AWARD ROW
Harry should REJECT ‘public service’ award honouring war hero – it won’t go down with our troops, military chief says
The war hero's mother said there are better people who should win the gong
PRINCE Harry should reject an award honouring an American war hero as it won't sit well with our troops, an ex-military chief claims.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, is due to be honoured with the Pat Tillman Award for Service for his Invictus Games work at the glitzy ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 11.
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Harry winning the award has set off a row, with the mum of the man the gong is named for saying there are "far more fitting" people than Harry.
Now the former head of the Royal Navy has urged the prince to turn the award down and said it doesn't sit well with people in the military, the Daily Mail reports.
Lord West said Harry should think "hard and long" about accepting awards for military bravery.
He said: "Some of the blame must lie with ESPN. They like picking him because it gives them immense publicity. But this is rather bad publicity for Harry.
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"I really think Harry should be well advised to sit back and not accept awards like this. It doesn't travel well with people in the military. And when the mother of the man who died doesn't want him to get this award, he should think about that.
"My advice to him is to sit back and not accept any awards at the moment. They are going his way because has such a high profile and people want to take advantage of that."
For the last 10 years the Pat Tillman Award for Service has been "given to a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and US Army Ranger, Pat Tillman," according to ESPN.
Tillman’s life was tragically cut short when he was killed by friendly fire while serving in Afghanistan.
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Pat’s mum, Mary, has previously hit out at the Duke saying there are others "far more fitting" and with less "privilege" who could win the gong.
She said: "There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.
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"These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognised."
Another retired military officer, Colonel Richard Kemp, said the award is just "celebrities massaging each other’s egos".
He previously told The Sun: "He was a gunner in an Apache helicopter in Afghanistan but so were many, many other people.
“I can think of many people who did pretty extraordinary things while serving in the British and American armed forces which would be much more deserving of an award like this.
The Invictus Games runs for one week. It sees over 500 athletes compete over nine core sports - as well as additional activities and competitions, including esports.
Sporting events at the Games include wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby, and indoor rowing.
In 2023, 21 countries including Israel, Colombia and Nigeria will take part in the tournament - which will also see Rita Ora sing at the closing ceremony.
The first ever Invictus Games took place in March 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
Past honorees of the Pat Tillman Award
The Buffalo Bills' training staff (2023) after Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on field.
Retired US Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans (2022) who founded Team Unbroken, an adaptive racing team of mostly veterans.
Manchester United star Marcus Rashford (2021).
Health care worker and boxing champion Kim Clavel (2020).
Kristie Ennis, former Marine and founder of the Kristie Ennis Foundation (2019).
Navy-Marine Commendation Medal recipient, Sergeant and founder of Team Rubicon Jake Wood (2018).
Purple Heart recipient and Invictus Games gold medalist Israel Del Toro (2017).
U.S. Army Sgt. and Invictus Games gold medalist Elizabeth Marks (2016).
Former Notre Dame basketball player, Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient Danielle Green (2015).
U.S. Paralympic gold-medal sled hockey player and Purple Heart recipient Josh Sweeney (2014).
“It is obviously because of who he is - not what he did. An Apache is crewed by two people - a pilot and a gunner. Harry was a gunner. He was number two in the aircraft.
“There have been some incredible aeronautical exports from helicopter pilots in Afghanistan, Iraq and other war zones.
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“There are some extraordinary stories - many covered by The Sun - involving enormous flying skill and bravery.
“As far as I’m aware Harry - though I commend him for going out there and doing it - did not accomplish feats like these.”
What happened to Pat Tillman?
ESPN recounted Tillman's tragic death in 2014 as the 10th anniversary approached.
Tillman was a safety with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals for four seasons before joining the Army.
He enlisted eight months after 3,000 people were killed in the September 11 terror attacks.
Tillman, a California native, turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million when he joined the military.
"The events leading up to one of the most infamous friendly-fire deaths in US military history were rife for second-guessing from the start," reported ESPN.
"After an Army Humvee broke down in the mountains, Tillman's platoon was divided by superiors so that the Humvee could be removed; a local truck driver was hired as the hauler.
"But the two groups struggled to communicate with each other as they traversed the steep terrain. And the second group soon became caught in a deafening ambush, receiving fire as it manoeuvred down a narrow, rocky canyon trail."
A squad leader would misidentify an allied Afghan soldier positioned next to Tillman as the enemy, according to ESPN.
Soldiers would fire upon what Army Ranger Steven Elliott called "shadowy images," ESPN reported.
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