POW Family Denies Daughter Shot, Stabbed

Associated Press | Thursday, April 3, 2003 | By ALLISON BARKER

[JohnHuang2]

POW Family Denies Daughter Shot, Stabbed

By ALLISON BARKER .c The Associated Press

PALESTINE, W.Va. (AP) - The father of rescued POW Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch said Thursday that she was in great spirits following her first surgery and denied reports she was shot and stabbed during her captivity in Iraq.

``We have heard and seen reports that she had multiple gunshot wounds and a knife stabbing. The doctor has not seen any of this,'' Gregory Lynch Sr. said.

[TomServo]

Guess she didn't get the memo..

heh heh...

[GovernmentShrinker]

They have special uses for pretty blonde, blue-eyed young women. I doubt it's a coincidence that she's the only (confirmed) survivor of this attack.

[A2J]

But I thought she received those wounds while fiercely fighting off her captors.

[amused]

Not surprised. Lots of stuff flying out without fact checking.

[JohnHuang2]

POW Father Denies Daughter Shot, Stabbed

By ALLISON BARKER

.c The Associated Press

PALESTINE, W.Va. (AP) - The father of rescued POW Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch said Thursday that she was in great spirits following her first surgery and denied reports she was shot and stabbed during her captivity in Iraq.

``We have heard and seen reports that she had multiple gunshot wounds and a knife stabbing. The doctor has not seen any of this,'' Gregory Lynch Sr. said.

Lynch said his 19-year-old daughter, who is at a military hospital in Germany, had surgery on her back.

``She didn't have any feeling in her feet,'' he said outside the family's home in this West Virginia hamlet. More surgery was scheduled for Friday on her fractured legs and arm, he said.

The family spent several hours with Pentagon representatives discussing her ordeal in Iraq. They hoped to learn why the 507th Maintenance Company convoy made a wrong turn in southern Iraq on March 23 and was attacked.

Seven soldiers remained missing Thursday, five were listed as prisoners of war and two others were confirmed killed. The military has said 11 bodies were found during Lynch's rescue from an Iraqi hospital Tuesday, and some were believed to be Americans.

Gregory Lynch said he had not discussed his daughter's captivity with her during telephone conversations. He and his wife did not immediately elaborate on what they discussed with military officials.

``They have successfully done one surgery on her,'' he said. ``There will be other surgeries. It's going to take time and patience. She's in real good spirits.''

Lynch was rescued from an Iraqi hospital in a daring nighttime raid by U.S. commandos acting on a CIA tip.

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.

Members of the medical crew that accompanied her on the 8 1/2-hour flight to Germany from Kuwait said she appeared clear-headed, smiling and alert, but didn't discuss her plight with them.

``She must be as hard as nails,'' said Air Force Capt. Shean Galvin.

``She doesn't know what kind of uproar she's caused right now,'' her brother, Greg Lynch Jr., said. ``She's definitely a hero. Whether she realizes it or not - not only to our family, but to the whole nation.''

The family has decided not to fly to Germany since Lynch was expected to be flown to the United States as soon as she is stabilized.

[A2J]

It may be days before all details come out. I wonder who the sources were on the original story (Washington Post?) It seems to me that it took MONTHS to get the POW's stories from the first Gulf War...

And yet there are many on this site who immediately believed everything the original story printed, including Rush.

[skeeter]

ping

[JohnHuang2]

Very true...

[A2J]

Not surprised. Lots of stuff flying out without fact checking.

And yet that hasn't stopped many from granting her sainthood.

[Catspaw]

One of the reports today also added in a herniated disk. If she had back surgery, it was probably to correct that problem.

Depending on the severity of her broken bones, she may have to have surgery to have the bones pinned, or they can be set and then have the limb(s) placed in a cast.

Whatever her injuries, she's going to be spending a considerable time with physical therapists.

[dandelion]

Actually, I'd rather NOT have her stabbed and shot up. I'd rather not have ANY of our service members hurt. It doesn't hurt the real story or the real heroism a bit to know that she's not been mortally wounded or permanently damaged in some way. The whole story should be given time to come out. Meanwhile, she doesn't have any feeling in her feet. NOT good...

[JimDingle]

Well, why did she need surgery?


Probably to set her broken bones and repairt any internal damage that may have happened from the fractures.

[A2J]

The whole story should be given time to come out. Meanwhile, she doesn't have any feeling in her feet. NOT good...

Agreed.

[Poohbah]

And yet that hasn't stopped many from granting her sainthood.

Nor has it stopped a few pieces of Clinton from trashing her.

Go away before I tell your mother you're abusing her AOL account.

[nicmarlo]

fractured/broken? disc(s), fractured legs, arm, and other unspecified wounds.....I do not want to imagine where/what.

[Barnacle]

The next thing you know, they'll be denying the part about the UFO too.

?;^)

[justshutupandtakeit]

This may be the greatest advance in US military history since Sherman sliced through Georgia.

[dandelion]

Do you think she SHOULD have been shot? Is that what you're saying? Or are you saying that an American soldier who survived over a week in an Iraqi hell hole while having her arms, legs, and back broken isn't enough to merit our sympathy and admiration?

[MineralMan]

"And yet that hasn't stopped many from granting her sainthood."

Nor has it stopped others from trashing her. Why don't we wait and hear the whole story?

[dandelion]

Arghhh, I'm overwrought. Forgive me. The idea of paralysis is always a hard one, and no gunshot wounds sound GOOD to me.