Gums' Editorial Section

Jessica Lynch Wasn't the Only POW

By Gums

I said I wasn't going to watch the TV interview with Diane Sawyer and Jessica Lynch, because I knew it would be a story about a pretty little blond haired green eyed beauty. Well, about half way through the interview I had to get up and go "puke."

This interview and all the hoopla around her is a slap in the face to every American serviceman/woman who has ever been held captive in peace or war time. Jessica is nothing more than a "pawn" for the government. She is saying exactly what the government tells her to say. To put in the right terms, Jessica Lynch has been "packaged for market" by the powers that be in this country. This soldier is no better than all the other POW's that have been held by our enemies in other wars. Yet the government has raised her status to that of a national hero and to that I say "BULL----"!

How about the rest of her unit, the 507th Maintenance Company? Can anyone even name two other survivors, or name any that were killed in that action, or even the name of the unit, I think not!

When she was being interviewed by Diane Sawyer (who used to look at both sides of a story but is now so politically correct it makes me gag) Jessica said she never fired a shot or killed one of the enemy. She had a "jammed" rifle. The only question Sawyer should have ask here is "if the battle was going on for over an hour, why didn't you work to "unjam" your rifle"? Rather than fixing her rifle and helping her fellow soldiers, she just fell to her knees and started praying.

Jessica also doesn't remember being raped or being "slapped around" by her captors. There were witnesses who saw her being slapped and medical evidence of the rapes. I know two men who were POWs during Nam, and one was a POW for over two years and he states "you will remember every day of your captivity," even if you try, you will never forget the worst days, months or years of your life! Every statement Jessica made to Diane Sawyer was about how wonderful she was treated and how one nurse even sang to her. These statements were made for the benefit of the American people.

Just for a minute think about how people in this country would react if Jessica had made statements telling of the brutal torture, rapes and beatings that she had to endure. The people of this country would be "outraged" that this could happen to one of our own. Stop and think for a minute, have you ever been told by our government how our POWs were treated in Nam? Did you ever hear of the tiger cages, the beatings with bamboo canes and the hunderds of other types of "torture" our troops suffered? The only time you heard about this was from the movies (Rambo etc) or in some remote news article buried on the back page of some newspaper. The stories Jessica tells are "Grade A U.S.Government inspected"

As a further slap to the rest of her unit "The Army's 507th Maintenance Unit" she has a movie deal, several TV interviews and a book deal worth a cool $500,000.00 up front plus royalties. I wonder how much the men and women who really did the fighting are making off their stories?

I do not doubt that Jessica survived through the worst time of her life while captive, and no man or woman should be put in that position ever. However I just object to the "packaged Jessica Lynch" that the government and news media has made out of someone who is in no way a hero in my book. Hundreds of POWs have suffered more and longer than she and have all but been forgotten by the people of this country. What about the families of the other troops in her unit who never even hear the names of their loved ones and the sacrifice that they also made, there was more than one person that endured those days of pain and suffering.

In closing all I can say is "I am happy Jessica Lynch made it out alive along with the others. I also hope the names of the others in her unit (along with every one who served) are remembered and never forgotten. Remember "all gave some and some gave all" and the ranks of the Military are made up of more than one Blond haired green eyed serviceman/woman.