The claim that the military made up the tale of her battlefield heroics is seriously misstated. And more than faintly ironic, given that it was the Washington Post that reported Lynch had “gone down firing,” that she had fought ferociously in the ambush of her unit, the 507th Maintenance Company, in southern Iraq in MaPostrch 2003.
It was the Post — citing otherwise anonymous “U.S. officials” — that claimed Lynch had “shot several enemy soldiers” in the ambush.
It was the Post that said Lynch “continued firing at the Iraqis even after she sustained multiple gunshot wounds and watched several other soldiers in her unit die around her” in the fighting.
It was the Post that placed the electrifying heroic-warrior tale about Lynch on its front page of April 3, 2003, beneath a headline that read:
“‘She was fighting to the death.’”
It was the Post — alone — that placed the story into the public domain.
And none of it was true.
So the Washington Post goes into “Remember the Alamo” modality of ‘reporting’.
If there is no John Wayne then they will create Jane Wayne…enough to make you spit chewin tobbaco!
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
A signifigant factor in morale, after unit cohesion, is the mystique of past unit glories.
My old unit the 101st, never tired of the tales of the defence of Bostogne. “we’re paratroops…we’re supposed to be surrounded!”
It was somewhat hilarious, that the 7th Air Calvary sported 19th century headgear to comemorate their defeat at the Little Big Horn.
Even the Soviets, maybe especially the Soviets, recognized the importance of heros……
As far as the Washington Post….they sell newspapers…a hero even a ficticious one helps that…..
That Lynch episode was troubling…the specter of racism was raised when a not so attractive black gal in the same unit was repatriated on crutches….
What counted was the blunder that put that supply convoy in harms way….there was a bigger scramble to prevent such further events than rescuing the captured…rightly so…
At a unit level, there was a commendable effort to enhance the security of the vehicles with locally improvised “gun trucks” and “hill-billy armor”(armour).
Slightly OT but the very development of armoured vehicles really began with improvised armour on vehicles. A long developement process began with improvisation at a very low level.
“That Lynch episode was troubling…the specter of racism was raised when a not so attractive black gal in the same unit was repatriated on crutches….”
And exactly what was “racist”, sasquatch? Especially in light of the fact that Lynch had to be carried out on a stretcher, due to her spinal injuries from the ambush and Iraqi post-capture beatings.
BTW, there was a news follow-up years later. She’s now married and, when delivering their first child, had to have a spinal anesthetic and C-section. Her permanent spinal injuries prevent, among other things, natural childbirth, and are exactly that, permanent spinal injuries.
So, no “specter of racism” strawman, please.
Truth is to Journalism what honesty is to Climate Scientology
What is it about the liberal mindset that transforms the mundane nature of human happenstance into an action movie plot?
99% of the time, a cigar is just a cigar.
Too much poetry parsing at university, perhaps.
A fiction created to support an agenda.
Everyone in combat is a hero. Medals are awarded for achievement and the narrative is usually exaggerated but never faked. Normally witnesses are demanded or overwhelming evidence. Mind you a US Bronze Star can also be awarded for keeping your boots polished. Canada has started out handing out so many medals our soldiers are starting to look like South American dictators.
Mr. X nails it !!
And I would add – too much fiction in the libraries.
Wag the Dog.
I’ve been involved with the press numerous times over my career and they have got things wrong every time. Apart from ideology, they generally have little to no knowledge of the subject they are reporting on, especially things military or aviation. For example, I was once on a search and rescue (we found the boat) and a helicopter that was supposed to assist us force-landed – and we found that too. The press gave the helicopter crew credit for the successful search. I could fill the page with examples, but I’ll stop there while my blood pressure settles…
Wow, Dave!
An epidural and a C-section! That almost never happens!
Thanks to groundskeeper Willie, Homer is cleared of a charge of sexual harassment. The TV announcer shouts, “tomorrow on Rock Bottom”, he’s a foreigner who takes videos of you when you least suspect it. He’s Rowdy Roddy Peeper”.
Homer: Oooh that man is sick.
Marge: Willie saved you Homer.
Homer: But listen to the music, he’s evil!
Marge: Hasn’t your experience taught you you can’t believe everything you hear?
Homer: Marge my friend, I haven’t learned a thing.
“Canada has started out handing out so many medals our soldiers are starting to look like South American dictators.”
Funny, I could have swore ours guys have, you know, actually earned them.
But then again knowing that would require you to know something of our honours system, which clearly you don’t.
I never believe war stories, unless somebody can show me an impressive scar.
We see fabricated news all the time via anonymous insider sources and anonymous sources, and party insiders etc. if they can’t cite the source chances are they made the information up or heard it in the bathroom.
“Everyone in combat is a hero. Medals are awarded for achievement and the narrative is usually exaggerated but never faked. Normally witnesses are demanded or overwhelming evidence. Mind you a US Bronze Star can also be awarded for keeping your boots polished. Canada has started out handing out so many medals our soldiers are starting to look like South American dictators.”
Posted by: Scar at January 5, 2012 12:50 PM
Excuse me? I don’t know you, but I am a member of the US Military and I object to your post. Unless you can cite first hand knowledge I am calling B.S. on you!
As someone with firsthand knowledge, I agree with you, Becket.
Most medals are earned just by doing your job.
Jan. 31 1969- Tet Offensive.
The enemy had just overrun our base and I ran like a scalded dog into the munitions dump to get my forgotten M-16.
I had been celebrating my own New Years Party.
During my running I passed through a roadblock/checkpoint and was knocked down by an MP who thought I might be the enemy.
Just Luck he didn’t shoot me.
Most Vietnamese are 4’5″ tall.
I happened to be 6’2″ tall,
guess the MP was celebrating also..
Later on I found out that he had been giving a
Bronze Star for his actions in combat..
Go Figure..
Not making fun of his actions,
because as I ran I was ducking and dodging and probably humped over like a toad..
S. Becker
“I don’t know you, but I am a member of the US Military and I object to your post. Unless you can cite first hand knowledge I am calling B.S. on you!”
The Bronze Star is a valour award or a merit award. On the very first rotation in Afghanistan all the senior PPCLI (Canadian regiment) officers were given the bronze star for something other than fighting. Only the battalion snipers had contact with the enemy. They got some Bronze Stars too.
mikeg81
“Funny, I could have swore ours guys have, you know, actually earned them.
But then again knowing that would require you to know something of our honours system, which clearly you don’t.”
Yep. Understand the honour system. I also know that career soldiers used to have one or two medals and now lots have 6 or 8. There’s another one that 5 – 10,000 are working hard to earn this year. That would be for the Queen’s diamond jubilee.
“Yep. Understand the honour system. I also know that career soldiers used to have one or two medals and now lots have 6 or 8.”
What does that even mean? So if a member does more tours or gets a decoration that’s a bad thing and makes them look like a “South American dictator”?
“There’s another one that 5 – 10,000 are working hard to earn this year. That would be for the Queen’s diamond jubilee.”
So you are comparing the Jubilee medal with the tour medals and valour decorations?
It’s okay if all you got was your CD, you don’t have to be jealous.
mikeg81
“So you are comparing the Jubilee medal with the tour medals and valour decorations?”
No. I think lots of medals should be awarded for war and few otherwise. They are soldiers not Girl Guides.
With the new hip-pop entitlement generation they’ll be handing out lots of bling.
Maybe some bronze, silver and gold “grills” for the teeth.
Truth is to Journalism what honesty is to Climate Scientology
Posted by: Fred
Good anology
President Obama plans to cut half a million troops and says US can’t afford to wage two wars at once.
It will save a lot of medals.
–
Can’t wait till the next
Arab Spring.
Fearless Leader >
“Obama plans to cut half a million troops..”
Yea, just what the country needs going into deeper recession, a half million unemployed soldiers loitering around the streets.
I wonder which lavish vacation out of the few dozen he’s had that he decided this brilliant bit of wisdom?
Whats that Mark Twain quote-
If you don’t read the papers, you’re simply uninformed.
If you DO read the papers…then you’re misinformed.
If anything, the Iraqi translator and his wife were the true heroes of this:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-04-03-jessica-inside-usat_x.htm