing to do and will strengthen his relationship with Marie in the long run. Towards the end of this section, there started to be trouble when Pat and his squad were mistaken for enemies… <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">This section seemed a bit repetitive to me. Unlike the first and second quarter of the book, this section did not contain any major or drastic changes (i.e. Pat’s transitions through childhood or his transition from the [|NFL to the army]). Needless to say, I did not find this section to be particularly entertaining. This section was, however, very informative. I learned a ton about the development of the current war and about many aspects of soldiers and their lifestyles.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">· Marriages/Relationships with soldiers <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">· P.O.W. treatment <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">· Bush Administration – significant actions <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">· Jihad <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">· U.S. Army weapons

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">** Journal entry #4 (pp. 311-406) **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">I have now finished reading __Where Men Win Glory__ and it turned out to be a very enjoyable book. The final quarter of the book was very solemn and dealt entirely with Pat Tillman’s death and the events that proceeded and followed. During a confusion of mistaken identity, Tillman was shot in the head by a comrade and died instantly. Pat and another officer were posting up by an overhang of rock while a separate squadron closed in on them and mistook them for enemies. They repeatedly fired on them and the two soldiers did everything they could to try to notify them that they were firing at friendlies, but it was all in vain. Pat was shot and killed by Trevor Alders at approximately 6:46 P.M. on April 22, 2004. Soon after, his brother Kevin was told of the tragedy and was completely distraught. He was then taken back to the states. Subsequently, his wife Marie and the rest of his family were notified and were struck with deep sorrow. Marie was surprisingly reserved when she heard the news, but she was only hiding her true sadness from everybody else. However, it was not until months later that they finally were told that the cause of Pat’s death was actually fratricide and was not killed by the enemy. media type="youtube" key="kBM2hiXRZA0" height="277" width="388" align="right" <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">There was plenty of controversy about the issue of Pat Tillman’s death. First of all, the military did everything it could to cover up the fact that Pat was killed by friendly-fire. The public was eventually enlightened and people felt it was inexcusable for something like this to happen. Criminal intent was investigated and the whole ordeal was a huge embroilment. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">While this book constantly entertained me for the most part, there were times that were not as appealing and were somewhat uneventful. I didn’t particularly care for all the information about the dispute over Pat Tillman’s death being a fratricide. Although it was nice to have as part of the book and was extremely informational, it was very bland and I didn’t find it entertaining. If I could recommend one thing to the author it would be to cut back on this particular section and make it a little more concise. I chose this book to read because I thought it would be a book about the legacy of Pat Tillman, and only that. I feel that if I wanted to know about the following events in depth, I would select a piece which focused on that specific public issue. Not to take away from the positives of this book, it was a pleasure learning about Tillman’s life as he grew up and the many hardships he had to overcome en route to the NFL and finally the armed forces. All in all, this book is one of my favorites and I’m glad I got the opportunity to learn about the extraordinary life of Pat Tillman.

· Causes of friendly-fire · Criminal charges in war · Loss of a child due to war · Moving on without dead sibling · <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Silver Star recipients