The Smirking Chimp: "An Afghan military official contradicted the Army investigation and told the Associated Press that Tillman died because of a mix-up between two groups of coalition soldiers, composed of both Americans and Afghanis. The official said the two groups became separated and began firing wildly in the confusion following a land mine explosion.

'It was a misunderstanding and afterwards they realized that it was a mine that had exploded and there were no enemy forces,' the Afghan official said.

Unfortunately, 'misunderstandings' don't sound nearly as gallant as 'crested hills' and 'well-armed enemies.' It seems we treat our war heroes just like everything else these days: We want them pre-packaged and artificially augmented.

If you die by accident that doesn't make your sacrifice any less significant.

Just a lot less marketable"