Jessica’s Story

Lynch was born in April of 1983 in Palestine, West Virginia, the second child and first daughter to Deadra Lynch and Gregory Lynch, Sr. Her dream was to go to college and become a teacher, which she later achieved. After graduating high school in May of 2001, she thought she had life figured out, or so she thought. That summer an Army recruiter stopped by their home and soon Jessica and her older brother, Greg found themselves joining the U.S. Army. Their younger sister, Brandi was still in high school.

On September 19, 2001, Lynch entered basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. She later completed Advanced Individual Training for her Military Occupational Specialty as a unit supply specialist (MOS 92Y) in the Quartermaster Corps at Fort Lee, Virginia. Jessica then was stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas. While stationed at Fort Bliss Jessica met Lori Piestewa who became one of Jessica's best friends and roommate (AKA Battle Buddy). Lori grew up in Tuba City, Arizona on a Hopi Native American reservation. Jessica and Lori couldn't have been more different but somehow, they found everything in common.

In February 2003, Jessica's unit was deployed to Kuwait with standby orders for Iraq. On the morning of 23 March 2003, the 507th Maintenance Company Jessica was part of had mistakenly veered off Highway 8 and then turned toward the city into enemy-held territory. The US vehicles ran into an ambush, drawing enemy fire from every direction. Eleven American soldiers were killed and Jessica along with five others were taken prisoner. However, a few soldiers managed to escape the ambush and form a secure perimeter around their wounded. [Reference Honor Them Here] Jessica was held in captivity until she was rescued on April 1, 2003 for a total of nine days and the other five members of her unit were held captive for twenty-one days until they were released on April 12 2003. While in captivity in the Nasiriyah hospital, Piestewa died from her injuries. She was only 23 years old. Jessica was seriously injured. She suffered a broken back, right arm, right foot, left femur, left tibia, a laceration to her head, and several cracked ribs.   

On April 1, 2003, U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion 4th Marines, 2nd Battalion 8th Marines and 2nd Battalion 1st Marines, as well as members from the Navy SEALs under the command of the U.S. Army, staged a diversionary attack, besieging nearby Iraqi irregulars to draw them away from Saddam Hospital (now named the Imam Hussein Teaching Hospital - 31°03'31.2"N 46°14'45.8"E) in Nasiriyah. Meanwhile, an element from the Joint Special Operations Task Force 121 composed of U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets), Air Force Pararescuemen (PJs), Army Rangers, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and Delta Force launched a nighttime raid on the hospital, and successfully retrieved Jessica and the bodies of eleven other American soldiers.

After her rescue, Jessica was transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, where she would start the physical healing process. On the flight to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the military medics kept her sedated and hydrated. Her family flew to Germany on April 5 to be reunited with her. In a statement, the hospital said, "Lynch had a big smile on her face when her parents arrived. Jessica underwent back surgery on April 3 to correct a vertebra that was putting pressure on her spinal cord. Since then, she continues to undergo several more surgeries to stabilize her fractures and still suffers from the injuries she received.

Jessica went on to complete her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and her Master's degree in Communication Studies. Today Jessica continues physical therapy for those injuries. She continues to persevere and speak to audiences young and old about her experience as a Prisoner of War (POW). [Reference Media Events] She continues to deliver speeches to business corporations, veteran organizations, universities, colleges, schools, and youth groups. In 2014 Jessica made her acting debut as specialist Summer L. Gabriel in the 2014 film Virtuous by JC Films. Her role was loosely based on her own experiences during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. She also had roles in other movies and one music video. [Reference Acting Film – Videos]

Today Jessica does her best to continue getting the message out about the U.S. government creating the false narrative and story about “Lynch’s Heroic Acts” as part of the Pentagon's propaganda effort. On April 24, 2007, she testified in front of United States Congress that she had never fired her weapon (her M16 rifle reportedly having jammed), and that she had been knocked unconscious when her vehicle crashed during the ambush. Lynch has been outspoken in her criticism of the original stories that were reported regarding her combat experience. When asked about her heroine status, she stated: "That wasn't me. I'm not about to take credit for something I didn't do... I'm just a survivor." Jessica wants to ensure that the story of the real heroes is told and the story of her fellow POW’s are told along side hers.