Twenty-three years ago, as many of us remember, on March 23, 2003, Private First Class Jessica Lynch was crossing the Iraqi desert with the 507th Maintenance Company when the convoy she was travelling in was ambushed. Eleven soldiers in her unit died or were brutaly murdered in captivity. Lynch, perhaps the most famous POW this country has ever known, was taken prisoner and tortured; she was then held captive in an Iraqi hospital for nine days. Each waking minute she feared more torture and death.
Her rescue when she was near death galvanized the nation. She became a symbol of victory, of innocence and courage, of heroism. And then, just as quicky, of deceit and manipulation. What never changed as the nation veered wildly between these extremes of mythmaking, was her true story. When asked about her combat efforts, Lynch firmly declared “That wasn’t me. I’m not about to take credit for something I didn’t do . . . I’m just a survivor.”
“I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story” is the story Americans hungered for, as told by Lynch herself to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Bragg. In it, she tells what really happened in the ambush; what really happened in the hospital; what really happened, from her perspective, on the night of her rescue.
More than this, the collaboration between Lynch and Bragg captures who she is and where she’s from; her childhood in Palestine, West Virginia, a lovely, rugged stretch of land always referred to as the hollow, were she rode horses, played softball, and was crowned Miss Congeniality at the Wirt County Fair.
It reveals her relationships with her older brother, Greg, Jr., also an enlisted soldier, and her younger sister, Brandi; with her father, Greg, Sr., a truck driver who at times worked construction; and with her mother, Deadra, a city girl from Parkersburg who moved to the hollow and met her future husband when he was eleven and she was nine.
And it describes what happened to the Lynch family in the agony of Jessica’s capture and captivity; the terror and disbelief that cascaded through an entire town, state, and nation at the news of her disappearance into enemy hands; the joy of her rescue; and the long work of healing and recovery that lay ahead.
Jessica Lynch won the hearts and minds of Americans. In the hands of Bick Bragg, a truly great chronicler of American life, her tale is told, with grace, and care, and astonishing candor. Rick Bragg has given us the story of a true hero.
Over the twenty-three years since returning home to an enormous welcome in West Virginia, Jessica Lynch achieved her goal of attending college and becoming a teacher. Today, she is a mother, educator, author, and motivational speaker as a result of overcoming long-term physical problems and mental stresses.
She has endured more than twenty surgeries to treat injuries sustained from her convoy crash and her torture, including a shattered spine, crushed legs, and broken arms.
Like many soldiers who have been in combat situations, she continues to manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recurring nightmares tied to her deployment and captivity.
She has raised a daughter, Dakota Ann, whom she named after her great friend and fallen Army comrade, Lori Piestewa.
Jessica travels extensively to share her story of survival, resilience, and perseverance. She also works as substitute teacher and as the Women’s Veterans Program Director for the state of West Virginia, helping female veterans connect with medical care and other needed resources.
No one could have told this story better than Rick Bragg. It’s a story that I will never forget.
The Jessica Lynch story, “I Am a Soldier, Too” is available in the JSF Bookstore at 4440 13th Street in Ashland, by calling 606.326.1667 or emailing jsf@jsfbooks.com.
By James M. Gifford
JSF CEO & Senior Editor
Twenty-three years ago, as many of us remember, on March 23, 2003, Private First Class Jessica Lynch was crossing the Iraqi desert with the 507th Maintenance Company when the convoy she was travelling in was ambushed. Eleven soldiers in her unit died or were brutaly murdered in captivity. Lynch, perhaps the most famous POW this country has ever known, was taken prisoner and tortured; she was then held captive in an Iraqi hospital for nine days. Each waking minute she feared more torture and death.
Her rescue when she was near death galvanized the nation. She became a symbol of victory, of innocence and courage, of heroism. And then, just as quicky, of deceit and manipulation. What never changed as the nation veered wildly between these extremes of mythmaking, was her true story. When asked about her combat efforts, Lynch firmly declared “That wasn’t me. I’m not about to take credit for something I didn’t do . . . I’m just a survivor.”
“I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story” is the story Americans hungered for, as told by Lynch herself to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Bragg. In it, she tells what really happened in the ambush; what really happened in the hospital; what really happened, from her perspective, on the night of her rescue.
More than this, the collaboration between Lynch and Bragg captures who she is and where she’s from; her childhood in Palestine, West Virginia, a lovely, rugged stretch of land always referred to as the hollow, were she rode horses, played softball, and was crowned Miss Congeniality at the Wirt County Fair.
It reveals her relationships with her older brother, Greg, Jr., also an enlisted soldier, and her younger sister, Brandi; with her father, Greg, Sr., a truck driver who at times worked construction; and with her mother, Deadra, a city girl from Parkersburg who moved to the hollow and met her future husband when he was eleven and she was nine.
And it describes what happened to the Lynch family in the agony of Jessica’s capture and captivity; the terror and disbelief that cascaded through an entire town, state, and nation at the news of her disappearance into enemy hands; the joy of her rescue; and the long work of healing and recovery that lay ahead.
Jessica Lynch won the hearts and minds of Americans. In the hands of Bick Bragg, a truly great chronicler of American life, her tale is told, with grace, and care, and astonishing candor. Rick Bragg has given us the story of a true hero.
Over the twenty-three years since returning home to an enormous welcome in West Virginia, Jessica Lynch achieved her goal of attending college and becoming a teacher. Today, she is a mother, educator, author, and motivational speaker as a result of overcoming long-term physical problems and mental stresses.
She has endured more than twenty surgeries to treat injuries sustained from her convoy crash and her torture, including a shattered spine, crushed legs, and broken arms.
Like many soldiers who have been in combat situations, she continues to manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recurring nightmares tied to her deployment and captivity.
She has raised a daughter, Dakota Ann, whom she named after her great friend and fallen Army comrade, Lori Piestewa.
Jessica travels extensively to share her story of survival, resilience, and perseverance. She also works as substitute teacher and as the Women’s Veterans Program Director for the state of West Virginia, helping female veterans connect with medical care and other needed resources.
No one could have told this story better than Rick Bragg. It’s a story that I will never forget.
The Jessica Lynch story, “I Am a Soldier, Too” is available in the JSF Bookstore at 4440 13th Street in Ashland, by calling 606.326.1667 or emailing jsf@jsfbooks.com.
By James M. Gifford
JSF CEO & Senior Editor
