Jessica Lynch Ends First Year of College

Yahooooooo! ^ | May 6, 2006 | Allison Barker

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Three years after her capture and dramatic nighttime rescue in the early days of the Iraq war made her an instant celebrity, Jessica Lynch yearns for the ordinary.

She's just finished her first year at West Virginia University, where she's become an anonymous college student on a campus of thousands.

"I think people recognize who I am; they just don't make it obvious," Lynch, 23, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

"That's good for me because it gives me the opportunity to blend in and not stick out and really experience the college life just like they are."

Lynch, who joined the Army at 18 to see the world and earn money for college, attends WVU on a state scholarship. She grew up wanting to be a kindergarten teacher, but abandoned that idea after taking one education class.

"I haven't really found my direction of where I'm headed right now with everything I've been through," she said.

She changed her major to journalism because of her experience with the media and spends Wednesdays working at the campus radio station. Still, she's not sure if journalism is in her future.

"I enjoy broadcasting and I know I want to do something with children," she said. "I'd really like to start a kids TV program here in West Virginia. Something for kids who are in the hospital or have cancer."

Lynch's 507th Army Maintenance Company convoy was in Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003, when it took a wrong turn and was attacked. Eleven American soldiers were killed and six were captured, including Lynch.

The former supply clerk suffered extensive injuries when her Humvee crashed during the firefight. Her videotaped rescue from Saddam Hospital by U.S. special forces nine days later transformed the soft-spoken woman into a hero.

She still has no feeling in her left leg and has to wear a brace to support her foot because of nerve damage. And Lynch says she still can't remember the events that filled the two hours after her convoy was hit.

"Right now, I have sort of this image of what could have happened," she said. "If I actually knew and it came back, I probably would have nightmares for the rest of my life."

Though she was once engaged to former Army Sgt. Ruben Contreras, she now has a new boyfriend in Parkersburg. She protects details about her private life, saying only she met him through family.

Lynch spends most of the week on campus, but often leaves town on weekends to visit her boyfriend or her parents.

"I want people to remember me as being a soldier who went over there and did my job fighting for our country, our freedom. Nothing special. ... I'm just a country girl at heart."

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Glad to see her getting on with her life.

[Tax-chick]

She grew up wanting to be a kindergarten teacher, but abandoned that idea after taking one education class.

No surprise there!

Good for her ... she has plenty of time to decide what she wants to do after college.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

LOL! My first thought, too! :)

[MCCRon58]

I'll bet Yale and Harvard wouldn't be as as West Virginia U. open about her attending as they were for the former Tali ban spokesman. (After all, can't have any "warmongering" white americans on campus, can we? It would upset the cowards, cretins, creeps and traitors that make up the majority of our faculty)

[Popman]

[ansel12]

"This was probably the first incident in U.S. military history in which an American soldier was awarded our country's fourth-highest ground-fighting award for being conked out and off the air throughout a fight." Col. David Hackworth




She openly admits she never fired her weapon, and that she simply cried, and screamed into her commanding NCOs ear while everyone else on the Humvee was fighting or driving.

This girl should have been brought up on charges of cowardice in the face of the enemy, while wearing the uniform of an American soldier.

[taxcontrol]

Most people are not trained to deal with the stresses of combat. In fact, I would postulate that as much as 1/3rd of the trained INFANTRY do not perform their duties properly the first time they are in combat.

Many studies have been conducted on the actions of trained individuals and their responses to combat conditions. In the Civil war, soldiers would load their weapons, point it at the enemy, believe they fired, and then start reloading.... but never having taken a shot. Often ending up with a very dangerous situation of having 5 or 6 loads crammed down their barrels. In Vietnam, soldiers would often not even attempt to fire at the enemy, simply firing into the air.

The point is, if TRAINED soldiers react this way the first time they are in combat, can we honestly expect support personnel to behave like seasoned front line troops?

Granted, she did not deserve a medal and kudos for her for being honest about her actions.... but a trial, no that is not an appropriate response.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We could've predicted someone with your thoughts was going to show up. And your experience on the battlefield while under fire is...?

And before you get all "jiggy with me" I just want you to know that I'm a Desert Storm Vet, so you can probably figure out exactly where I'm coming from. :)

[RandallFlagg]

I forgot who it was who said it...
"Something about military combat. If you're good, you can only get better."

[demlosers]

actually, girls do not belong in combat.

[dangus]

She wants to major journalism, after being a poster child for bad journalism? Not that its her FAULT -- God knows it isn't! -- but what news organization, solid lefty scum that they are, would hire her?

What am I saying? She's an attractive blonde... there's always Foxy news.

[ikka]

Even in WWII it is estimated that as much as 50% of our troops did not fire their weapons during combat.

[Zhang Fei]

Most people are not trained to deal with the stresses of combat. In fact, I would postulate that as much as 1/3rd of the trained INFANTRY do not perform their duties properly the first time they are in combat. Many studies have been conducted on the actions of trained individuals and their responses to combat conditions. In the Civil war, soldiers would load their weapons, point it at the enemy, believe they fired, and then start reloading.... but never having taken a shot. Often ending up with a very dangerous situation of having 5 or 6 loads crammed down their barrels. In Vietnam, soldiers would often not even attempt to fire at the enemy, simply firing into the air. The point is, if TRAINED soldiers react this way the first time they are in combat, can we honestly expect support personnel to behave like seasoned front line troops?

I'm afraid the results of this "study" have been conclusively discredited. Soldiers do fire their weapons - even the ones with minimal training. (There are some who go into a fetal position, but those are a tiny minority). If anything, they're too liberal about firing their weapons unaimed, which is why they keep on running out of ammo. However, even with the trained soldiers that we have, it is possible to fire thousands of rounds without hitting a single person. This is what happened in a recent blue-on-blue incident documented by Michael Fumento. Americans fired 300 rounds at Iraqi troops, who replied with 1700 rounds. Fortunately they all missed. The fact that she couldn't handle the stresses of combat well enough to even fire her weapon indicates that she isn't cut out for the army - most soldiers will fire back even if they don't hit anything.

[Strategerist]

Yeah, that's in line with what I've read.

Especially in a first combat, the VAST majority of troops, even ones that have received decent training, essentially "freeze."

Something you don't see in the movies.

[tupac]

Well said, Brave One.

[ansel12]

When I read the Army report and watched a long interview with her, it seems she may have been responsible for the deaths of the Humvee occupants.

While the two males they picked up instantly grabbed the SAW and got it going, she says she continued screaming and distracting her NCO passenger until the female driver crashed the vehicle and they were all killed, except for Jessica.

[Zhang Fei]

Even in WWII it is estimated that as much as 50% of our troops did not fire their weapons during combat.

This SLA Marshall study has been discredited. Most soldiers fire their weapons - they just don't aim. We saw a lot of this in Vietnam - ARVN troops would raise their weapons over a wall of sandbags, or swing their rifles around the corner of a building and just pull the trigger until the magazine was emptied.

[demlosers]

Combat troops that were fighting in the front line?

BS...

A huge portion of the troops are in support position supporting the war fighters.

[Alexander Rubin]

Sounds like a wonderful person.

Pretty, too.

[ansel12]

"Well said, Brave One."


Thanks, something tells me the normal rules of military discussion don't apply when it involves a female.