Prince Harry chose to get high on Thursday night.
With many people down.
The Duke of Sussex was honored with the 2024 ESPY Awards, and lo and behold, he was asked to take the stage to accept the Pat Tillman Service Award.
The award, presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the world… reflects Tillman’s legacy; a former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger who enlisted in the Army following the September 11 terrorist attacks and was subsequently killed in action.
“First of all, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone at the Pat Tillman Foundation, led by Marie Tillman Shenton, and I am honored to be here tonight For being here. I also want to thank the Tillman family, especially Pat’s mother, Mrs. Mary Tillman,” Harry said during the ceremony.
“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy was deeply personal and something I respect.”
This is an interesting and important note, as Mary Tillman was one of those who expressed confusion about Harry receiving the award.
Many critics believe ESPN named Harry the winner just for publicity… while Piers Morgan slammed the former royal as unworthy of carrying on Tillman’s legacy.
“The bond between a mother and her son is eternal and transcends even the greatest loss,” Harry continued at the ESPYs, evoking the memory of his own mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident when he was 12.
Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan.
He received this honor for founding Invictus Games in 2014.
This adaptive sports competition for injured, sick, disabled service members and veterans has been held for six years since its inception ten years ago.
At the ESPY Awards, where Harry was joined by his wife Meghan Markle, he asked fellow Invincible Games athletes to stay on stage while he gave his speech.
“The truth is, I stand here not as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman Award winner, but on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation and thousands of veterans and service members from more than 20 countries. The voices, they are the ones who make the Invictus Games a reality,” Harry continued.
“This award belongs to them, not me.
“That being said, for me, take every opportunity, especially on a night like this, in front of people like you, to highlight their accomplishments, their spirit, to these allies, athletes and their incredible families. and courage are very important to me.
“Moments like this help us help those who need Invictus the most and reduce the suicides of more than 20 veterans every day in this country alone.”
He cited Invictus Games’ milestone anniversary, saying:
“This year, we celebrate a decade of witnessing the life-changing impact and healing of sports. While much progress has been made since that first game, the outside world seems to be in a more precarious state.
“We live in an era of polarization and division. Conflicts are ongoing across the globe. Anger and resentment toward those who are different seem to pervade society.
“Our community challenges this. Our community proves that unity is not only possible, but powerful.
The speech was well received; as we said above, it was well worth it for Prince Harry, who was named the recipient of the Pat Tillman Service Award earlier this summer.
Mary Tillman previously told the Daily Mail: “I’m stunned why they would choose such a controversial and divisive individual to win the award.” She added at the time:
“Some recipients are more suitable. There are people working in the veterans community who are doing a tremendous amount to help veterans.
“These are people who don’t have the money, resources, connections or privileges that Prince Harry has. I feel like these types of people should be recognized.
