Jessica Lynch 2015 — a former U.S. Army soldier, Jessica Lynch had served in the 2003 invasion of Iraq by U.S. and allied forces. On Mar. 23, 2003, her convoy was ambushed by Iraqi forces during the Battle of Nasiriyah where Lynch was seriously injured and captured.
On Apr. 1, 2003, Jessica Lynch subsequent recovery by U.S. Special Operations Forces received considerable media coverage. She was the first woman ever and first successful rescue of an American prisoner of war since Vietnam. Now, her experiences during her captivity under the Iraqi men 12 years ago continue to plague her, CNN noted.
As the anniversary of her capture approached earlier this year, Jessica Lynch admitted she broke down, which prompted her to seek mental health care for the very first time since her 2003 rescue, New York Daily News has learned.
"People expect me to be doing OK. They expect that I should be perfectly fine now," she said in an interview, which was released just days after presidential candidate Donald Trump panned ex-POW John McCain for "being captured," as per Review Journal.
As Jessica Lynch started learning to deal with the pain and nightmares of war, here are 5 facts about the ex-POW (Prisoner of War) who was held captive by Iraqi men a dozen years ago.
1. Lynch, who is now 32 years old, was enlisted in the army after graduating from high school. According to CNN Fast Facts, she signed up for a four year extension in the military in December 2002.
2. Jessica Lynch was a supply clerk with the Army's 507th Maintenance Company out of Fort Bliss, Texas, Biography stated.
3. During the March 2003 Iraqi war, Lynch's company, which was staked out near the end of an 8,000-vehicle convoy, ran into trouble in the city of Nasiriya. Due to a faulty navigational equipment, they were led right into enemy territory, resulting in a 90-minute-long fire fight that resulted in the death of 11 American soldiers and the capture of an injured Lynch, as reported by The Guardian.
4. Jessica Lynch was held captive by Iraqi soldiers at Saddam Hospital in Nasiriya. At that time, she was only 19 and was reportedly raped and sodomized by her captors, WND reported. She was soon rescued by the U.S. troops who stormed the facility. Since the 2003 attack, Lynch has undergone 22 surgeries to repair the damage to her legs and still has more to go.
5. After coming home, Jessica Lynch earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's in communication in order to become a teacher. In 2005, Jessica Lynch met her now-fiancé Wes Robinson and on Jan. 9, 2007, they welcomed daughter Dakota Ann, who was named in honor of her tentmate who was killed in the attack, Army Spc. Lori Piestewa, NBC News revealed.
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