Posted on 04/03/2003 3:03:29 AM PST by kattracks
Rescued U.S. soldier put up fierce fight - Wash Post
WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - Rescued U.S. soldier Jessica Lynch shot several Iraqi soldiers prior to her capture, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials.
The 19-year-old Private First Class continued firing at the Iraqis even after she sustained multiple gunshot wounds and watched several other soldiers in her unit die around her, one official told the newspaper.
"She was fighting to the death," the official was quoted as saying. "She did not want to be taken alive."
Lynch arrived in Germany early on Thursday for treatment at an American military hospital. She was held as a prisoner of war by Iraq for more than a week until U.S. special forces freed her on Tuesday.
Lynch, who has two broken legs and one broken arm, was with a U.S. Army maintenance convoy ambushed by Iraqi forces on March 23 in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya.
One official said Lynch was stabbed when Iraqi forces closed in on her position, the newspaper said.
U.S. defense officials said they were aware of the report, but could not immediately confirm the details of Lynch's capture.
Officials told the newspaper that the precise sequence of events was still being determined and further information would emerge as Lynch is debriefed.
The report said the information about Lynch's ordeal was based on battlefield intelligence which officials said came from monitored communications and from Iraqi sources in whose reliability has yet to be assessed.
Lynch, from Palestine, West Virginia, arrived at the U.S. Ramstein air base in southwestern Germany early on Thursday aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane.
The special forces also recovered the bodies of two U.S. soldiers in the raid at the Saddam Hospital north of the Euphrates river which runs through Nassiriya.
Lynch was one of 15 soldiers listed missing, captured or killed when a 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company convoy made a wrong turn and came under attack from Iraqi tanks and fighters.
Five of the captives, but not Lynch, were shown on Iraqi television as well as the bloodied bodies of up to eight men, prompting President George W. Bush to warn that anybody mistreating U.S. prisoners would be punished as "war criminals.
04/03/03 05:57 ET
How do they know this? Are there witnesses?
Now that pisses me off. You couch commandos doubt the heroism of this woman? You question her motives? How dare you?
Let's see... the Iraqis were clearly trying to take POWs, yet she ended up with multiple gunshots, a broken leg, and stab wounds...
Seems pretty likely that she was fighting back! Did the other members of her unit look like they had been similarly injured when they were shown on TV?
Way to go soldier!
From the available evidence, you stand the chance of making yourself a fool.
Amen brother!
Mike
My thoughts exactly. If this story is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, she deserves the silver star (or at least the bronze star).
She (Lynch) hasn't been heard, by any of us, to have said anything.
Why are you rambling on?
Get a grip.
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