Rescuer with midstate ties surprised by attention paid to Lynch operation

The Macon Telegraph ^ | 7-23-03 | Gray Beverley

[eyespysomething]

By Gray Beverley Telegraph Staff Writer

LIZELLA - About three days before Pfc. Jessica Lynch returned home to her family in West Virginia, one of her rescuers was visiting his parents in Lizella.

Lt. Col. Jean Malone - who got back from the war about a month ago - said he was surprised by the attention given to the rescue operation, which he helped coordinate as deputy operations chief for the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

"It's kind of surprising for me," Malone said Tuesday from his Camp Lejeune, N.C., home. "We didn't realize it was that big of a deal."

Part of the reason, he said, is because the 2nd MEB still had a lot of work to do.

"For us, I mean, we were involved in what turned out to be a 10-day battle for the city of An-Nasiriyah," said Malone, 44. "We lost a lot of good Marines there."

Malone, who recently spent about two weeks in Middle Georgia, had sent an e-mail from Iraq, through Kuwait, to Lizella, about a day and a half after the rescue.

"He had no idea that it had blown up into this huge thing," said Malone's father, Dick, a Vietnam veteran and Macon State College assistant professor. "It was just another operation to him."

Malone and the 2nd MEB were facing vicious sand storms, house-to-house combat and the search for other missing members of the 507th.

"There was still a war to fight," Malone said. "And there were still people (missing) out there."

Lynch's 507th Maintenance Company convoy was ambushed March 23 near the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah in an attack that killed 11 soldiers. U.S. forces rescued the Army soldier at a Nasiriyah hospital April 1, while five other captured 507th soldiers, held apart from Lynch, were released April 13.

A special interrogation unit with the 2nd MEB pulled details about Lynch from an Iraqi attorney, Mohammed Odeh Al Rehaief, who made an off-hand remark about an American POW while offering intelligence about Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen, his paramilitary forces.

"They're the ones who focused him on it," not the other way around, Jean Malone said.

The attorney's wife, who worked at the hospital where Lynch was being kept, spent 12 hours with the interrogation team, a session which yielded a precise map, Malone said. He said while a unit with the 2nd MEB provided a diversion, an elite Army group known as Task Force 20 extracted the injured West Virginian.

Lynch was extracted in six minutes, Malone said.

"I'm not sure any of it is fun at the time," he said. "We felt very gratified that this was a successful mission."

While Malone was surprised by the attention after the fact, he said he was not surprised by the amount of resources devoted to the rescue itself.

"No, I'm not," he said. "It's kind of the American way. We expect that if we are taken, they're going to come get us." Dick and Marge Malone have lived in Middle Georgia for about 18 years, their son said.

[eyespysomething]

Interesting take, especially his point that the Iraqi lawyer made an off-hand remark about an American POW when offering info on the Fedayeen.

[marlon]

But wait I thought Robert Sheer, rabid leftist writer for The LA Slimes, said it was all a staged event. Obviously this marine is lying.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

Ahhhhhhh.......

Good ole Lizella, home of the Hiney Winery!

TMMT

[Uncle George]

These great men who made this rescue, when telling the FACTS of the mission, really blows the BBC,s lies about the rescue doesn't it?

[eyespysomething]

Well, the soldiers have obviously been brainwashed by the (and I use this as one of the liberal's terms only, not me) Bushita regime.

[eyespysomething]

Wha...?

It always amazes me how many people on FR know little ol' po-dunk towns in Georgia.

[MEG33]

Who are you going to believe?BBC or your lyin' eyes?

[eyespysomething]

As I said in post#5, they've been brainwashed apparently, because they seem to think that a rescue really happened.

[Hatteras]

"A special interrogation unit with the 2nd MEB pulled details about Lynch from an Iraqi attorney, Mohammed Odeh Al Rehaief, who made an off-hand remark about an American POW while offering intelligence about Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen, his paramilitary forces.

"They're the ones who focused him on it," not the other way around, Jean Malone said."

This is the same attorney that walked five miles out of town avoiding Iraqi troops just to get word to the Americans about Jessica? And made the trip multiple times?

[eyespysomething]

Yep.

I guess everyone has their version.

I tend to believe the American soldier, maybe its just me...

[tracer]

I thought that the winery was located in San Francisco....

[MEG33]

"I tend to believe the American soldier"Proving you are nationalistic,jingoistic,blinded by patriotism and right wing brainwashing!....;)

[tracer]

Indeed. And that same attorney emptied his M-16 and then fought a ferocious hand-to-hand battle with members of the Republlican Guard....

[ASA Vet]

Podunk, CT, in New Haven County
Podunk, MI, in Barry County
Another Podunk, MI, in Gladwin County
Podunk, VT, in Windham County
Podunk, NY, in Tompkins County

[eyespysomething]

Proving you are nationalistic,jingoistic,blinded by patriotism and right wing brainwashing

HEY! Have you been snooping through my trashcan again? ;-)

[tracer]

Facts can be discussed and debated, but it would appear you mistakenly turned right instead of left when you were forum-shopping last February, given the attitude and sentiments you just displayed....

[MEG33]

Did you see the smiley at the end!!!

[MEG33]

LOL!Caught in the act!

[eyespysomething]

Well watch out! My youngest is still in diapers. Its your life lol!!!

[eyespysomething]

Well that about fills my itinerary...