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The World's Thinnest Book?

The Jessica Lynch Story

By Jake Easton
R A D O K   N E W S
Posted September 2, 2003

 he new book, "I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story," is due on bookstore shelves by mid-November, but many are expecting a pretty thin book if the Pentagon's version of Jessica's capture - and her resulting amnesia - is to be believed.

Back in early April, the Washington Post headline read, 'She Was Fighting to the Death,' then quoted U.S. officials as saying that "Pfc. Jessica Lynch fought fiercely and shot several enemy soldiers after Iraqi forces ambushed the Army's 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition."

Fanning the demand flame for the 'feel good' story of an otherwise tumultuous war, The Pentagon then introduced subsequent stories detailing the daring rescue by Special Ops forces that saved Jessica from certain death at the hands of Iraqi military forces.

One month after her capture, the truth started unfolding.

First the BBC, then USA Today broke the story with headlines such as 'Forceful rescue of American POW unnecessary,' then stating in detail how "the U.S. commandos refused a key and instead broke down doors and went in with guns drawn." [Sounds like a scene from the 'rescue' of Elian Gonzalez in Miami].

"They carried away the prisoner in the dead of night with helicopter and armored vehicle backup - even though there was no Iraqi military presence and the hospital staff didn't resist," according to eye witnesses interviewed by Associated Press reporters.

In an effort to diffuse these early reports, CNN stated that doctors treating rescued POW Jessica Lynch were now saying that their patient does not remember the ambush in which she was taken prisoner or what happened immediately afterward.  Furthermore, a statement from Walter Reed Army Medical Center said, the doctors "believe the probability of her remembering any events during that time period is very low."

While treatment continued at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, one U.S. official told FoxNews that "she basically has amnesia, and has mentally blocked out the horrible things we strongly believe she went through."

"This is a very sad thing about Jessica but it's not unexpected," Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld said.  Rosenfeld said Lynch is likely suffering from something called total global amnesia, which often occurs after someone endures a traumatic emotional and/or physical stress.

Mary Gooding, of The Daily Journal may have summed it up best:  "Jessica has been locked up in a private Walter Reed hospital room with an around-the-clock security detail normally reserved for high brass to ensure that what happened to her as a prisoner of war remains inside her room.  Almost daily her cover story changes from amnesia to partial amnesia to more recently: 'She's blocked just the ambush event.'"

The West Virginia Herald-Dispatch interviewed Jessica's father, Greg Lynch, on May 30th, who says Jessica has never had amnesia.  While declining to answer questions about the Army investigation of the ambush, Mr. Lynch did say that contrary to published reports, his daughter does not have amnesia. "Her memory is as good as it was when she was home," her father said. "There really wasn't no amnesia problems."

With media pressure mounting at the Pentagon for some truthful answers, just two weeks later Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke - best known for her Captain Kangaroo suits - resigned 'for personal reasons,' effective immediately.

Three Months Later, it is announced that Jessica Lynch is coming out with a book that is expected to hit the bookshelves in November.

The book, published by Alfred A. Knopf, is reportedly giving Ms. Lynch $1 million for her story, and is co-written by controversial writer Rick Bragg who was suspended by the New York Times for taking credit for a story he didn't write. [Bragg later resigned from the New York Times in the wake of the Jayson Blair scandal].

While the events were never the fault or result of Pfc. Lynch's actions, a 'book deal' only tends to exacerbate the Pentagon and media's desire for a great story - much at the expense of the other brave men and women performing their heroic duties in combat. 

Jake Easton is a veteran journalist, political
columnist, and freelance writer for a variety of
Radok News publications.  Mr. Easton recently finished
writing the book, Americans Behaving Badly - the story
of bad behavior by liberal media, politicians and
celebrities after the Sept. 11th attacks against America.
By Radok Press.   ISBN: 0972242805

Jessica Lynch during
happier times at home before her capture.