There’s been a lot written about this American soldier. His death was a momentous event in the decades long fight against terrorism and occupation of Iraq, which is included in the fight against terrorism mainly because there was no terrorism there until we invaded and conquered that country.

The Army has had several versions of his death, each crafted and released to the public to serve specific needs, with perhaps the low point reached when the Army crafted a special eulogy for his family to recite at his graveside, knowing the relatives were transmitting a lie for propaganda purposes.

That was a low point, or so we thought, until last week when we learned that doctors examining the body released a report that raised many suspicions that CPL Tillman’s death was not only by friendly fire, but also deliberate. I am far from convinced his death was deliberate, that is to say murder. It’s far more likely that he was killed accidentally, by wild fire, and probably by a SAW LMG. He was sheltering behind a large rock, and there were apparently bullet marks on the rock.

The Army has determined that the ultimate reason the family and the nation were fooled in the cover up of Pat Tillman’s death was improper actions on the part of a now-retired general.

WASHINGTON - The Army censured a retired three-star general Tuesday for a "perfect storm of mistakes, misjudgments and a failure of leadership" after the 2004 friendly-fire death in Afghanistan of Army Ranger Pat Tillman.

Army Secretary Pete Geren asked a military review panel to decide whether Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger, who led Army special forces operations in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks, should also have his rank reduced.

In a stinging rebuke, Geren said Kensinger "failed to provide proper leadership to the soldiers under his administrative control" when the Army Ranger and former pro football star was killed in 2004.

Geren said that while Kensinger was "guilty of deception" in misleading investigators, there was no intentional Pentagon cover-up of circumstances surrounding Tillman's death — at first categorized by the military as being from enemy fire.

"He let his soldiers down," Geren said at Pentagon news conference. "General Kensinger was the captain of that ship, and his ship ran aground."

Not having been at the firefight, and not having been the proverbial fly on the way during the discussions (and undoubtedly recriminations) I’m going to have to be satisfied with this response and official action.

The AP notes in the same article:

Geren's actions fail to end a three-year controversy that has damaged the ground service's image. Even as the Army's top civilian was telling reporters he did not know exactly when he'd receive a recommendation from the review board on Kensinger's rank, members of Congress were already judging whether the Army had gone far enough.

Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Mike Honda, both Democrats from Tillman's home state of California, said there still too many unanswered questions.

"We still don't know the full story about the way the Pentagon and this administration managed this tragedy," Boxer said in a statement. "In my view, the Army should reconsider today's announcement and instead move forward with harsher penalties."

In a separate statement, Honda called Geren's actions "necessary and long overdue" but added "they do nothing to lift the appearance of cover-up that continues to envelop the Pat Tillman story."

That’s enough. Let’s let it lie. The family has suffered enough. They and Pat Tillman’s spirit need to rest and as honorable men and women we should leave them alone, and move on.

If the Tillman family asks further questions, or further evidence comes to light, then further inquiry should be made.

I am quite prepared to move on to the next question(s).

However, a curious man might ask why CPL Tillman’s journal was burned.

And that same curious man might wonder if, as the Army claims, the malfeasance and misaction rose no higher than LTG Kensinger, why has the White House refused to provide Congress with its files on this death, claiming executive privilege?

It's especially confusing since, in this latest iteration of the Tillman legend no one higher than LTG Kensinger had any part or action in it.