PFC. Jessica Lynch = hero?

[slasher]

Enishi,
did you expect anything more? I'm getting tired of her, too. All I've heard from her is whining that the army took advantage of her for pr reasons. But a silly little thing such as integrity didn't keep her from cashing in did it? I realize people will argue 'But it's her life, and she can do it if she wants to,' But if she's so irritated by the attention the army brought upon her, then why is she still courting it in the media? The army didn't order her to sell book and movie rights and guest on 20/20. hypocritical bull$&!#.

Btw, the title of her book is "I'm a soldier, too"---I wonder if all soldiers 'drop to their knees and pray' instead of doing their duty? Cause we're in trouble if they're like her.

Sorry for my bitching, I'm just having a terrible morning, and I've heard all I could take from her. Ugh.

 

[airwinger]

As far as Lynch goes, I'm curious when "dropping on one's knees and praying" without firing a shot makes one a hero. But let's not go there.

My problem is actually deeper with the platoon, company and battalion commanders. Hopefully the army has very publicly broken their swords and sent them off to Timbuktu for dereliction of duty.

Why? If I recall TBS you are responsible for everything your unit does or fails to do. Mapreading mistakes? immediate action drills? weapons maintenance? Christ Pfc Lynch probably had few options except prayer. It sounds cruel, but most Marines who know about the Lcpl we left at 29 plams remember that his platoon (and company I think) commanders were relieved.

On the other hand I suspect, sadly, that this incident will give more ammo to the ANTI-womens movement. Years ago they claimed that if we had women in combat, America wouldn't be able to handle the little blonde blue eyed girl being captured/raped. When it happened it became a national event, plucking at our heartstrings. What if they had put her on Al Jazeera day after day.

Shoshana Johnsons experience, despite her "what about me I was captured too, was it a black thing" was actually better for women in general in my view. In her case she was treated just like any other captured soldier which is as it should be.
semper fi,
airwinger


Interesting quotes from the Army's own After Action Report
"The company commander ordered issue of ammunition for the unit’s crew served weapons (.50 caliber and MK-19, 40mm) prior to movement, however, all pyrotechnics, hand grenades, and AT-4 Anti-tank weapons were consolidated and secured."

"...CPT King had highlighted only ROUTE BLUE on the annotated map, and believed in error that BLUE was his assigned route."

"...Most of the Soldiers in this group report that they experienced weapons malfunctions. These malfunctions may have resulted from inadequate individual maintenance in a desert environment."

"...his group formed a defensive perimeter, while Combat Lifesavers (Carista, Elliot, Rose, Zhang) under the leadership of SGT Rose tended to the wounded Soldiers (Campbell, Carista, Grubb, Jackson and Luten). The Marines arrived at the scene and rescued the 10 Soldiers at this location.

"

http://combatleadership.com/Interviews_Story.asp?InterviewID=248

 

[Enishi1983]

btw, didn't like 6 of the 7 ARMY (

) soldiers taken in as POWs talk? that's what i heard. correct me if i'm wrong, because i believe (and others will agree with me on this one) that giving up information IS a criminal law in this country (well, actually, i guess it's treason?)

 

[airwinger]

Well not quite criminal
"When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause."
According to the vietnam POW's everyone breaks at some point, the trick was to make them work for it. IIRC Vadm James Stockdale did confess/talk but he earned the Medal of Honor in the process.

 

[TNWhiskey]

Hey guys here's something that's broke here in Oregon the last couple days...The story attributed to Lynch...the one about firing her rifle dry/ killing the enemy before giving up...well the local news report today gave that credit to a Sgt. Walters from Salem, Oregon...oh and he didn't give up he was mortally wounded.

This guy sounds like he was squared away...resisted until the end. Where's his movie???

Here's his pic and info... http://www.usvetdsp.com/walters.htm

If you read the profile...he was a cook before being transferred to the 507th.

 

[kimphil]

Hey lowflier, where did you get your info from?

 

[vegita1220]

hey, you try keeping your mouth shut while your nuts are being slowly crushed. Or if you're a smoker, if they deprive you of stogies.

 

[Enishi1983]

guess what ppl?! now our favorite jessica lynch is the GLAMOUR GIRL OF THE YEAR!!! YAY!!!

whatever~~~

by the way, if someone was crushing my nuts, i really wouldn't care. i mean, come on, if you're captured, you should already expect something crazy like that to happen, should you? also, i kinda got hit on the balls enough times during when i played lacrosse and did hapkido, so no biggie for me. tengo balls of steel.

 

[NeoCortex]

First, about POW everyone should read Mike Durant's "In the Company of Heros" It's a great book. Next, look I think the word "Hero" was out of proportion, but we can't blame Lynch for that. She didn't ask for any of this. I know you can say that she's milking this whole thing, but really, would you not. Next, so insted of saying whos not a hero, why don't some poeple throw out a few ideas of who ARE heros. How about these people:

ANY PJ
the Delta snipers that gave their lives to try and help Durant.
Anyone willing to go out and give their life in the protection of our country.

Take it from there.


Ben

 

[Enishi1983]

...and especially the army rangers, PJ's and navy seals from the book "None Braver" should have some props!!! the result of the command not sending in back ups and trying to help the spec op teams lead to 7 KIAs.

really, though i'm posting a lot of jessica lynch, i'd just like to confirm that i don't hate her. it's just that people are actually give so much $#!t about her, and not the others that truly deserve the spotlight. i guess it's media to blame.

 

[riley]

Not sure if anyone caught the interview last night with Diane Sawyer. I only saw bits and pieces - enough for the interview to show Diane is really wary of the military "spin doctors" and to see the modesty in PFC Lynch. (Funny thing is, though, the media can spin it any way they want - they are the ones that edit it....)

I'm not going to attach hero tags to anyone - like others already commented there are many out there that deserve recognition and never get it. Just my guess, but they will probably tell you that they didn't sign up for recognition. (Just look at the two Medal of Honor recipients on the Today show Monday or Tuesday - they were the most modest people I've seen in a long time).

What I will say is that I was impressed with PFC Lynch (at least in the parts of the interview I saw) - she was modest and gave credit where it was deserved, she said herself that she is not a hero - she looked almost embarrassed at the attention. For her to go what she's gone through, the horrors, unknown, and fear, and then be as poised as she was - not many people can do that.

 

[twidget]

Those of you who had questions about Lynch's "high" disability percentage, 80%, if you saw the interview last night your questions were all answered. Metal plates in her back, paralyzed bowel and bladder that may never recover, broken legs with lots of screws and rods, torn tissue from anal rape, and who knows what mental anguish will haunt her for the rest of her life.

Not a bright outlook for a kid only a couple of years removed from high school. She's the same age, or younger than many of the people posting here.

Through all of this, she never once blames her superior who through his unfortunate miscalculation, got her best friend and many other fine soldiers killed. The only complaint I've heard from her is the same thing so many people seem to be blaming her for, the Army and the media saw her as propaganda opportunity rather than as a devoted soldier just doing her job.

As far as "cashing in", according to the story, she and her family turned down many more lucrative opportunities from other sources. To me, she's doing what the Army should have done right off the bat, refuting the inaccurate accounts of her bravery. If the primary motivation for the book and interview was to set the record straight, great. If it was make money, that's fine too. What is she going to be able to do to support herself down the road? There are not many ambitious dreams left for a 20 year old in her condition.

I'd much rather have my back, legs, bladder, bowels, and anus intact than a book deal, anyday.

 

[grouch]

Damn....that about sums it up.

 

[Raptor2216]

I also hear that some guys in her unit were taking nuddy pictures of her and the guy who took them mailed the photos to Larry Flint but he decided not to print the pictures.

 

[rare21]

yuck my respect factor for her has just been lowered significantly. Girls should have more respect for themselves than let themselves be whored out by nuddie pics.