WASHINGTON April 13 —
Jessica Lynch, the soldier rescued in a daring commando raid in
Iraq, returned to the United States on Saturday to recover from her
head-to-toe injuries at the Army's premier medical center.
Lynch, 19, was taken by ambulance from Andrews Air Force Base in
Maryland to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a huge campus several
miles from downtown Washington.
Some four dozen wounded soldiers also were on the flight from
Germany.
The former POW from Palestine, W.Va., was carried on a stretcher
down the rear cargo ramp of the huge C-17 aircraft, while her
parents entered a van. A convoy that included several security
vehicles then drove her to the hospital.
"Our medical team finds Pfc. Lynch to be in satisfactory
condition so far," Maj. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, commander of the Walter
Reed facility, said Saturday night in a statement.
"They will spend the rest of the weekend evaluating her more
fully and continuing the care she received at Landstuhl. She will
get the same outstanding medical care America expects all of our
patients battle casualties and others to receive. We expect to have
more to say about her condition tomorrow."
Hospital officials said they expected to hold a news conference
Sunday.
Her family said in a written statement issued in Germany that
Lynch "is in pain, but she is in good spirits. Although she faces a
lengthy rehabilitation, she is tough. We believe she will regain her
strength soon."
Lynch was treated at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany
for a head wound, a spinal injury, fractures to her right arm, both
legs, and her right foot and ankle. Gunshots may have caused open
fractures on her upper right arm and lower left leg, according to
the hospital.
The supply clerk was captured March 23 after her 507th
Maintenance Company convoy was ambushed in the southern Iraqi city
of Nasiriyah. She was rescued from an Iraqi hospital in the city
April 1 by U.S. commandos, reportedly after a tip from an Iraqi
lawyer.
Hundreds of residents attended a dinner and auction near
Elizabeth, W.Va., on Saturday night that raised more than $10,000
for the Lynch family.
"When you pray this hard and see the prayers come to fruition,
you want to be there," said Susan Siers, a retired Wirt County
circuit clerk. "My prayers changed direction after she was rescued.
Now, we are all praying that she will recover 100 percent in mind,
body and soul."
Gregory Lynch Sr., Jessica's father, is a self-employed truck
driver who has not worked since his daughter was first reported
missing on March 23. Jessica's brother, Gregory Jr., also is an Army
private first class who was repairing helicopters at Fort Bragg,
N.C. when his sister was captured.
When U.S. commandos staged their daring rescue in Nasiriyah, they
found a frightened woman who hid under a sheet when they stormed
into her hospital room.
"Jessica Lynch," called out an American soldier, approaching her
bed. "We are United States soldiers and we're here to protect you
and take you home," a Central Command spokesman told reporters after
the raid.
Peering from behind the sheet as he removed his helmet, she
looked up and said, "I'm an American soldier, too."
Residents in a Charleston, W.Va., suburb have said they are
trying to locate the Iraqi lawyer, known as Mohammed. Although his
role has not been confirmed by the U.S. military, a "Friends of
Mohammed" organization has been formed in the state.
Nine other members of the 507th Maintenance Company were killed
in the ambush and were posthumously awarded Purple Hearts.
photo credit
and caption:
Amid heavy security, former POW
Jessica Lynch, center, is carried from a C-17 transport plane
at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Saturday, April 12, 2003, in
transit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to receive medical
treatment from her injuries in Iraq. Lynch, 19, from
Palestine, W.V., was captured March 23 after her 507th
Maintenance Company convoy was ambushed in the southern Iraqi
city of Nasiriyah. (AP Photo/J. Scott
Applewhite)
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