Jessica Lynch was just a teenager when she enlisted in the United States Army. It was pre-9/11 when young Jessica signed on that dotted line. She and her family knew war was always a potential possibility, but didn’t dwell on it.
Then 9/11 came, and everything changed. Nineteen-year-old Private First class Lynch deployed to Iraq and was captured by enemy forces. Eleven of her friends died as a result of the incident that led to her capture, while others were captured with her. On April 1, 2003, Jessica’s dramatic rescue became national news.
While Jessica struggled to heal from her significant injuries as well as process her grief and trauma, media outlets ran amuck with their headlines. One false story after another appeared, compounding Jessica’s stress.
Finally, when she was officially discharged from the military several months later, Jessica was free to tell her story publicly.
Today, twenty years later, Jessica still tells her story, along with the story of her own growth and recovery. Her soft-spoken, almost shy demeanor presents a stark contrast with the intensity and courage of her story.
In this episode, Jessica shares some of her story with us, as well as lessons she has pulled from her experiences
Here are some of the things we discussed with Jessica Lynch...
How Jessica was captured
Military service as a teenager
Snippets of Jessica's experience as a POW
What it's like to have your personal pain and struggles, become national news
Inaccuracy of the media reports, and the impact that had on Jessica
Grief
PTSD and Survivor's Guilt
Rebuilding her life
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