Lynch Shot Iraqi Soldiers

The Washington Post ^ | April 3, 2003 | Susan Schmidt and Vernon Loeb

[John H K]

Pfc. Jessica Lynch, rescued Tuesday from an Iraqi hospital, fought fiercely and shot several enemy soldiers after Iraqi forces ambushed the Army's 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition, U.S. officials said yesterday.

[zook]

Idiot post of the day. The feminists of America applaud you.

Yeah, right. That's what this war is all about--feminism.

Can we get a little STFU over here?

[rivercat]

Wow... Talk about intolerant.

She is probably a 92A. This is mostly a rear echelon position, though sometimes Combat Service Support. You would have really freaked out over the women in our 3/5 Platoon. They'd be out at the FARP with us Armament Dogs, hot-refueling Cobras, and delivering ammo for us to load onto the Cobras. Extremely dangerous job, extremely dangerous place to be (the FARP), and every one of them carried their weight, same as the guys.

Regardless of whether or not this story is true or not, she's an American Hero

[blastbaby]

ah geez Arkinsaw - now you are my hero.

While I have mixed feelings about women in combat - she deserves respect as all the soldiers do. To those who are turning this into a spitting contest - shame, shame, shame.

[LonghornFreeper]

Yes, you did degrade her. Referring to a recovered prisoner of war, who, if this story is true (and I prefaced my previous remark with that as well), fought bravely for her country as a "little girl" is extremely degrading. You also stated that she is not a heroine, but many men I know would have run or cowered in her situation. And no, not every opinion is of equal value. The anti-american protestors have opinions also, but that does not mean they are valuable opinions. If you choose to live in some fantasy world where 19 year old girls are "home with their daddys" instead of in college or doing something with their lives then you need a serious reality check. I am not suggesting that women should be in frontline combat roles, but she wasn't in a frontline combat role intentionally, she got thrust into one because somebody sent her convoy the wrong way. She did a damn fine job, and deserves some respect.

[stands2reason]

I guess #8 was a veiled reference to it, but that was the only one I saw even coming close to advocating "women on the front." You might want to try to be more specific in your arguments....there is a difference between first post and eighth post.

[blaze]

American woman...Get away from me...
American woman...momma let me be...
don't want you hangin around my door...
don't wanna see your face no more ...
I don't need your war machine....B.T.O...
Need I say mow?

[seeker41]

Can some of you not appreciate that this is a great blessing and quite a story about a young female soldier who survived a brutal ordeal. SHE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE ABOUT WHERE SHE ENDED UP, the army owns her. Some of you make me ill with your negative comments and you must be a real bummer to be around. You are as sickening as the politicians who use a situation to gain polical points out of someones misfortune. You make me ill with your crassness and you are shameful.

Signed a USAF VET who happens to be female

[briant]

I meant to say first partisan post the first time. But there are others.

[des]

Your comment caught me completely off guard...I was already shedding tears.

[budwiesest]

You know, the dudes probably wouldn't let her ask for directions after making a wrong turn. We've got pride ;^)

[ApesForEvolution]

Ok, fine. Women are not needed in any combat positions, period. So, that leaves several hundred thousand places women can contribute in the military. All reports and facts indicate she was put in harm's way. Now, you can bet if our neighborhood is being overrun, I'm thankful that the women in these parts can pick up a firearm or whatever is handy and be proficient.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Maybe I wasn't clear.

I'm all for the evil-doers' heads being blown off, sooner the better.

However, I don't want teenaged girls blowing the head off anyone -- for the girl's sake, and for society's sake.

There's nothing to be gained from it, and plenty to lose.

[LonghornFreeper]

It is not good for the country to have women in the army? Our army is being destroyed by it? You might want to tell that to the Baghdad and Medina divisions of the Republican Guard, if you can find anything left of them. If some girls (or guys for that matter) want to stay home with their parents, that is fine. Others choose to serve their nation. Maybe women should not be in frontline combat units, but wrap your mind around the fact that she was in a maintance company, not a front line fighting unit. If you don't want women near combat zones then all of our female nurses, doctors, etc. would have to leave Iraq and even Kuwait since it is very possible that Iraqi irregulars could try to do a Chechen style hospital raid.

[stands2reason]

And it appears she has some things worth admiring about her.

No, obviously you can't admire her, cuz that would mean you are a feminazi that wants our front lines filled with women. (/sarcasm)

[ConservativeLawyer]

I have to question whether or not the capture of a single male soldier would have caused the brass to risk the lives of these special ops troops for the life of a single man.

Every time a plane is shot down and there is a chance that the pilot or crew survived, rescue forces such as Air Force Pararescue go in after them. Those troops risk their lives to save the life of a single pilot, regardless of the pilot's gender. That's how we do things.

[patriciaruth]

I wondered how long before someone came up with that one. If it all hadn't turn out so horrid, we'd have probably seen this sooner. You watch yourself out there among them English.

[FirstTomato]

If you reread these threads, I came here and stated my opinion, only to be attacked because I didn't jump on your bandwagon.

You do not want to entertain my opinion because it threatens your sense of decorum?--what a load of horse hockey. That's nonsense. I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations in any way. You are really being shameful in your bigotry.

You have told me to leave this thread numerous times, and you are just hopping mad that I didn't. So its a control issue with you.

[ApesForEvolution]

All of Iraq is a front line combat role today. She was in Iraq. ??

[rivercat]

A society that has nothing better for women to do than fight wars is a sign of a sick society

Careful now... One could make that argument about men too.

[zook]

When I first read this story, I printed it out and took it home to show my wife and 8 year old daughter. I tell ya what--I don't think I want my daughter in combat, but I sure the hell want her to know how to handle a firearm and shoot somebody if she has to.