Command Releases Details of Lynch Rescue

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news ^ | 6 minutes ago Sat, Apr 05, 2003 | By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Command Releases Details of Lynch Rescue

6 minutes ago

By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer

CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar - Frightened and seriously wounded, a 19-year-old supply clerk who was held by Iraq (news - web sites) for more than a week at first hid under a sheet when a team of U.S. military commandos stormed into her hospital room.

"Jessica Lynch," called out an American soldier, approaching her bed. "We are United States soldiers and we're here to protect you and take you home."

Peering from behind the sheet as he removed his helmet, she looked up and said, "I'm an American soldier, too."

In the first details released about the daring rescue of Pfc. Lynch, a Central Command spokesman told a briefing Saturday that a team of Navy Seals, Marine commandos, Air Force pilots and Army Rangers worked with U.S. Special Forces in the rescue Tuesday in Nasiriyah.

While troops engaged the Iraqis in another part of the city, the team persuaded an Iraqi doctor to lead them to Lynch, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Gene Renuart.

Lynch, now recuperating at the military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, had suffered a head wound and fractures in her right arm, both legs, her right foot and ankle, and an injury to her spine. The rescue team quickly evaluated her medical condition, secured her to a stretcher and carried her to a waiting helicopter, Renault said.

"Jessica held up her hand and grabbed the Ranger doctor's hand, and held onto it for the entire time, and said, 'Please don't let anybody leave me,'" Renault said. "It was clear she knew where she was and didn't want to be left anywhere near the enemy."

Meanwhile, the Iraqi doctor told the team there were remains of other U.S. forces nearby, and they were led to a burial site. Because they had not brought shovels, Renault said, the team dug up the bodies with their hands.

"They wanted to do that very rapidly, so they could race the sun and be off the site before the sun came up," Renault said. "It's a great testament to the will and desire of coalition forces to bring their own home."

Renault did not shed any new light on how Lynch sustained her wounds — whether she was injured in captivity or when the 507th Maintenance Company was ambushed March 23 when they made a wrong turn in Nasiriyah.

Eight of the dead soldiers found during the rescue were members of the ambushed unit, Renuart said. The ninth was a soldier from a forward support group of the Army's Third Infantry Division, he said. All have been transported back to the United States.

Lynch's family in West Virginia said doctors had determined she'd been shot. They found two entry and exit wounds "consistent with low-velocity, small-caliber rounds," said her mother, Deadra Lynch.

She had a back operation Thursday and surgery for other broken bones Friday, said the commander of the hospital, Col. David Rubenstein. A friend is at her bedside and although she's still being fed intravenously, she's drawn up a list of her favorite foods for the hospital: turkey, steamed carrots and applesauce.

"Her emotional state is extremely good. She's jovial. She's talking with staff," Rubenstein said.

Lynch's family was to fly Saturday from from Charleston, W.Va., to Germany to see her.

While the U.S. team was in the hospital, Renault said, they also found a weapons cache and a large-scale sandbox model in the basement that accurately depicted U.S. and Iraqi positions in Nasiriyah

[NewYorker]

God bless Jessica Lynch and her rescuers and may the good Lord continue to help Jessica as she recovers from her terrible ordeal.

[MozartLover]

"Because they had not brought shovels, Renault said, the team dug up the bodies with their hands......"

Speechless. In tears.

[NautiNurse]

This event has all the trappings for a really good movie. When I first saw Men of Honor, didn't know it was a true story until the end. Amazing.

[Catspaw]

That's when I lost it, too. Digging the bodies of our dead up with their hands....determined to not leave anyone behind. What courage and dedication to duty and honor.

[demkicker]

"While troops engaged the Iraqis in another part of the city, the team persuaded an Iraqi doctor to lead them to Lynch, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Gene Renuart."

Thank God for this brave Iraqi doctor, who also led our soldiers to the burial site. Has anyone heard whether or not this doctor is still alive? If he wasn't evacuated, I doubt the murderous Iraqi savages let him live.

[mountaineer]

I've heard that he and his family have been evacuated to a safe place near the Kuwait border.

[DED]

No reason to be surprised that the scum we're fighting killed POW's - the big surprise is that they left PFC Lynch alive. It'll be interesting to get some insite as to why.
Also, I wish they'd make up their minds as to whether she was shot or not. Yesterday the news stories were announcing that she was not shot OR stabbed. It's also going to be interesting to find out why they aren't telling how she got the broken bones - the fact that they're offering no info about how she was tortured could be a clue. BTW, I'm from WV and you wouldn't believe how happy everyone is for her and her family. The headlines about her release in papers near her hometown are the biggest I've seen except for old papers heralding the end of WWII!

[NautiNurse]

Haven't heard about the doctor's fate. The Iraqi lawyer who initially went to the marines and drew the maps of the hospital layout, number of enemy guards has been granted temporary asylum (along with his family) with the Marines.

[GraniteStateConservative]

As long as the Lynch family authorized all of it, I'd rush to go see it. Maybe get Barret Swatek to star as Jessica. She's a Southerner so she can do the accent, she's conservative, and she's an accomplished actress.

[hoosiermama]

The tread I read said with was a lawyer who wife was a nurse. They and their young daughter were moved to safe area and wife was assisting medics with care of patients.

Even in the most evil of times, good wins out.

[GraniteStateConservative]

They probably kept her because they viewed her as valuable. You can do a lot of negotiating with a pretty, blonde, female American soldier as your hostage.

[NautiNurse]

Right---Iraqi lawyer aided in POW rescue

[Licensed-To-Carry]

Hey, since your from WV, just wondering if anybody has heard from your senator Byrd. Is still truly "ashamed" of the United States. I think he was also maybe "embarrased" by his country.

I wonder what he thinks now.

[hoosiermama]

Thanks. I had just gone searching for a similar thread.

[Catspaw]

They're still holding five more POW's from her unit, including Shoshana Johnson. They were not found with Pfc. Lynch and they were not found among the bodies buried in the shallow grave near the hospital.

Those POW's are still bargaining chips. I would assume our military considers their lives to be equal to Pfc. Jessica Lynch.

[demnomo]

I'm praying that the Dr. was not tortured or killed for cooperating with the Special Forces team. I thought that I also read or heard that a nurse (don't believe it was the wife of the lawyer) gave the SF's some sheets to wrap and carry the bodies in.

God bless and protect all those Iraqis who are helping the Coalition. God help the innocents caught in the cross-fire, too.

[JoeSixPack1]

I hope and pray this bravery is never condemned to hollyweirds interpretation. They neither have the understanding or the encouragement of the populace since they hated and scorned every American soldier in Iraq, they dam sure don't need to make money off it.

And Jessica is from West Virginia. So what southern accent are you speaking of?

[Welsh Rabbit]

It would be nice if they would rename one of the bridges, stadiums, community centers, ect that Byrd has slapped his name on after Pfc. Lynch.

[mel]

Me too