Saving Private Lynch

The Sun (U.K.) ^ | 04/03/03 | BRIAN FLYNN and GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON

[Pokey78]

You're safe ... Jessica pictured during rescue
Picture: REUTERS

THE full incredible story of how prisoner of war
Jessica Lynch was rescued in a daring midnight raid emerged last night.

Army supply clerk Jessica, 19, was plucked to safety by US special forces from a hospital used as a base by Saddam Hussein’s death squads.

The West Virginia country girl had been missing for ten days and was feared dead.

But relief and pride swept America as news of her safe return provided a huge boost to morale.

Her father Greg hailed the rescue as “nothing short of a miracle.”

The dramatic, six-minute rescue operation was launched in the spirit of World War Two movie Saving Private Ryan.
Brig General Vince Brooks said: “America doesn’t leave its heroes behind. Never has, never will.”

This is how the amazing attack unfolded in Nasiriyah:
US Marines launched a massive assault as a diversion.

Tanks and artillery also pounded outlying areas of the city, 100 miles from Baghdad. During the action the Marines seized and held a key bridge over the Euphrates river.

Night vision ... Jessica being carried to a chopper after rescue

Fifteen minutes later Delta Force troops, US Army Rangers and Navy Seals leapt from a Black Hawk helicopter which landed in the grounds of the Saddam Hospital.

Four Apache helicopter gunships and two A10 Warthog Tankbuster jets provided air cover.

The Combat Search and Rescue Team, on permanent standby in Jordan, opened fire as soon as they hit the ground.

Some troops sealed off the building and laid down covering fire while others stormed it.

A small snatch squad seized hospital workers, who led them to the room where terrified Jessica was lying manacled to a bed.

They found at least one large battery next to her bed — and suspect it was a torture device.

She was carried through the corridors as fierce fighting continued to rage. Dramatic footage released yesterday shows Jessica being taken to a helicopter on a stretcher.

Jessica ... captured in Iraq

She was last night recovering in a US military hospital.
Her injuries were said to include bullet wounds, broken legs and a broken arm. This was not confirmed but she is in a stable condition.

The battle involving the diversion forces continued for four hours but there were no Coalition casualties.

The massive covering operation, which also hit Ba’ath Party officials’ homes and its local HQ, was planned by a British Royal Marine officer on attachment to US forces,
Major Mike Tanner, 33, from Bedfordshire, told how the rescue was carried out clinically and at high speed.

He said: “Six minutes after they crossed the line of departure it came over the radio net, ‘We have the girl — success.’

“They were very quick and it went as we planned.”
Private Jessica, of 507 Maintenance Company, was one of 15 non-combat troops amushed by Iraqis. Five prisoners and the bodies of several dead were paraded on TV.

Yesterday’s rescue team also recovered 11 bodies from a morgue and a shallow grave. At least two are thought to be Americans killed when Jessica was captured. DNA tests are being carried out.

A note passed secretly by an Iraqi woman to a US Marine sparked the dramatic raid. It read simply: “She’s still alive.”

An NBC TV reporter also raised the alarm after an Iraqi told him: “There’s a woman in the Saddam Hospital who’s an American soldier. Please make sure the people in charge know.”


Special forces to the rescue ... our graphic shows how Delta Force, Navy Seals and US Army Rangers were dropped into action from Black Hawk helicopters
Click picture to enlarge

Military sources said the hospital had become the HQ of “Chemical Ali” Hassan al-Majeed, who gassed Kurds to death in the 1980s.

The CIA used intelligence sources to track exactly where blonde Jessica was. Agents then fed the geographical co-ordinates to US Central Command, where a rescue plan was drawn up.

The special forces team flew into a forward base at Tallil in Iraq and Allied Commander General Tommy Franks gave the go-ahead.

After the successful swoop Army officers broke the good news to Jessica’s family in the farming community of Palestine, West Virginia — and huge celebrations began.

Friend Glenn Cogar was in the framily’s two-storey wood-framed house when the call came through.

He said: “Her dad Greg just went crazy, screaming and yelling, ‘Thank God! Thank God!’. Everyone started crying.”

Jessica joined up to escape unemployment and had never left America before the war. Within hours of her release she was given a phone to speak to her family.

Jetting in ... Jessica arrives in Germany
Picture: REUTERS

Truck driver Greg said: “She is in good health. I am very happy.

“I thought it was an April Fool joke when the Army phoned. But they assured me, ‘It’s not a joke’.

“We are going to wait until she is home and then we’re going to throw one of the biggest bashes West Virginia has ever seen.

“We knew this day would come. Now we can’t wait to see her.”

Jessica’s mum Deadra had waited by the phone for days. She said: “It’s so overwhelming and exciting.”

Grandmother Wyonema, 65, wept as she said: “We prayed for this miracle — and it is a miracle. She’s safe. The unknown was so awful.

“But we never lost faith in the Lord and He brought us a miracle — our precious little Jessie.”

Joy ... dad Greg and mum Deadra, right

During the celebrations fire trucks and police cars with sirens blaring drove around tiny Palestine.Dozens of pick-up trucks and cars joined the parade as church bells rang out and firecrackers went off.

Brig Gen Brooks said: “This operation was carried out by some of the finest warriors this country knows.

Some brave souls made this happen. They are loyal to a creed that will never leave a fallen comrade.”

When news of the operation was given to President George Bush he replied: “That’s great.”

An Iraqi hospital pharmacist who helped treat Jessica told Sky News she cried every day for her family but claimed she was well treated.

The worried relatives of seven other captured Americans were heartened by her rescue — amid suggestions from military sources that similar missions are planned.

Jack Dowdy, whose son Master Sgt Robert Dowdy, 36, missing, said: “I’m just hoping if they find one, maybe they’ll find some more.”

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Overjoyed on this end! Absolutely overjoyed. Now, it is time to finish the job.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

...Our Lifesaving U.S. Military -&- our GOD's Tender Mercy is so worth our Loving Support...

...especially on this day =

...US at the OSCARS =

http://www.tripflicks.com/pro/
(Photos)


Signed:..ALOHA RONNIE Guyer / Yellow Jacket Vet-U.S. 7th Cavalry's Opening Days of the Vietnam War

http://www.LZXRAY.com/guyer_collection
(Photos)

[Trajan88]

Awesome!!!

Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88; Law Hall (may it R.I.P.) Ramp 9 Mule; f.u.p.

[Capriole]

I could make such an inappropriate joke...

Under the circumstances we all appreciate your restraint.

My question is, how could that little girl look so beautiful after being tortured for a week? What an angel. God does answer prayers (and sometimes the answer is Yes).

[freethinkingman]

I agree I saw the photo of her face laying there on that stretcher and thought, what a little angel.

The army photo of her makes her look 12 years old.

[RummyChick]

straight from a movie
in fact
i bet they will be making a movie of this after this war is over

[nmh]

"They found at least one large battery next to her bed — and suspect it was a torture device."

Thank God she was spared any additional torture. I am so happy for her.

[Allan]

Bump

[laz17]

Hardly anyone in Hollywood has the moral standing to make a movie about such heroes.

[goose]

From the interviews with her brother, that I have seen, he indicatedated that she has had little to no food during the past week.

I'm glad to see her alive...I hope the rest of the POW/MIA's make it out OK.

God bless our Forces!

[Slyfox]

Her rescue began with a note passed to the Coalition from an Iraqi.
Now, if we could just go in and "rescue" Saddam.

[FITZ]

A note passed secretly by an Iraqi woman to a US Marine sparked the dramatic raid. It read simply: “She’s still alive.” An NBC TV reporter also raised the alarm after an Iraqi told him: “There’s a woman in the Saddam Hospital who’s an American soldier. Please make sure the people in charge know.”

Also heros in this story.

[Kevin Curry]

All first-class human beings, that's for sure.

[NMFXSTC]

Her name is PRIVATE FIRST CLASS LYNCH...not "Jessica", not "the girl"...PRIVATE FIRST CLASS LYNCH!

She is a soldier. I'm sure she would say that and I know damn well her comrades echo that!

[KneelBeforeZod]

hollywood tripping over each other to get the movie rights...

[Kevin Curry]

Hardly anyone in Hollywood has the moral standing to make a movie about such heroes

They will make a movie out of this, if only to advance the feminist agenda. It need not be done with that bias, but that is the bias it will receive.

You can count on it.

[the_doc]

Yes.

But she is still a girl.