Posted on 04/03/2003 6:14:02 AM PST by rockinonritalin
The 19-year-old Army supply clerk rescued in Iraq shot several Iraqi soldiers during the March 23 ambush that resulted in her capture, newspaper reported Thursday. She kept firing even after she had several gunshot wounds, finally running out of ammunition, the newspaper said, citing unidentified U.S. officials.
Spirited but hungry, Pfc. Jessica Lynch arrived in Germany for treatment of two broken legs and bullet wounds reportedly suffered in a fierce gun battle she waged against her Iraqi captors.
"She was fighting to the death," the Washington Post quoted an official as saying. "She did not want to be taken alive."
"Talk about spunk!" said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who was briefed by military officials on the rescue.
Pentagon officials and family members contacted late Wednesday declined comment on the report.
Lynch's daring nighttime rescue used virtually every asset the U.S. had, reports CBS News Correspondent Lee Cowan, from a battalion of Marines who drew fire as a decoy to U.S. Special Forces, who ran through a hail of gunfire for a stranger — not once, but twice.
"There were fire fights outside of the building, getting in and getting out," said Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks at Central Command in Doha.
The former POW left Iraq on a stretcher with an American flag folded across her chest, and arrived at a U.S. air base in Germany late Wednesday for treatment at the U.S. military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. She was the only patient aboard the 10-hour flight, reports CBS News Correspondent Stephan Kaufman at Landstuhl.
From Germany, she spoke with her family at their home in Palestine, W.Va., in a 15-minute telephone call.
"She's real spirited. She hasn't eaten in eight days and she's hungry," said her father, Greg Lynch. "She wants some food."
Randy Coleman, a military spokesman in West Virginia, said Lynch had fractures in both legs, and her family said she also injured her arm. U.S. officials in Kuwait said earlier she had two broken legs, a broken arm and at least one gunshot wound.
According to the Post account, she was also stabbed when Iraqi forces closed in on her.
Landstuhl spokesman Capt. Norris Jones would not comment on Lynch's injuries other than to say she was in stable condition.
"She's weak, she knows she's injured and they're doing the best that they can to get her so she can travel," said her brother Greg Lynch Jr. Her father said she will be transferred to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington as soon as possible.
However, it may be some time before she is reunited with her family, since soldiers taken prisoner often need time to "decompress" and meet with medical and psychological experts.
The U.S. forces who rescued her also found 11 corpses — some believed to be Americans — in and around Saddam Hospital, and the military was trying to determine whether any of them were captured members of her unit.
Lynch and as many as 12 other members of the 507th Maintenance Company were captured after making a wrong turn in Nasariyah. She watched several soldiers in her unit die in the ambush, the Post reported.
Not long after the fighting, five of Lynch's fellow soldiers showed up in Iraqi television footage being asked questions by their captors. The video also showed bodies, apparently of U.S. soldiers, leading the Pentagon to accuse Iraq of executing some POWs.
Lynch joined the Army after graduating from high school in 2001. Her brother Greg enlisted the same day. Her 18-year-old sister Brandi will report for duty in August.
"I still want to do it even more. It's the Lynch blood," Brandi Lynch said.
To help Lynch reach her goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher, West Virginia and Marshall universities and Liberty College in Lynchburg, Va., offered her competing packages Wednesday.
And West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise said the state would finance Lynch's education at a state public college or university of her choosing.
"She wants to become a teacher, and we are going to see that she becomes one," he said after visiting the Lynch family at home.
"For a country girl, she was pretty well armed..." Queen of My Double Wide Trailer.
If there is supporting facts and evidence, she may be a Medal of Honor candidate.
A woman tortured and abused by the "victim" Iraqis. A woman who knows how and is willing to use a gun. A woman who loves her country. A woman who is a legitimate hero.
How can we make her look good and the war look evil?
Hillary has to be wondering how she can have her picture taken with her? What about her own senator, Sen. Byrd? How does he play this one?
The libs are in a quandry.
No, to play the evil Sadammite loyolist nurse who administers the torture and conducts the interrogation. The highlight of the scene is when Jessica spits in her face.
They keep playing up the notion that she enlisted to get out of her small town, to get an education and to see the world. I also continue to hear that W. Virginia sends more of its young men and women into the military than any other state for this same reason. I don't think they can portray her as a reluctant hero - but they seem to be trying.
York was an amazing soldier. I read a book on the fellow. Unassuming and polite. My guess is that PFC Lynch is the same way and will play this down, and go on with her life.
It is likely that some of the brave people who risked their lives to rescue her from captivity are heroes, and it is very likely that the iraqi citizen that risked his life to provide information which lead to her rescue is a hero.
Well said.
When I first heard of the report of her courageously firing at her would-be captors until she ran out of ammunition, a question popped up as to why would the Iraqis allow her to live after she allegedly blows away some of their finest?
In addition, there are no witnesses to her supposed gallantry, whereas there are millions that witnessed the bravery of those who rescued her.
I wish PFC. Lynch well in her life and thank her for her service, but she is hardly a hero.
At best, she deserves the Purple Heart as well as a soon-to-be-created Iraq Campaign medal.
If anyone deserves the awards you've listed, it's those who rescued her.
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