# Why is Jessica Lynch a hero? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292 "2003-07-23T02:06:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/21 "2003-07-23T11:17:37Z")
You people are absolutely unbelievable. She got into a bad situation, she fought for her life, was captured, rescued, and returned to health. Now, whether that’s worthy of a medal or not, I don’t know. But I’ll be damned if I’m gonna sit here and say that it was not heroic. If this doesn’t fit your definition of heroism, I’d like to see what does. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/22 "2003-07-23T11:24:19Z")
**culov** is getting towards an answer. She got a medal for the same reason that the character Yossarian gets a medal for bombing fish in Catch-22. It’s about propaganda, kids. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/23 "2003-07-23T11:36:06Z")
Looking at this story as an outsider, I find the term “hero” a little strong - in that, apart from returning fire, she didn’t seem to do anything that would elevate someone to the level of “valiant” that many other military heroes have achieved. Having said that, she is clearly a plucky woman, a soldier - which is an indication of greater bravery than me - who has suffered a great deal, so if the media chooses to idolise her, well, that’s the way it is, and I hope it assists her recovery. It doesn’t hurt that she’s cute. I watched the press conference live, and I was touched that, in addition to thanking the military and her family, she thanked the Iraqis who saved her life. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/24 "2003-07-23T11:38:00Z")
My definition of heroism is a person knowingly putting them selves at risk of death or serious injury to help another person or people in danger. It could be defending a position from attack, if that defense prevented the attacker from assaulting others. It could be running out from behind cover into fire to help pull an injured comrade back to safety. It could be launching and sustaining an attack against harsh odds. From my definition, Lynch does not reach the level of “hero”. Neither did Scott O’Grady. Both were unable to successfully defend against or avoid attack and both were media darlings. The Bronze Star is a high personal award (at least it used to be). I know several men who have earned that award, and have done things deserving of a higher award. ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/25 "2003-07-23T12:17:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chefguy \* > \*\*I spent a lot of years in the military and I just don’t understand this. As I understand the story, Jessica Lynch and her outfit got lost, came under fire in an ambush, lost several team members, and were captured. In addition, she was wounded. So far, I see a purple heart and a POW medal. So why was she awarded the bronze star and why is she being called a hero? The bronze star is generally (but not always) awarded for heroism. I’ve seen citations that speak of superior performance under fire and under duress, but I don’t see that performance here. Did her team tell a story of extraordinary behavior on her part? She admits to remembering nothing of the incident after her capture. \*\* She’s a hero because she was helping root out evil and got wounded and almost killed by Iraqi doctors. She remembers nothing because she had some kind of amnesia (the kind that makes you forget horrible events)( I think). ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/26 "2003-07-23T12:18:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by culov \* > \*\*I believe that it was totally blown out of proportion to keep the pro-war mood. Kids were dying every day over in Iraq (Iraqis and Americans both count), but this one happened to make it out. She was one of the few (if not the only???) young, white, woman POW that was rescued. She definately got the most attention. Coincidence? I think not. \*\* I think it had nothing to do with her being white. Perhaps being a female, but not because she was white. Remember they made some of those “black” immigrants from central or south America American Citizens after being KIA, so I see no discrimination. I agree though that it was to keep up the pro-war mood. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/27 "2003-07-23T12:20:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kputt \* > \*\*She’s a hero because she was helping root out evil and got wounded and almost killed by Iraqi doctors. \*\* Would these doctors be the same ones who saved her life? And donated their own blood to keep her alive? ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/28 "2003-07-23T12:21:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr Urt \* > \*\*I don’t think the rescuers screwed up by not bringing a shovel. I just think that in the age of GPS, somebody definately wasn’t doing their job. \*\* What??? ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/29 "2003-07-23T12:24:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\*I, too, wonder why Lynch is a hero and ["Shoshana Johnson](http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/03/25/sprj.irq.pow.johnson/) is not. > > Not photogenic enough for the FOXNews crowd? \*\* Perhaps she is, but the media isn’t making a big deal out of it as they are with PFC. Lynch because Lynch was rescued(SP?) and Shoshana Johnson wasn’t. Sorry. You can’t start making judgments based on what the media says. The media is only looking to make headlines and not telling the whole truth. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/30 "2003-07-23T12:28:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*Looking at this story as an outsider, I find the term “hero” a little strong - in that, apart from returning fire, she didn’t seem to do anything that would elevate someone to the level of “valiant” that many other military heroes have achieved. > > Having said that, she is clearly a plucky woman, a soldier - which is an indication of greater bravery than me - who has suffered a great deal, so if the media chooses to idolise her, well, that’s the way it is, and I hope it assists her recovery. It doesn’t hurt that she’s cute. > > I watched the press conference live, and I was touched that, in addition to thanking the military and her family, she thanked the Iraqis who saved her life. \*\* All soldiers and civilians that fight for our freedom, and the freedoms of other people, and to root out evil are heroes in my book. I don’t see any racism going on here, but I might see a publicity stunt. People need to stop saying, We shouldn’t have done this, and we shouldn’t done that, and let’s bring our troops home now. The enemy sees these reports and that prompts them to attack our kids and soldiers even more and with more viciousness. (SP?):mad: ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/31 "2003-07-23T12:28:58Z")
Now we are in IMHO… I feel sorry for the poor lady. She knows that the Iraqi doctors were looking after her as best they could: - they tried to take her back to the US forces, but the ambulance was shot at, - staff put her in the only pressure-sore bed in the hospital - doctors were being emotionally supportive. And then hospital staff are shot and abused for their help during the ‘rescue’. No wonder she wants to be left alone. It would be a humiliating and embarrasing position to be in. She at least deserves peace and quiet. I hope to gods they dont make life worse for her and make a movie out of the event. ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/32 "2003-07-23T12:30:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*Would these doctors be the same ones who saved her life? And donated their own blood to keep her alive? \*\* According to the lawyer that tipped our special ops where she was said they were going to do something unnecessary that would have killed her. ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/33 "2003-07-23T12:32:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by antechinus \* > \*\*Now we are in IMHO… > > I feel sorry for the poor lady. > > She knows that the Iraqi doctors were looking after her as best they could: > > - they tried to take her back to the US forces, but the ambulance was shot at, > - staff put her in the only pressure-sore bed in the hospital > - doctors were being emotionally supportive. > > And then hospital staff are shot and abused for their help during the ‘rescue’. > > No wonder she wants to be left alone. It would be a humiliating and embarrasing position to be in. She at least deserves peace and quiet. I hope to gods they dont make life worse for her and make a movie out of the event. \*\* Her family wants a movie out of it. I did hear about that ambulance and someone got intelligence messed up. Anyway, why did the ambulance just head out in the middle of a war zone without actually sending out a messenger with a white flag detailing the plans? That would have been the smart thing to do. Perhaps, they didn’t even want to bring her back, but did this as a stunt to embarrass the U.S., which the Iraqi government was trying to do. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/34 "2003-07-23T12:41:36Z")
Yeah, the doctors probably also provided the best care they could just to embarrass the US. Bloody Iraqi doctors…sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![starman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@starman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/35 "2003-07-23T12:42:36Z")
A stunt to embarass the US? What, ‘suicide surgeons’, the latest weapon in the Iraqi arsenal? I doubt that any doctors, no matter whether Iraqi or American, would knowingly drive an ambulance into hostile fire, risking the lives of themselves and their patient. -Oli ---
**Author:** ![kputt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@kputt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kputt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/36 "2003-07-23T12:57:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by starman \* > \*\*A stunt to embarass the US? What, ‘suicide surgeons’, the latest weapon in the Iraqi arsenal? > I doubt that any doctors, no matter whether Iraqi or American, would knowingly drive an ambulance into hostile fire, risking the lives of themselves and their patient. > -Oli \*\* But what they did was stupid. Also, the lawyer said the doctors were going to kill her. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/37 "2003-07-23T13:18:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by antechinus \* > **And then hospital staff are shot and abused for their help during the ‘rescue’.** Did I miss a news flash? The doctors reported being shot AT, but Special Forces does NOT use warning shots. If they were shot at, they would be shot, and likely dead. They use extremely loud noise makers with a brilliant flash of light to stun people. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/38 "2003-07-23T13:23:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by starman \* > \*\*A stunt to embarass the US? What, ‘suicide surgeons’, the latest weapon in the Iraqi arsenal? > I doubt that any doctors, no matter whether Iraqi or American, would knowingly drive an ambulance into hostile fire, risking the lives of themselves and their patient. > -Oli \*\* It was an [ambulance driver](http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s900425.htm). > [@](#): > > Private Lynch’s humvee crashed into another American army vehicle, causing the only injuries she sustained. After her rescue, her parents claimed that military doctors told them she had received bullet wounds. That was false. > > Meanwhile the Iraqi doctors who cared for Jessica Lynch until her dramatic rescue by American Special Forces have also cast doubt on claims she was tortured or mistreated. > > Rather, they talk of how attached hospital staff became to the polite young girl from West Virginia and how they attempted to return her to American forces, but her ambulance driver was shot at a checkpoint in the process. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/39 "2003-07-23T13:32:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBill \* > \*\*Did I miss a news flash? The doctors reported being shot AT, but Special Forces does NOT use warning shots. If they were shot at, they would be shot, and likely dead. They use extremely loud noise makers with a brilliant flash of light to stun people. \*\* Dr Uday [confirms this](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/correspondent/3028585.stm): > [@](#): > > “It was like a Hollywood film. They cried ‘go, go, go’, with guns and blanks without bullets, blanks and the sound of explosions. They made a show for the American attack on the hospital - action movies like Sylvester Stallone or Jackie Chan.” ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292/40 "2003-07-23T13:50:37Z")
While I may trust the good doctor’s perception and opinion on medical issues within his specialty, the issue of using blanks in a raid of this type was discussed at length [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=184318), where I posted on Page 2 > [@](#): > > Blogger is mostly right, but it does NOT take 2-3 minutes to remove a BFA from an M16A2 or M4 Carbine. Maybe 30 seconds, if you are slow. As for the heat, Spec Forces generally use gloves. But BFA’s were not used. > > That being said, Flash-Bangs can be mistaken for gunfire. And well trained forces do not fire their weapons unless there is a legitimate target. There does not appear to have been any targets to kill in this raid, so I would be surprised if the WERE any bullet holes. > > The BBC quoted a doctor saying there were blanks. Sorry, not the best source for that kind of information, in my opinion. > > This probably was a planned tactical raid to grab the prisoner. The cameras were very likely added to the raid package. The plan was VERY likely to get footage of this operation and use it for positive media propaganda. Here’s the shocker: > > PROPAGANDA IS PART OF WAR! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-jessica-lynch-a-hero/190292.md?page=3)