Isn't this getting a teenie weenie ridiculous ?

[Skunk]

I'm not disputing the Purple Heart for the car crash - it's the Bronze Star that I take issue with. And again, I can't find any respect for someone who hasn't enough honour to refuse a medal that they didn't earn - because in doing so she dishonoured all those who had won the medal legitimately.

Indeed, in accepting the medal, she took credit for the actions and bravery of her company 11 of whom died and nine of whom were injured in the fighting that she was not a part of. How can anyone respect someone like that?

[Donut]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: All you armchair commanders and high-horse moralists are really entertaining. Finding one US Special Forces incursion to pick apart doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of the war was won in "secret" missions we never saw on TV performed by special forces. While we were watching a ton of troops drive across a sandy landscape, missions we didn't see were winning the war everywhere.

So the question I must ask is why were cameras present for this specific mission?

[wellard]

Originally posted by Skunk: I'm not disputing the Purple Heart for the car crash - it's the Bronze Star that I take issue with. And again, I can't find any respect for someone who hasn't enough honour to refuse a medal that they didn't earn - because in doing so she dishonoured all those who had won the medal legitimately. Indeed, in accepting the medal, she took credit for the actions and bravery of her company 11 of whom died and nine of whom were injured in the fighting that she was not a part of. How can anyone respect someone like that?

I stand corrected [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

However a true soldier stands by orders, if she has been orderd to stay quite and to accept the medal she is doing what she must. Lets focus our attentions on to those in charge.

[Skunk]

What about focussing on the 11 soldiers in her company that died in action?
What are their names?
Anyone know?

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by Skunk: What about focussing on the 11 soldiers in her company that died in action? What are their names? Anyone know?

Not first-hand, but here is a list of all coaltion casualties at this site:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/ira...es/casualties/


I totally agree that Lynch shouldn't be the focus of the movie. From what I recall of the events portrayed leading to her capture, after the 507th got lost and doubled back there was a big fight and at one point an American commander made the decision to surrender his unit because of low ammo/weapon malfunctions. A tough, but heroic decision that may have saved all the lives of the other POWS that were later rescued.

I dunno if I have all the facts straight, but my point is that focusing on the Lynch's already played out and exagerated drama seems contrived compared to the larger less-reported story.

Anyway I think the movie is off know that Lynch has declined NBC's offer to advise. I guess they could still do the movie without her input.

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by Donut: quote: Originally posted by Timber Loftis: All you armchair commanders and high-horse moralists are really entertaining. Finding one US Special Forces incursion to pick apart doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of the war was won in "secret" missions we never saw on TV performed by special forces. While we were watching a ton of troops drive across a sandy landscape, missions we didn't see were winning the war everywhere.

So the question I must ask is why were cameras present for this specific mission? [/QUOTE]I would say the answer can be reasonably deduced. They likely knew the mission was a lower probability of threat. Besides, the other "war winning" missions were very probably quite unsavory things to see -- not good press. As well, weren't those military cameramen? I mean, maybe they *did* film other missions, and simply did not release them. [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by Chewbacca: From what I recall of the events portrayed leading to her capture, after the 507th got lost and doubled back there was a big fight and at one point an American commander made the decision to surrender his unit because of low ammo/weapon malfunctions. A tough, but heroic decision that may have saved all the lives of the other POWS that were later rescued.

Yes, the Sergeant was trapped under a vehicle with three wounded (one of whom was the female cook you may remember) and ALL the weapons were jammed. One of the soldiers had gotten away from the vehicle to recon new weapons. He found a spot overlooking a mortar aimed at the Sergeant, etc. trapped under the vehicle. One by one he shot 7 Iraqis who tried to load the mortar. He also capped off 2-4 others while moving about trying to get weapons or ammo. He got a silver star, IIRC.

Having no ammo and wounded soldiers, Sarge surrendered, clambering out from under the vehicle with arms raised and hoping not to get shot. He played it text book -- you surrender when you have lost all means of resistance.

Lynch's Humvee crashed into the back of one of the utility vehicles in trying to escape. One of the 507 interviewed says she looked dead -- her leg was twitching, though. The other female in the Humvee with Lynch, her best friend, died on impact.

The silver star guy let slip during the interview that he laid down his weapons and the Iraqis came up and punched him. The other 507 members quickly shut him up, telling him not to mention that. Stone Phillips later explained that charges of POW abuse were still under investigation by the military.

[Rokenn]

Just read this on IMDB:
Lynch Turns Away NBC Deal

The family of Army PFC Jessica Lynch has scotched reports that she was close to signing a deal with NBC to provide details of her ordeal as a POW in Iraq for a movie of the week, the Associated Press reported today (Friday). The family said that it wanted the story to be told first in book form. The book will reportedly be written by former New York Times national correspondent Rick Bragg, who resigned in May after it was reported that a story that bore his byline was actually mostly the work of an unpaid intern. NBC is planning to start shooting the film about her capture in two weeks.

[Grojlach]

Erm... Okay. Probably a good candidate for that "thinnest books ever" joke-list that's been going around on the Internet the last couple of years.

Jessica Lynch to tell story in book

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- Former prisoner of war Pfc. Jessica Lynch will tell her story in a book, a family spokesman said Thursday.
"The Lynch family has received many offers from people interested in bringing Jessica's story to life," spokesman Randy Coleman said. "Jessica and her family have concluded that the most appropriate and complete telling of this story will be in a book, which they will have more to say about soon."
Coleman would not discuss specifics of the book deal.
He said that Lynch was not granting interviews.
Lynch, a 20-year-old Army supply clerk from Palestine, W.Va., was captured March 23 after her 507th Maintenance Company convoy was ambushed in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. She was rescued from a hospital in the city on April 1.
Lynch, who returned home last month from a long hospitalization in Washington, D.C., has yet to talk publicly about her experience.
NBC said Wednesday that it had cast the role of Lynch in a TV movie scheduled to go into production this month. The movie has been developed without Lynch's authorization. But the network has said it was in talks with her to participate.
CBS abandoned its plans for a Lynch movie. CBS News had come under scrutiny after sending Lynch a letter that highlighted the prospect of a TV movie and other opportunities at sister companies while CBS was seeking a news interview.

Source: CNN

[ 08-08-2003, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

[Skunk]

Now poor little Lynch is about to write a book (with the help of a dodgy journalist). Should be a very short book if she really couldn't remember anything! One wonders if the families of her 11 dead comrades will see a cent from deal...

[ 09-03-2003, 03:56 AM: Message edited by: Skunk ]