Rescued U.S. soldier put up fierce fight - Wash Post

Reuters | 4/03/03

[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

[Spirited]

The WV Governor has been "taken in" (sarcasm) by her "story".
He has just announced that any WV College/University will open to her and he will sponsor her education as a teacher.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

ahem

[William Terrell]

You fail to give any credit to this brave soldier. I puposely do not call Pvt. Lynch a woman, a girl, etc. It is my understanding that there is no difference between the oath that men and women take when the join our armed forces. God bless them all!!

I absolutely give honored credit to any woman serving as a support to the armed forces so that warriors are released from same to fight. That tradition has a long and illustrious history in our country, you know.

In my opinion, this woman was placed much too close to the front and was pressed into a situation she didn't sign up for, unlike the sniviling coward Funk, who did sign up for exactly that. She went through it; he didn't, so the honor is indeed hers.

You can thank Bubba for the travails this young woman went through. I do not in any way condone this policy, nor do I condone her use as an icon by the socialists and feminist for a practice that defies natural law well known for thousands of years and the weakening of social fabric and structure such practices accomplish.

Please don't assume that because I reject the notion of women in dangerous jobs, I don't have respect for women. I'd say that those who put women in danger when there is not need themselves have no respect for women, individually or severally.

[Marysecretary]

I'm told that the iraqi soldiers break the legs of women they want to rape so there's no resistance. Why are you so hostile toward this young woman?

[katnip]

To be honest -- I think I'm seeing a whole lot of guilt on FR that a 19-year old woman is on the front lines shooting it out with the rag-heads while we're all comfy-cozy on the sofa watching it all on FNC.

Thank you for saying that.

I also see a whole lot of what seems like resentment that maybe the only reason she survived is because she is young and pretty. That how dare she make the Special Ops have to risk their lives for her(as if they wouldn't have risked their lives for a male soldier).

[FreedomPoster]

>>This account has been banned.

I bet the IP of that account matched up with some other banned accounts.

[valleygal]

I just looked him up and owo2's account has been banned. :)

[Poohbah]

To be honest -- I think I'm seeing a whole lot of guilt on FR that a 19-year old woman is on the front lines shooting it out with the rag-heads while we're all comfy-cozy on the sofa watching it all on FNC.

This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

[valleygal]

He was probably just an undercover DUmmy.

[Marysecretary]

Keyboard commandoes--has a nice ring to it Poohbah. True words!

[Marysecretary]

She looks like she came from a very stable, nurturing family. She doesn't seem the type to me to make any of this up.

[William Terrell]

Look, dolt, that woman did a dangerous job - and she did it as well as a man of similar age and training. It might not fit into your comfy little worldview, but there it is. SHE DID THE JOB THAT YOU INSIST SHE IS INCPABLE OF DOING.

Dolt? Did I call you names? Please try to maintain some decorum in debate. It doesn't serve your position by throwing a fit on the floor.

Women can shoot a firearm. Women can definitly sustain bodily injury. The question is why should they when there are millions of healthy, strong young men not even in the military. And, as I said before and you didn't reference, the wounded lion fighting comes from a unidentified and vague statement from source who benefits from any advancement of the socialist agenda.

Maybe she did; maybe she didn't. The fate of a captured woman is much worse than a captured man. But I'll see the evidence before I judge. You can buy a pig in a poke if you want. That's your business. Just don't insist that I do because you're a socialist and want me to be one, too.

From the comfort of your chair by a computer, you choose (along with a few other troglodytes) to crap all over a life that should be celebrated. You have succeeded in doing something that few people can - and that is to make me sick.

"From the comfort of your chair by a computer", now but from a '66 tour of duty in a combat zone as a Marine, then. Do you have any experience in cambat, or the armed services?

I don't doubt that I make you sick. I try to make as many liberal as sick as I can.

Thank you.

[TomServo]

a '66 tour of duty in a combat zone as a Marine

Thanks for your Service.

[VMI70]

You're welcome, no, yes.

[Poohbah]

I tried to go back into my beloved Marine Corps after 9/11.

They told me I was too old.

I told the recruiter to be more respectful of his elders, or I'd beat him with my cane.

[DCPatriot]

Look arsewipe....

I have no problem with Equal Rights for women. Why would I?

But, because of the animal nature of a human male in war zone environments, young girls of any age don't belong there. Not wearing a military uniform.

I'm afraid that the African-American woman soldier, whose anguished and terrified expression we all viewed last week during that horrendous video, was not so fortunate to be kept alive. They found her torn and shredded uniform near the torture rooms.

Now, why don't you just keep quiet before we both get in trouble around here. ;^)

[William Terrell]

De nada, friend. Man's duty under the social compact. No thanks necessary.

[homeschool mama]

Your comments fit your screen name well.

[TomServo]

Man's duty under the social compact.

Understood. USAF from '76-'88. And some of the best times I had were training with Marines. What a blast!

[Marysecretary]

Thanks, valleygal.