News-Info-Alerts

Re: PFC Lynch Returns Home

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: July 22, 2003

Lynch's hometown stamp cancellation on new Purple Heart issue.

"Jessica Lynch Episode Reignites Debate on Women in Combat

By Lawrence Morahan CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer

(CNSNews.com) - The emotional homecoming to West Virginia of former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch after months of recuperation from multiple injuries sustained in Iraq has re-ignited the debate on combat roles for women in the military.

Center for Military Readiness President Elaine Donnelly said the story of Lynch's capture and treatment at enemy hands demonstrates that infantry and Special Forces are not the only units at high risk of capture.

Lynch was a supply clerk with a maintenance company deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. She and her comrades were ambushed after taking a wrong turn while traveling through southern Iraq in March.

Also, the incident shows that physical strength, endurance and the ability to deal with brutality still play a major role in warfare, Donnelly said.

"We really do not, as a nation, need to send young women to be in those situations, and we certainly don't need to send young mothers in great numbers to do this kind of role, either," Donnelly said.

Donnelly said a feminist lobby that supports women in combat roles was using Lynch to push its agenda.

"I think that's very wrong. I think it's unfair to her. She did not have to act like a female John Wayne. Nobody expected that of her," she said.

Enemy fighters ambushed Lynch's 507 Maintenance Company convoy near Nasiriyah in Iraq on March 23. Eleven U.S. soldiers were killed in the incident; Lynch and four others were taken prisoner and held at separate locations. Lynch was rescued a week later from an Iraqi hospital by U.S. Special Forces.

After the rescue, the Washington Post reported that Lynch fought "to the death" before she was captured. The 19-year-old fired on her attackers until she ran out of ammunition, then was shot and stabbed, the paper said, citing unidentified military officials.

After an investigation, the military amended the story to say the soldier was neither shot nor stabbed, and that her weapon had jammed. Lynch sustained injuries when the Humvee she was riding in crashed into another Army vehicle in the attack, officials later told reporters.

Nevertheless, Lynch's rescue on April 1 was a spectacular morale-booster for U.S. armed forces personnel and the American public.

Since her rescue, Lynch has been recovering in seclusion at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from broken bones and a spinal injury. She has not spoken to the public about her ordeal, and the door to her room at Walter Reed was guarded by military police for special protection.

Pentagon gag order?

A preliminary Army report released July 10 answered many questions about the valor of the ambushed soldiers but failed to address the Iraqi treatment of American captives, Donnelly said.

The Pentagon has been reluctant to discuss the circumstances of the deaths of soldiers and Marines involved in the ambush, including those who appear to have been abused and executed at point blank range, Donnelly charged. The Lynch family also was advised not to talk about Jessica's injuries and recovery.
Donnelly also questioned whether the Pentagon tried to suppress other stories that conflict with "the glamorized women-in-combat agenda." The story of Sgt. Casaundra Grant, who lost her legs when she was pinned under a tank her transportation unit was moving in Kuwait on March 14, was downplayed in favor of the Jessica Lynch story, Donnelly said.

Martha Rudd, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said the Army's release of information on soldiers in the Iraq conflict has been consistent, whether the soldiers were male or female.

Moreover, the circumstances of the incidents soldiers are involved in and whether or not those incidents are under investigation determine what information is released, not the gender of those involved, Rudd said.

When officials receive requests for information on wounded soldiers, "it is up to each individual soldier as to how much information is released about their situation and condition," Rudd said.

Women should serve, too

Supporters of women in the military say, however, the Lynch episode demonstrates that women are just as brave and competent as men in combat situations.

Ivan Eland, a senior national security analyst with the Independence Institute, said Jessica Lynch proves that women should be allowed to do any job the military requires, provided they can meet the requirements.

"Certainly, we shouldn't dumb down the requirements, but if they can meet the requirements, then I think that this Jessica Lynch episode shows that they should be allowed to do it," Eland said.

Lynch arrived by military helicopter Tuesday at Elizabeth, W.Va., where she received a hero's welcome from hundreds of well wishers and neighbors.

Confined to a wheelchair, Lynch thanked the soldiers and Iraqi citizens who rescued her and the doctors who helped her to recover. She expressed her appreciation for the thousands of letters she has received - many from children - which she called "messages of hope and faith."

"I'm proud to be a soldier in the Army. I'm proud to have served with the 507th. I'm happy that some of the soldiers I served with made it home alive. It hurts that some of my company didn't," Lynch said.

"Most of all, I miss Lori Piestewa. She was my best friend; she fought beside me, and it was an honor to have served with her. Lori will always remain in my heart.

"I've read thousands of stories that said when I was captured, I said, 'I'm an American soldier, too.' Those stories were right. Those were my words. I am an American soldier, too. Thank you for this welcome, and it's great to be home," she said.

On Monday, Lynch was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious combat service. She also received a Purple Heart for having sustained wounds in combat and Prisoner of War medals."