Jessica Lynch Awarded Bronze Star !

Kansas City Star ^ | 7/22/2003 | Gavin McCormick

[ex-Texan]

Jessica Lynch Awarded Bronze Star

Lynch Gets Medals Ahead of Homecoming

ELIZABETH, W.Va. - Former POW Jessica Lynch was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Washington Monday as she prepares for her homecoming.

Lynch, who returns to the hills of West Virigina Tuesday, also received Prisoner of War medals at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. The Bronze Star is given for meritorious combat service, a Purple Heart is most often awarded to those wounded in combat, and the POW for being held captive during wartime.

"The Purple Heart ... was not necessarily about being wounded or injured in action initially, but that's what it has come to symbolize," said Lt. Gen. James B. Peake, the Army Surgeon General, in presenting the medals. "It's a special award and not one you choose to get."

Four members of the West Virginia Army National Guard's aviation support unit in Parkersburg were chosen to staff the helicopter that she will ride home in.

"Minus all the hype, this mission is about being able to participate in the homecoming of one of our own," said Chief Warrant Officer Robert McClure, who will co-pilot the Black Hawk helicopter with Chief Warrant Officer Jim McPeak. "It's a real honor."

Lynch, still recuperating from multiple broken bones and other injuries, and her parents are scheduled to fly from the medical center to Elizabeth. The 210-mile trip should last two to three hours, depending on the weather.

Also on both legs of the flight will be Lynch's cousin, Dan Little, a first sergeant in the Parkersburg National Guard unit.

"Jessi trusts him and wanted him to be with her because he's been through most of it with her," said Wyonema Lynch, Lynch's grandmother, noting that Little traveled to Germany when Lynch was recuperating there.

Little, who has spoken twice with Lynch in the past week, said her spirits have been buoyed by her imminent trip home.

"She's a strong, disciplined young lady," Little said. "Her injuries are long healing, and that can be hard if you dwell on it. But she's not allowed that to happen."

With hundreds of news media and others descending on this Wirt County seat of about 1,000 for Lynch's first public comments about her ordeal, area residents have been painting, pruning and preening for weeks.

"We are excited just to see her, just to be able to give her hug. To Jessi, home is in the hills. She has been wanting to get here," her grandmother said.

Regina Ray of Elizabeth said she is glad Lynch is coming home "because there is no place like home to recover."

American flags and yellow bows line the route Lynch's military motorcade will take from Elizabeth to her home in Palestine, a community of about 300 residents some five miles away.

Lynch is scheduled to make a brief statement in Elizabeth before riding in a Ford Mustang convertible in the motorcade.

Lynch's convoy was ambushed near the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah after it made a wrong turn. Eleven soldiers from the convoy were killed and Lynch, a supply clerk, was severely injured.

U.S. forces recovered Lynch at a Nasiriyah hospital April 1. Five other 507th Maintenance Company soldiers who were captured and held apart from Lynch were freed April 13.

The influx of hundreds of visitors, including many journalists here to report Lynch's first public words since her March wounding, capture and rescue in Iraq, is bringing needed cash to Wirt County, which has West Virginia's highest unemployment rate - 15.1 percent.

The economic benefits dampen the annoyance many residents feel at the intense media interest in Lynch.

"They're anxious to see you come, and they'll be anxious to see you leave," said Keith Burdette, Gov. Bob Wise's legislative liaison and the county's former state senator.

Also on the flight will be the crew chief, Sgt. 1st Class Vernon Cosner of Washington, and flight medic, Sgt. Paula Tucker of Morgantown.

[Rodney King]

Passing students in government school has no bearing on the issue of Pvt Lynch receiving medals for her service in our military.

Sure it does. In general, I don't beleive that standards should be eroded over time. Happens in schools, happens in the military.

Shoshana Johnson received the silver star (or was it bronze?). Do you have issues with that as well? The male soldiers received medals as well. Do you have issues with that? Or is it just women you have issues regarding the giving of medals?

Please see my above post about reading the whole thread before hyperventilating.

We have NO idea exactly what transpired when Lynch was held as a POW. We DO know her injuries are severe and that most likely she was tortured in a horrendous way. We've have to wait and learn more, won't we? So perhaps your tune will change when the whole story comes out some day,

Perhaps, but I think that if we imposed a rule on FR that no commenting or speculating on issues until all facts were known would cut down on about 90% of the posts.

hmmmm

???

[JesseHousman]

She was raped. That's why all the hush hush.

Then she should get a medal for that. It will be a special one issued only to female soldiers.

In the case of a male soldier being raped on the field of battle a different medal should be presented and, in these dismal days of diversity, an investigation launched to see if it was due to "friendly fire."

[JesseHousman]

...pressure the President to cleanse himslef of this Clinton slime...

Never happen.

He's sinking now like one mired in quicksand!

[Tailgunner Joe]

We should be proud that these brave female soldiers have broken the glass ceiling of POW rape.

[homeschool mama]

I never suggested for you to stop discussing the issues, Rodney. I'm well aware this is an open forum. It's your turn to not hyperventilate. :o)

I have things to do here at home...Algebra and preparation for this weekend's homeschool convention are in my future. Have a good day and I'll read through the thread a bit later today.

[Rodney King]

Have a good day

Thank you, you too.

[jlogajan]

Medals for everyone!

Actually that unit was fairly unique it that it was under sustained attack, eventually outnumber and outgunned. That didn't happen very often in the campaign. So that unit faced a threat few others had to deal with in the campaign. The result was the loss of half the unit -- that's pretty high casualties in any war.

In such an onslaught, some will get killed or injured sooner than others. So? No medals for them because they got killed too soon?

Everybody in that unit earned a special medal because they came under a special and exceedingly dangerous situation in which they continued to fight to the best of their ability.

[F16Fighter]

"Women joining the military need to know the truth about what may happen to them, specifically, that they may be ordered into the combat zone unnecessarily in order to suck up to feminazis who hate this 'male-dominated' country and want to weaken our military's capabilities and morale."

The only thing American in-the-field female combatants does IS "weaken our military's capabilities and morale," while encouraging our enemy -- coincidence??

But isn't that exactly the modus operandi of traitorous liberal socialists anti-"Americans"?

[xzins]

Bronze Star has two varieties: for valor or for service.

I have no problem at all with the Bronze Star for service. She certainly endured a lot and no one can say that wasn't exceptional service. (The peacetime equivalent of this is the Meritorious Service Medal -- given for exceptional service during a period of time with a particular unit. The service Bronze Star is the equivalent of that in a war zone.)

The Bronze Star with V for Valor is all of the above PLUS their must be an element of valor displayed on the battlefield. My understanding of her encounter was that she and one of the other troops with her kept engaging the enemy until they ran out of ammo. I heard her beatings were a direct result of her male islamic captors being offended that she had engaged them for so long.

IF the above is true, then I have no problem with the Bronze Star with "V" device.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

My dad was a medic in WWII.

Dad's stretcher partner on Iwo Jima was awarded the Bronze Star posthumously; he had been dinged in the arm and was given the opportunity to leave (he was, in fact, encouraged to leave), but he chose to stay on the island ("hell on earth", to be sure). Three hours later he was dead.

I am sure you earned Bronze Star. Please keep it.

I have heard more than one post-WWII vet suggest that they hand medals out rather liberally these days, and that they don't mean much to them. That, to me, is sad. I wish the military had maintained the same standards.

It was definitely different in WWII.

[A Navy Vet]

"... got lost, got ambushed, were defeated, and taken captive by the enemy."

Exactly what I've been saying for months, but you left out injuries sustained in auto crash and unconscious through whatever fire fight occurred. Bronze Star my rear.

[Magnum44]

You are correct that all those who serve deserve recognition. Not all get it but usually it is because their command or senior leadership is either to busy to write up the awards or their actions are not brought to the attention of the command. Sometimes its due to modesty, sometimes its because there is a feeling that others may be more deserving.

The fact that some deserving individuals may be overlooked in the system does not take away from the sacrifice of those individuals whose commands do recognize them.

I do not see this as political, though no doubt attention to the capture of Ms Lynch could not be avoided. No one on this forum who has not served or was not there to witness her actions has any basis to claim she is undeserving.

As for the other POWs and KIA, you needn't worry about a double standard. They too will receive awards for their sacrifice (or their survivors will) and it is a very small, though appreciated, reward for their unselfish service.

[A Navy Vet]

"She did receive the V for valor."

Oh, please. What the frig kinda of Army are we running now?

[DocJ69]

Hey Race, my fellow Marine was laying there with no legs, I could have cared less about any Purple for and still don't care to this day. His life was saved, and completely changed forever, mine wasn't nor was I hurt!

[TankerKC]

She did nothing to deserve the medal.

Perhaps, but "inflation" of awards is not uncommon these days.

[Lijahsbubbe]

From what I understand, her physical condition was terrible. I remember they determined right away that she needed back surgery right after they rescued her and thinking she must be in pretty bad shape to determine that w/o tests. I also remember reading about fractures that she had that had the bone protruding from her skin. Sounds like she was just a mess.

I do not know if she was treated well or not. My issue was with assuming she was raped. But oh well, it's all speculation until we hear the story, if we ever do.

Here's to Jessica anyway. I'm glad she made it, God help her in her days ahead, and here's to all our soldiers, those who didn't come home alive, and those still in service.

[tracer]

"I believe I'll withhold judgement until more is verified."

Don't hold your breath. The citations that normally accompany medals reportedly are being treated like highly classified documents. FOIA, anyone??

[Polybius]

You can take the position that everyone deserves a medal, but in that case they should award a medal to everyone.

They do award a medal to everyone in the theater: The Southwest Asia Service Medal.

A Bronze Star, however, should not become the Any Servicember That Got Lots and Lots of News Coverage Service Medal.

I have yet to hear the official version of what, exactly, Pvt. Lynch did. Maybe she does deserve a Bronze Star for her conduct after capture that we have not been informed about. Maybe she does deserve a Bronze Star for action during the ambush that we have not been informed about.

However, having your Humvee get hit by an RPG and then losing consciousness does not deserve a Bronze Star.

[tracer]

You forgot to mention my "favorite" slogan: "Be an Army of One" (and die alone behind enemy lines)......

[montag813]

The awarding of spurious medals only cheapens the honor of those who deserved them. She did nothing to deserve the medal.

Sure she did...she was born a woman.