Jessica Lynch
Jessica Lynch
Jessica Dawn Lynchis a former United States Army soldier who served in the 2003 invasion of Iraq by U.S. and allied forces. On March 23, 2003, Private First Class Lynch was serving as a unit supply specialist with the 507th Maintenance Company when her convoy was ambushed by Iraqi forces during the Battle of Nasiriyah. Lynch was seriously injured and captured making her the first woman to be taken POW in U.S. Military history. Her subsequent recovery by U.S. Special...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWar Hero
Date of Birth26 April 1983
CityPalestine, WV
CountryUnited States of America
I try to dream about peaceful things, beaches, that is what I cannot understand. Why are they chasing me?
I'm not about to take credit for something I didn't do.
I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and tried to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were, in fact, legendary. People like Lori Piestewa and First Sergeant Dowdy who picked up fellow soldiers in harm's way. Or people like Patrick Miller and Sergeant Donald Walters who actually fought until the very end. The bottom line is the American people are capable of determining their own ideals of heroes and they don't need to be told elaborate tales.
I have repeatedly said, when asked, that if the stories about me helped inspired our troops and rally a nation, then perhaps there was some good.
The truth is always more heroic than the hype.
The nurses at the hospital tried to soothe me, and they even tried unsuccessfully at one point to return me to Americans.
I woke up and all I could see was Iraqis standing all around me, looking down upon me. I knew at that moment something terrible had happened and I wasn't in the right place.
Since coming back from Iraq, there's been so many triumphs and obstacles standing in my way, so whenever I set my mind to something, I definitely just go full blast at it.
I remember the first time I put on the Army uniform. I just felt like a totally different person - I felt proud.
I grew up in Palestine, West Virginia, which is mostly a farming community; there aren't a lot of jobs.
I don't come from a rich family - it's not like we lived in a cardboard box, but we didn't have a ton of money.
I could be, you know, the person that shows little kids that giving up isn't something that you should do.
Honesty has always been very important to me.
Certain days I think definitely because we went in there and we got Saddam and that was our mission. On other days, we lost so many lives and so many brothers and sisters...on that aspect, no.