Since the beginning of the entirl P.O.W. media frenzy for PV2 Jessica Lynch started a wave of media and public attention to her plight as a prisoner of war to the Iraqi forces after her capture from the 507th Maintenance Company. I would like to have seen her interview with Dian Sawyer, but unfortunately I am not the media hound I should be in order to keep abreast of current affairs, rather I am a scientific researcher and consumed primarily with problems related to my work, where I spend most of my reading time, and I am not a fan of television, so I miss out on a few things from time to time.
        I will say this, I have read several press releases which point fingers at the Iraqi soldiers and accusing them of terrible heinous acts agains Pvt Lynch. I do not know the depth to which the truths are actually revealed in the multitude of stories released by pracitcally all mainstream news sources, but as a military veteran the material seemed more than a little exaggerated. My first and standing opinion was that Jessica Lynch was nobody special. This is a very callous remark, but I stand firmly by this as I know there were many who suffered and died at the hands of the opposition. I was never clear on why her situation afforded special media attention, but I did read many opinions, mostly by readers who post to remarks columns for news stories, that she was every bit deserving of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
        This thought by both civilians and former service members I found to be personally embarrassing to me as I have served more than my required time, and have seen people more deserving receive less recognition. I thought perhaps it has something to do with her personal goal of achieving fame, or maybe her family desired publicity such as is the case (I feel, this is not necessarily factual) of Smart who's abduction was not dissimilar to countless others but recieves more than others' share of film and television time, though I do not claim to understand the motives behind this. The Bronze Star, the P.O.W. medal, and the Purple heart were awarded to Lynch, and probably well deserved. I know high ranking soldiers who recieved higher awards for much much less. I can cite one example of a bronze star that was earned while the individual was asleep in his bunk during the three day ground war in Iraq in 1991, I knew him personally. Medals lose their merit if they are given out for undeserving achievemnts, I do not fully understand the circumstances, but perhaps Lynch earned the Bronze Star, it is not my decision either way.
        On a more important note, the comment I would really like to make about this article is how impressed I am that Jessica Lynch was forthcoming in her accusations against the military. It is not surprising that the whole media circus was intended to rally support for the actions agains the Iraqi regime, and her 19 year old face sure was cute and photogenic enough to sway the less critical readers in the U.S., as many were angered at the atrocities commited at the hands her Iraqi Captors. A good ol' American girl from Smalltown USA.... it gets you all misty eyed.
        Her decision to point the finger at the US military could not have been timed better, and it was done tactfully as well, from what I can tell. As people are preparing for the holiday season, our attitudes soften somewhat, and people miss their family who serve overseas to protect our interests there. However, the accusation is not a new one, I think, but it was done effectively, and should be done more often. Although the magnitude of incidents rarely reach the headlines, the military and our government do not always act in the manner they claim, and altough Lynch has truly suffered an ordeal, how much have you heard about her team mates? Some were captured, killed, and some tortured, what are their names? Where are they now? Someone saw an opening and used a little bit of truth, mixed in some fiction (as Lynch claimed during her interview, that she did not do as the army claimed, fighting, shooting, knifing....) and cooked up a very convincing scenario to further justify our presence in a land where many feel we should not go.
        The timing is good also as it immediately follows the press release of President Bush's rebuilding package of $47 billion to Iraq. Many accuse the government of dishonesty, why change that opinion? I have believed that our presence in Iraq, Afghanistan, and some other places is necessary, however I disagree how the U.S. government is handling the release of information about it and everything involved. Bush says "we're there because..... " and I see many flaws in his reasoning, and it's somewhat not surprising that many other people do as well, as his approval ratings plummet. I think if some of the actual truths were revealed about why the US commits to some of it's so-called "police actions" then perhaps public support would be raised due to our agreements with the collective reasoning of our executive branch. As it is, what we hear in the news contrasts strongly with what the government states, pitting the people agains the president and the military decisions. From my point of view, it's as if the political powers are trying to make themselves unpopular intentionally. It's sad that the last president, considered by many deep-thinkers as a complete failure as a national leader, had immensely higher popularity than someone trying to do the right thing, but sucks as a public speaker and portrays a poor self image.
        I commend Lynch for stepping forward with her story.

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