by Lady Liberty
05/1/2003

A few weeks ago, PFC Jessica Lynch was just another soldier in just another support capacity in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Then her convoy made a wrong turn in the desert and was attacked by Iraqi soldiers. In the ensuing firefight, both Americans and Iraqis died, and Jessica was taken captive. After her whereabouts were reported to coalition forces, a daring rescue was staged, and PFC Lynch found herself once again in the hands of friendly forces. She has also ended up at the center of a media circus.

Many people are calling Jessica a hero now. In fact, there's an online thank you  to Jessica for her heroism that's been set up by the people at MillionsofAmericans.com. But she is really no more or less a hero than those other American soldiers who are in Iraq today. Anyone who volunteers for military service knows what he or she potentially risks, and yet they volunteer anyway. Certainly that's heroic in and of itself. But she signed up more to get money for college than to defend her country, and that's largely a calculated gamble rather than an unselfish act of courage.

Certainly her reasons for joining the Army have nothing to do with the fact that she reportedly fought back when the Iraqi soldiers attacked and may have killed or wounded a few before she was taken into custody. But isn't that what any armed soldier would have done, particularly when confronted by the equally armed enemy? Yes, she suffered horribly at the hands of the Iraqis (two broken legs, a broken arm, an injured back, at least one bullet wound, and reportedly some torture to top it off). But suffering something over which you have no control isn't necessarily heroic. A strong will? Yes. But heroic? The Iraqi lawyer who risked everything, including his life and the lives of his wife and child, to get word to the Americans as to Jessica's status and location is the real hero. He didn't need to do anything, but he freely chose to risk it all, and he didn't stand to get tuition money or a medal for it, either.

Of course, the fact that a woman was captured and tortured has reignited the debate over women in combat. But first and foremost, PFC Lynch wasn't assigned to a combat position. She was assigned to offer support to those who were in combat. She never would have seen any enemy fire from close range if the convoy hadn't somehow taken that wrong turn. Perhaps there are arguments for or against women on the front lines, but Jessica Lynch shouldn't rightfully be central to any debate position. Her circumstances were the result of an accident. And as for whether or not women should even be allowed in positions that might accidentally come under fire, well, at least one commentator suggests, "Why Don't They Ask Jessica Lynch?"  Writer Martha Ackerman says that appeals to protect women often result in prohibiting women from that which they have the skills and the right to do, a position which has real merit.

On the other hand, one has to wonder if such a daring rescue, risking the lives of a number of special operations troops, would have been attempted if Jessica were a man. If the answer to that question is "yes", then women in services comparable to Jessica's don't pose a problem. The answer, however, might be "no". According to an article originating with Scripps Howard News Service and reprinted at DA*DI , the "Rescue of Jessica Lynch is Highly Unusual in History". In fact, it may be the first successful raid since World War II. And previous attempts were typically made to rescue groups of people, not a single soldier. If the case can be made that Jessica's capture drew more attention from military planners because she was a woman, then the case can also be made that a number of men were placed in deliberate danger solely to rescue her. And that well illustrates the often purported added danger to men in combat that women on the front lines could conceivably cause.

Regardless of the rationale behind the rescue or the suffering she endured, PFC Jessica Lynch is coming out of this ordeal with substantially more than the hope of tuition money. In fact, she won't be needing tuition money at all. Two colleges have already offered her full scholarships once she's ready to enroll. As for spending money, well, NBC is already talking about making a movie  about her ordeal. Her medical prognosis is good, and her future seems assured. It's almost enough to make you forget that there are still other POW's in Iraq, and that Lynch wasn't the only woman among them. So far, I've not heard of any movie deals or Hawaiian vacations being offered for any of the others.

As difficult as it must be for those who've fought and been wounded in Iraq to see the attention Lynch is getting, how much worse must it be for those captured and held in Viet Nam? Some endured for years before their release, and returned back home where they not only weren't adored by the media but were frequently the targets of disdain from the public. Weren't their sacrifices, too, made in the name of liberty? And don't they also deserve our gratitude?

It seems to me that the many rewards offered to PFC Jessica Lynch are, in fact, because she's female. Viet Nam was an unpopular war, but Scott O'Grady (the pilot downed behind enemy lines in Bosnia who survived a harrowing week hiding from enemy soldiers, eating bugs and grass, before his rescue) didn't get the kind of attention Lynch is enjoying. POWs from Desert Storm didn't get the kind of attention Lynch is enjoying, either. But none of them were petite, blonde, and pretty.

I don't mean to minimize the contributions made by Jessica Lynch. I deeply appreciate that, whatever her reasons, she joined the Army and willingly went to fight for freedom. I feel terribly sorry for her suffering, and wish her a complete recovery. But I also wish she'd get her thanks not for being rescued, but for being there at all. I would hope her reward would consist of the admiration and respect of those for whom she fought rather than the many gifts she's being offered. And I think she should get the same medal that men in her position would receive, no more and no less. If you want true equality, there it is.

Unfortunately, the women who claim to want true equality have been busy. They've been staying in cozy hotels and homes, dressed in comfortable clothes, and walking back and forth near the gates of Augusta National. The biggest danger they've faced is a lack of media coverage for their protests. In comparison, that does make PFC Jessica Lynch look pretty damned heroic after all.

Follow-up: In recent days, there have actually been suggestions that Jessica Lynch receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. This is a medal rarely given. It is reserved for the most heroic of men and women, and is often awarded posthumously as a result. To give Lynch such an award would be to dishonor those brave few who have received the Medal in the past. Quite simply, she doesn't even come close to deserving it. If people are looking for a worthy recipient in this conflict, they need look no farther than one Sgt. Smith, a man whose heroism saved many lives at the expense of his own. Smith's story is as underreported as Lynch's has been over-hyped. Take a moment now if you will to read more  about Smith and what he did. Now compare his story with Lynch's. I think even Jessica Lynch herself would agree that there is no comparison.

Lady Liberty
March 11, 2003