There are various reports of a journal kept by Pat Tillman that shortly after his death went missing, was burned, etc. Here is a transcript indicating that the journal was not destroyed at least initially. The account is rather confusing on exactly what happened to it though. Also of interest in this statement is that "the phones and the internet had been cut off, to prevent anyone from talking about the incident."
Location: Fort Lewis, WA 98433
Date: 20060523 15:37
File Number: 0013-06-CID201-50048
Name: XXXXXXXX
Organization: Group Support Company, 1st Special Forces Group
XXXXXXXXX want to make the following statement under oath:
I was deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, in April of 2004. I was hanging out one day, when it came over the radio that 2nd platoon, 2/75th Rangers had received fire. I heard there was two KIA's and one was identified as the AMF [Afghan Military Forces] soldier that was killed. One of our code names used to identify people in the platoon came of the radio. The code name is usually XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. When this came over the radio, because it was my platoon, I looked on the alpha roster and discovered that it was Pat Tillman who had been killed.
I then told the other personnel who were in The Operations Command (TOC). There were four other bystanders in the TOC during this time. We rounded everyone else up to notify them that someone had been killed. The phones and the internet had been cut off, to prevent anyone from talking about the incident. We actually did not tell anyone who had been killed, only that someone had been killed, but that information on who it actually was leaked out pretty quick. After that, it was basically standard operating procedures; you have to go inventory the personnel effects. I inventoried all of CPL TILLMAN's personnel effects that were left behind in one of the buildings on XXXXX. Typically what would happen was the Rangers would pack whatever they needed into there ruck sack and leave everything else in there duffel bag in XXXX. After that, I inquired to my XO, XXXXXXX about CPL TILLMAN's body armor, his fighting vest, helmet and his weapon, and I was informed that those particular items were burned at the fire base. I am not sure what fire base TILLMAN was taken to. I never saw any of that equipment. His body arrived at Bagram, and turned over to mortuary affairs. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX came and stayed with me for about 3 days before he left, that is when I gave XXXX all of TILLMAN's personal items, to include the journal, some books (NFI), his wallet, his dog tags, and his name tapes. I secured all of other belongings, like uniforms, boots, basically all of TILLMAN's issued items were locked in an issued duffel bag and stored inside the I.S.U.-90, a container used for hauling equipment back and forth overseas. XXXXXX also gave me a flashlight CPL TILLMAN had on his SAW. The flashlight had a bullet hole in it, and it is currently kept at my old office over at 2/75, here on Fort Lewis, WA.
Q. SA XXXXX?
A. XXXXXXXX
Q. What personal items did you inventory from CPL TILLMAN's duffel bag in XXXX?
A. A journal, a wallet, some books, dog tags, and anything that had his name on it, like name tapes, extra set of boots, gore-tex jacket and pants, black sleeping bag, various magazine puches for the M-4, some personal hygiene items, socks, T-shirts, that is pretty much all I can remember.
Q. What did you do with these aforementioned items?
A. I did an inventory of them and put them in the duffel bag, which I locked and placed in the I.S.U.-90. I gave XXXXX the dog tags, the name tapes, the books, the wallet and the journal.
Q. Did you ever look through CPL TILLMAN's journal and/or wallet?
A. No.
Q. Did you ever copy anything from CPL TILLMAN's journal and/or wallet?
A. No.
Q. Would you have any reason to keep any of CPL TILLMAN's personal items?
A. I was friends with Pat and XXXX outside of work. I have no reason for keeping.
Q. Do you know what XXXX did with the personal items you gave him?
A. XXXX really hung on to that stuff, he would look through it from time to time.
Q. Do you remember what the journal looked like?
A. It was a black book, about 8" X 5", and was kept in a Ziploc bag, it was just a black notebook.
Q. Do you know what happened to TILLMAN's duffel bag you stored in the I.S.U.-90?
A. No.
Q. Did you lock the I.S.U.-90?
A. Yes.
Q. What type of lock did you use for TILLMAN's duffel bag and the container?
A. I used a government 5200 series lock for both the duffel bag and the container.
Q. What did you do with the keys?
A. I kept the keys. I did not give them to anybody. The container was transported back to the states and I put TILLMAN's duffel bag in my office. I don't know what happened to it from there.
Q. When was the last time you saw TILLMAN's duffel bag?
A. Over two years ago.
Q. Do you know where XXXXX is now and do you know his first name?
A. I believe his first name is XXXX and he is at the advanced course at Fort Benning, GA, for the next 9 months or so.
Q. Did you obtain any of CPL TILLMAN's equipment from the day he was killed?
A. His ruck sack.
Q. Who did you received the ruck sack from?
A. I don't remember.
Q. Did the ruck sack have any bullet holes in it or any blood on it?
A. No.
Q. What happened to the ruck sack?
A. I put it with the duffel bag.
Q. Did XXXXXXXX give any of CPL TILLMAN's equipment, i.e. body armor, magazines, molle vest?
A. Not that I can remember.
Q. Could anyone else in your section have received any of TILLMAN's equipment?
A. The only other person I could think of was XXXXXXXXXXXXX he was the S-4 NCOIC. He is still at the 2nd Batallion.
Q. Do you have anything else to add to the statement?
A. ///End of Statement///