Pat Tillman's spirit lives on in a military scholar program

Ten years after his death, Pat Tillman's spirit lives on in a military scholar program
San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News
By Mark Emmons
Published: April 19, 2014

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Ten years after the death of Pat Tillman in a remote Afghanistan pass, monuments to his memory are everywhere.

A stone marker in San Jose's community of New Almaden. An 8-foot statue in Glendale, Ariz. The Pat Tillman Stadium at Leland High School and the Tillman Tunnel that Arizona State football players run through.

But the most fitting tributes to an admired man are not found in concrete and bronze. They are living legacies of flesh, blood and passion — the Tillman Military Scholars.

Nearly 300 active-duty service members, veterans and spouses inspired by Tillman's story have received college scholarships with the hope they will create a ripple effect that makes the world a bit better.

"We don't know what Pat would have done if he had lived, but I imagine he would have continued to serve for the rest of his life," said Adrian Kinsella, a Marine captain who attends the UC Berkeley School of Law. "That's what all of the Tillman scholars feel like we have to do. Every day I ask: 'Am I living up to Pat's ideal?' "

The San Jose native remains the best-known soldier of the post-9/11 era — an enduring symbol of selfless patriotism for putting an NFL career on hold to enlist in the U.S. Army, and then making the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
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