American POW Rescued

MattyB

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Just heard the good news that an American POW was rescued. Jessica Lynch the 19 yr. old from WV. Here's hoping that soon, all POW's from all sides will be home safe, sound and in peace soon.
 

Deltapooh

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Re: I heard even better news!

Originally posted by Braveheart
She's already been hired as an analyst for Fox!
WHAT!? She's a private in the US Army. I acknowledge her ordeal and story might be quite impressive, but it doesn't qualify her as an analyst. Then again, we are talking about Fox.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this was the first successful rescue of an American POW since maybe WWII. The Marines and Spec Ops people once again illustrated the true unity and bond that soldiers have. The ambush of the 507th Maintenance BN was seen as a major disaster in the war effort. This victory, though small in scale, certainly helped boost morale where it was low. The Marines had been fighting the toughest battle it's been in since Vietnam. This is one of those feel-good ops that come around. It was the classic SOF op. I just wished we could have rescued all our POWs.
 

tigersqn

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Re: Re: I heard even better news!

Originally posted by Deltapooh


Correct me if I'm wrong, but this was the first successful rescue of an American POW since maybe WWII.
Weren't a group of POWs rescued off a Cambodian island during Vietnam ?
 

John Paul

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Re: Re: Re: I heard even better news!

Originally posted by tigersqn


Weren't a group of POWs rescued off a Cambodian island during Vietnam ?
No that was after vietnam,it was a merchant ship taken by "pirates" and the whole operation was a balls up if i remember.i think after it was over it was found out the ship wasn't even registered under the US flag:confused: Perhaps i am wrong,though i have the impression that the raid was seen in a very poor light at the time.

The ship was the Mayaques?(sp)
 

MikeJ

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Two broken arms, broken leg and multiple gunshot wounds.

Ouch.

Glad to hear she's OK though.
 

Dan Neely

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Time to break out the medals

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14879-2003Apr2.html

Pfc. Jessica Lynch, rescued Tuesday from an Iraqi hospital, fought fiercely and shot several enemy soldiers after Iraqi forces ambushed the Army's 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition, U.S. officials said yesterday.

Lynch, a 19-year-old supply clerk, continued firing at the Iraqis even after she sustained multiple gunshot wounds and watched several other soldiers in her unit die around her in fighting March 23, one official said. The ambush took place after a 507th convoy, supporting the advancing 3rd Infantry Division, took a wrong turn near the southern city of Nasiriyah.

"She was fighting to the death," the official said. "She did not want to be taken alive."

Lynch was also stabbed when Iraqi forces closed in on her position, the official said, noting that initial intelligence reports indicated that she had been stabbed to death. No official gave any indication yesterday, however, that Lynch's wounds had been life-threatening.

Several officials cautioned that the precise sequence of events is still being determined, and that further information will emerge as Lynch is debriefed. Reports thus far are based on battlefield intelligence, they said, which comes from monitored communications and from Iraqi sources in Nasiriyah whose reliability has yet to be assessed. Pentagon officials said they had heard "rumors" of Lynch's heroics but had no confirmation.
 

tigersqn

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A hell of a brave woman.

Says something about the value of women in the front lines. I think any grunt would be proud to have her by his side in the trenches.
 

Fishotter

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I'm already looking forward to the "dramatized event" TV special, should be out in a week or two. Certainly the Washington Post has put forward a very heroic script to use...
 

Cheetah772

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The girl's father....

Hello,

Somebody wrote an article claiming that she fought off several Iraqi soldiers. This is commendable, and something to be applauded in light of women trying to make it into the armed forces.

However, I am a bit confused, the girl's father said there were no multiple gunshot wounds, but she was stabbed, alright. At least that's what I read in another article online, I think it was CNN. The girl is awaiting to be debriefed.

I would be interested in why the 507th Maintainence Unit made a wrong turn in the city before it was ambushed. I just can't believe that a wrong turn could ruin so many American lives. Probably the only real victory for the Iraqis, that and the suicide attack on the US soldiers at a sentry post.

Moreover, I recently read somewhere that these 9 bodies that were found in an Iraqi hospital were US POWs, I just hope we catch these bastards who murdered these brave men and women.

Dan
 

Deltapooh

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CNN interviewed one SOF official for CENTCOM. He said it was not a normal hospital. And left it at that. It's very possible that she was tortured. Breaking the legs and one arm was to limit mobility and escape. It's not an abnormal tactic for guerillas and heartless, no honor have morons.

They got theirs though. Those SOF teams didn't take any prisoners. SOP for a hostage rescue mission like this is to go back and put one to all the bad guy's head to ensure they will not interfere with the operation.

There were alot of heroes in this. Lynch should get all the credit she justly deserves. Yet, there were also the Marines who planned and supported the operation. And there are those SOF assaulters who (many had silenced weapons) went behind enemy lines, took an enemy building, and got to Lynch before the bad guys could put one to her head. I'm quite certain Lynch will ever know who they were, but she will never forget them.

The operation was a clear example of why soldiers fight. Duty, honor, and country make for nice slogans, but don't capture the human element. The Marines and SOF teams showed men and women fight simply because they can't let their friends and fellow soldiers go to battle alone.

Wars are often littered with heroes and heroins. Most soldiers will tell you about a close call and who saved their lives. I'm not trying to deminish what Pvt. Lynch went through. I thought it was important to note we have an army of heroes fighting out there. That's why Saddam's apes will die. These irregulars have no honor, no respect, and are fighting for the wrong values.

As for the other POWs, I read read about that Cheetah. I just pray to God they didn't kill all the others. Yet, if they did, it's important to remember our humanity and treat our enemy better than he treated us. That's what makes our Coalition forces better than the enemy.
 

MattyB

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Kudos also to the Iraqi who discovered her...went back to tell the Marines and then went back to the hospital to gather intelligence for the mission. Interestingly his quote was that upon seeing her that "He knew then he must save her", combine that with the nature of her injuries and the condition of the other POWs and it does make you wonder about their intentions.
 
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