Interesting Account of Lynch Capture

[Brave]

The following account of Lynch's actions before and during her capture sound pretty heroic. The cynic in me wonders if there's not some embellishment to create a hero for the masses but, if true, that's some spunky girl! Looks like she'll be OK and her future looks pretty bright now with colleges competing for her attention.

By JOE COLEMAN, Associated Press Writer

LANDSTUHL, Germany - Spirited but hungry, rescued prisoner of war Pfc. Jessica Lynch arrived in Germany for treatment of two broken legs and bullet wounds reportedly suffered in a fierce gun battle she waged against her Iraqi captors.

 

The Washington Post reported Thursday that the 19-year-old Army supply clerk shot several Iraqi soldiers during the March 23 ambush that resulted in her capture. She kept firing even after she had several gunshot wounds, finally running out of ammunition, the newspaper said, citing unidentified U.S. officials.

"She was fighting to the death," the Post quoted an official as saying. "She did not want to be taken alive."

Pentagon (news - web sites) officials and family members contacted late Wednesday declined comment on the report.

Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital in a daring nighttime raid Tuesday by U.S. commandos acting on a CIA (news - web sites) tip.

The former POW left Iraq (news - web sites) on a stretcher with an American flag folded across her chest, and arrived at a U.S. air base in Germany late Wednesday for treatment at the U.S. military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

From Germany, she spoke with her family at their home in Palestine, W.Va., in a 15-minute telephone call.

"She's real spirited. She hasn't eaten in eight days and she's hungry," said her father, Greg Lynch. "She wants some food."

Randy Coleman, a military spokesman in West Virginia, said Lynch had fractures in both legs, and her family said she also injured her arm. U.S. officials in Kuwait said earlier she had two broken legs, a broken arm and at least one gunshot wound.

According to the Post account, she was also stabbed when Iraqi forces closed in on her.

Landstuhl spokesman Capt. Norris Jones would not comment on Lynch's injuries other than to say she was in stable condition.

"She's weak, she knows she's injured and they're doing the best that they can to get her so she can travel," said her brother Greg Lynch Jr. Her father said she will be transferred to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington as soon as possible.

The U.S. forces who rescued her also found 11 corpses — some believed to be Americans — in and around Saddam Hospital, and the military was trying to determine whether any of them were captured members of her unit.

Lynch and as many as 12 other members of the 507th Maintenance Company were captured after making a wrong turn in Nasiriyah. She watched several soldiers in her unit die in the ambush, the Post reported.

Not long after the fighting, five of Lynch's fellow soldiers showed up in Iraqi television footage being asked questions by their captors. The video also showed bodies, apparently of U.S. soldiers, leading the Pentagon to accuse Iraq of executing some POWs.

Lynch joined the Army after graduating from high school in 2001. Her brother Greg enlisted the same day. Her 18-year-old sister Brandi will report for duty in August.

"I still want to do it even more. It's the Lynch blood," Brandi Lynch said.

 To help Lynch reach her goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher, West Virginia and Marshall universities and Liberty College in Lynchburg, Va., offered her competing packages Wednesday.

And West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise said the state would finance Lynch's education at a state public college or university of her choosing.

"She wants to become a teacher, and we are going to see that she becomes one," he said after visiting the Lynch family at home.

[riggins44]

Wonder how long it takes Hollywood to buy rights for the movie.

[The Evil Genius]

Her parents said today that she was never shot or stabbed.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030403/ap_on_re_mi_ea/war_pow_family_46

POW Father Denies Daughter Shot, Stabbed

By ALLISON BARKER, Associated Press Writer

PALESTINE, W.Va. - The father of rescued POW Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch said Thursday she was in great spirits following her first surgery and said she had not been shot or stabbed during her ordeal.

"We have heard and seen reports that she had multiple gunshot wounds and a knife stabbing. The doctor has not seen any of this," Gregory Lynch Sr. said. "There's no entry (wounds) whatsoever."

Lynch said his 19-year-old daughter, who is at a military hospital in Germany, had surgery on her back.

"She didn't have any feeling in her feet," he said outside his home in this West Virginia hamlet. More surgery was scheduled for Friday on her fractured legs and right arm, he said.

The family spent several hours with Pentagon (news - web sites) officials discussing her time in Iraq (news - web sites). They hoped to learn more about what happened on March 23, when her 507th Maintenance Company convoy was attacked after making a wrong turn in southern Iraq.

Also waiting for news are family members with loved ones in the 507th, based at Fort Bliss, Texas: Seven soldiers remained missing Thursday, five were listed as prisoners of war and two others were confirmed killed.

The military has said 11 bodies were found during Lynch's dramatic rescue from an Iraqi hospital Tuesday, and some were believed to be Americans.

Gregory Lynch said he had not discussed his daughter's captivity with her during telephone conversations. He and his wife did not immediately elaborate on what they discussed with military officials.

"They have successfully done one surgery on her," he said, smiling as he joked about pink casts for her broken limbs. "There will be other surgeries. It's going to take time and patience. She's in real good spirits."

Lynch, a supply clerk, was rescued from an Iraqi hospital in a daring nighttime raid by U.S. commandos acting on a CIA (news - web sites) tip.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Lynch shot several Iraqi soldiers during the firefight and kept firing until she ran out of ammunition even after suffering several gunshot wounds. Pentagon officials declined to comment on the report.

The former POW left Iraq on a stretcher with an American flag folded across her chest, and arrived at a U.S. air base in Germany late Wednesday for treatment at the military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

Members of the medical crew that accompanied her on the 8 1/2-hour flight to Germany from Kuwait said she appeared clear-headed, smiling and alert, but didn't discuss her plight with them.

"She must be as hard as nails," said Air Force Capt. Shean Galvin.

"She doesn't know what kind of uproar she's caused right now," her brother, Greg Lynch Jr., said. "She's definitely a hero. Whether she realizes it or not — not only to our family, but to the whole nation."

Lynch joined the Army after graduating in 2001. Her brother enlisted the same day, and their 18-year-old sister, Brandi, will report for duty in August.

The family said they are not sure when Jessica Lynch will be flown back to the United States. They decided against a trip to Germany.

"We want that to be on Jessi's terms," her father said. "When she is ready, I'm sure she will let us know and we'll be on the way."

[StuckinIA]

Originally posted by riggins44

Wonder how long it takes Hollywood to buy rights for the movie.

[NavyDave]

I still cant believe some of the fools trying to downplay her.

IMO everyone over there are heroes and special op types are not supposed to get publicity so they can be inserted in other places in the future.

The back/spinal surgery she had is more than likely because she was hung from her ankles for an extended period while being abused.

What will suck is more than likely some anti american type will make money portraying her.

I just dont see me wasting the time to watch it.

[TennesseeCarl]

So y'all don't think Jeannie Garafolo should get the role of Jessica Lynch? (If she did, at least you could derive some pleasure out of the torture scenes.)

Actually, I'm curious how the story plays out. First we hear she had multiple gunshot wounds and possibly stabs. Then her father says there were no gunshot wounds. Then I see a crawl on CNN saying that her doctor says there were gunshot wounds.