Father says Lynch in good spirits after POW ordeal

Reuters | 4/08/03

[kattracks]

Father says Lynch in good spirits after POW ordeal

LANDSTUHL, Germany, April 8 (Reuters) - The father of U.S. soldier Jessica Lynch, a prisoner of war rescued by American forces in Iraq, said on Tuesday she was in good spirits and only wanted to go home.

"Her spirits was real high and we was real glad to see her. We was kinda figurin' it'd be a lot worse," Greg Lynch said outside the hospital that is treating her.

Jessica, 19, spent nine days as a POW in Iraq with back injuries, two broken legs, a broken arm, broken foot and ankle.

She was reunited with her family at the U.S. medical centre in Landstuhl, Germany.

"We said 'Hi baby, how are you doing?', and she said 'fine'," said Lynch.

Jessica's mother Dee, brother Greg Jr, sister Brandi and cousin Dan Little were also at the reunion.

"She just wants to go home. I don't think the reality has hit her yet."

Jessica, a Private First Class from Palestine, West Virginia, was in a convoy ambushed by Iraq forces on March 23.

She was rescued in a dramatic night-time raid from a hospital in the southern town of Nassiriya.

She was one of 15 soldiers listed as missing, captured or killed when a 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company convoy made a wrong turn as it was attacked by Iraq tanks and fighters.

04/08/03 06:25 ET

[David Isaac]

Did anyone else notice that the father was having the most difficult time of all the family members? I can imagine what was going through his mind at the thought of what happened to his little girl in the hands of her captors.

Someone on this site made the point that men and women have an equal chance of being raped upon capture. Rubbish!

[patriciaruth]

507th Ordnance Maintenance Company convoy made a wrong turn as it was attacked by Iraq tanks and fighters.

The two wounded soldiers found after the Iraqi ambush party left with their captives dispute the story that they took a wrong turn. They said they had merely slowed down to help some vehicles having mechanical problems, and lagged behind the main convoy, which made them vulnerable to being picked off.

[johnb838]

I am one of the biggest Jessie Lynch supporters on this site. I thought that 'press conference' was a little bit farcical. They need to leave these people alone and these people need a mouthpiece and a lawyer or the elites are going to take advantage of them badly.

I saw the presser live during one of the 8 times I woke up and got a sitrep last night. It was really sad... "Explosion Rocks Palestine Hotel! Now to Landestuhl for a press conference with Lynch family".

I just wish they could let these people have some dignity.

[johnb838]

When it comes to Arabs I'm not so sure. Meaning animals like these fedayeen of course. They seem to have a prison mentality toward homosex. The rapee is the queer, the rapist is the man. Ugh.