Jessica Lynch - should she be the 2nd woman to get the medal of honor?

[Analog]

OK, this is NOT an IRAQI thread, but about the medal of honor. I honestly did not know that a woman had already received one many years ago, but...

Should Jessica Lynch be the 2nd ever to get one? The first woman to get it (Ann Walker) was a doctor in the Civil War.

Ann Walker Link

The Army nominated Walker for the Medal of Honor for her wartime
service. President Andrew Johnson signed the citation on Nov.
11, 1865, and she received the award on Jan. 24, 1866. Her
citation cites her wartime service, but not specifically valor
in combat.

link to lynch's story

Pfc. Jessica Lynch, rescued Tuesday from an Iraqi hospital, 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, U.S. officials said yesterday.

Lynch, a 19-year-old supply clerk, continued firing at the Iraqis even after she sustained multiple gunshot wounds and watched several other soldiers in her unit die around her in fighting March 23, one official said. The ambush took place after a 507th convoy, supporting the advancing 3rd Infantry Division, took a wrong turn near the southern city of Nasiriyah.

"She was fighting to the death," the official said. "She did not want to be taken alive."

 

[dabuddha]

Hmmm that's a tough one

 

[toant103]

i think she should, she's 19, she did a pretty good job with fighting eventhough she's a supply clerk.

 

[olds]

I think we need to wait and get more details of what hapened and see if there is anyone who can verify it.
I am not saying that what she is saying isn't true. That's a high honor and it shouldn't be given out willy nilly.

 

[edro]

This story is one of the only "Iraqi war story" that really touched me. She looks a lot my like sister, who just got out of the Air Force. During the 9/11 incident, she (my sister) went to Egypt as a chemical decontamination team. I don't know what I would do if my sister was a POW in a middle eastern country...

 

[StageLeft]

I don't know - I'm sure there are people who have done more than her in this; the difference is she got caught and gained the news. Should that really mean she should get a medal of honor? And I'm not trying to be antagonistic but the only difference between her and probably quite a few other people who have fought with all their heart over there is that she got caught (not that I'm slighting her for that).

 

[iamwiz82]

she was shot and stabbed, but kept on fighting though. Would you?

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
she was shot and stabbed, but kept on fighting though. Would you?

Would I, what?

 

[StormRider]

She's cute -- so I vote yes.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
she was shot and stabbed, but kept on fighting though. Would you?

Would I, what?

keep fighting rather than playing dead or surrendering?

 

[UltraQuiet]

I think we need to wait and get more details of what hapened and see if there is anyone who can verify it.
I am not saying that what she is saying isn't true. That's a high honor and it shouldn't be given out willy nilly.

Exactly.

The Medal of Honor is awarded by the President in the name of Congress to a person who, while a member of the military, distinguishes himself or herself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

The deed performed must have been one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his comrades and must have involved risk of life. Incontestable proof of the performance of the service will be exacted and each recommendation for the award of this decoration will be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit.

Extracted from: Chapter 3-6, Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) dated 25 February 1995.

 

[KK]

What about the folks that went in to get her?

KK

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
she was shot and stabbed, but kept on fighting though. Would you?

Would I, what?

keep fighting rather than playing dead or surrendering?

I would assume I would but you neve know till the bullets are flying towards you.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I think she should be given it. She was fighting, and was shot. For me, that's enough, because I know if I was in that situation and I got shot, I'd be like "OH SNAP!" and panic. She had courage, and I think she deserves it.

 

[StormRider]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
I think she should be given it. She was fighting, and was shot. For me, that's enough, because I know if I was in that situation and I got shot, I'd be like "OH SNAP!" and panic. She had courage, and I think she deserves it.

If it had happened to me, I would defecate and be in a fetal position.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: StormRider

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
I think she should be given it. She was fighting, and was shot. For me, that's enough, because I know if I was in that situation and I got shot, I'd be like "OH SNAP!" and panic. She had courage, and I think she deserves it.

If it had happened to me, I would defecate and be in a fetal position.

LOL, and sucking your thumb too

KK

 

[MacGaven]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I think we need to wait and get more details of what hapened and see if there is anyone who can verify it.
I am not saying that what she is saying isn't true. That's a high honor and it shouldn't be given out willy nilly.

I would have to agree with what oldsmoboat has said here.

I think that the media and the pentagon (war time military) has a way of embellishing events and presenting a one-sided view.

While I believe that she acted with great bravery and fortitude, we should not decide to honor a reward based on a limited view of what took place. We do not know what exactly happened and the details of her capture and subsequent rescue.

I think that she should receive a proper honor of some kind but if it is worthy of the 'Medal of Honor' remains to be seen. This may play better politically and for post war-time fervor if she were to receive one of the highest honors a country can bestow on a citizen.

Note: The fact that she is 19 years of age just blows my mind, and she should be commerated regardless becuase of her service and committment.

 

[KC5AV]

Is there any official talk of her getting the award?

 

[Kung Lau]

" The Medal of Honor is the highest US military decoration awarded to individuals who, while serving in the US armed forces, distinguished themselves by consipicous gallantry and courage at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty. Each decoration awarded represents an incontestable act of bravery or self-sacrifice involving obvious risk of life and and if the risk hadn't been taken, there would be no just grounds for censure...."



I believe she has met the requirements, however the medal has much political baggage attached to it.
I have PJ friends that have done stuff like in Black Hawk Down and never got close to this kind of recognition because of classification. And his commanding general and others in the Special Ops community would have alot of input as far as which recipients got the medal, as most of their troops will never see it, even if they pay the ultimate sacrifice.

As with most things highly visible, it will be a politcal decision.

 

[RgrPark]

No way she should get it. If it was a special ops operator who got ambushed and got captured, no one would even think about giving him a MOH...the only reason some of you think she deserves it is because she's a young female supply clerk. Let's view the standards objectively...everything she did (fighting until she ran out of rounds) is what a soldier is SUPPOSED to do. I give her props for doing what a well trained soldier is supposed to do but that in no way deserves a MOH. She will get a POW medal, a purple heart and "maybe" something like a bronze star but i think that's even too much.

Bottom line, she performed her duties as expected of a well trained soldier. She did not go "above and beyond the call of duty". Do you think she would volunteer to do something like Shugart and Gordon (they volunteered to give their lives to attempt to protect the downed pilot in Somalia and paid the ultimate price), i think not. MOH is the HIGHEST award given and should not be given out lightly. I am in no way putting down the Pfc. She performed exactly the way a soldier should have performed and i respect her for it, but we're talking about the MOH here.

 

[308nato]

But, did she go above and beyond her duty as a soldier in complete disregard for her own safety to accomplish the mission or to protect her comrades ? That would be the determining factor in whether she would be awarded the MoH.

Politics aside of course.

She showed extreme courage under fire most definitely and upheld the proudest traditions of the US armed forces. She is a credit to the rural American family that raised her and the community she grew up in. From what little we have learned about her so far, I'll bet that is enough for her.

Whatever decoration she has earned, I hope she receives. If she ever becomes a teacher as it seems is her goal, it will be a lucky child that gets mentored by Pvt. Lynch

 

[Hammer]

Originally posted by: StormRider
She's cute -- so I vote yes.

lol, it always comes back to that after all.

but seriously, if it can be verified, then yeah i think she should. definitely went above and beyond what would be expected from a female supply clerk.

 

[RgrPark]

Originally posted by: Hammer

Originally posted by: StormRider She's cute -- so I vote yes.

lol, it always comes back to that after all. but seriously, if it can be verified, then yeah i think she should. definitely went above and beyond what would be expected from a female supply clerk.

Why would you differentiate between a female supply clerk and a male grunt when awarding MOH? Both of them are soldiers.

 

[KokomoGST]

Originally posted by: RgrPark

Originally posted by: Hammer

Originally posted by: StormRider She's cute -- so I vote yes.

lol, it always comes back to that after all. but seriously, if it can be verified, then yeah i think she should. definitely went above and beyond what would be expected from a female supply clerk.

Why would you differentiate between a female supply clerk and a male grunt when awarding MOH? Both of them are soldiers.

Valor beyond and above the call of duty? Heck yeah... at least a Purple Heart and a few other service medals... Congressional Medal, I'd say why not.

 

[XZeroII]

I say she should get a Purple Heart, but probably not the medal of honor. I don't know much about the story, but I think you shoud have to do something really spectacular to get the medal of honor and not just be a tortured prisoner who caught the media's attention.