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Lynch Rescue Gives Hope to Other Familes of American POWs
Aired April 02, 2003 - 13:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A daring and dangerous rescue in Iraq is giving hope to other families of American POWs. Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch, who was listed as missing in action, is in stable condition. U.S. Special Operations forces led the operation to rescue Lynch under the cover of darkness. They raided an Iraqi hospital in Nasiriyah, where the 19-year-old was being held.
Lynch and her 507th Maintenance Unit were ambushed on March 23. Five members of that company are still prisoners of war. Pentagon sources tell us Lynch suffered several serious gunshot wounds. At a Central Command briefing earlier today, a spokesman says the rescue forces did encounter resistance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. VINCENT BROOKS, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We were successful in the operation last night and did retrieve Pfc. Jessica Lynch, bringing her away from that location of danger, clearing the building of some of the military activity that was in there. There was not a firefight inside of the building, I will tell you, but there were firefights outside of the building, getting in, getting out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: General Brooks also says forces recovered 11 bodies from the hospital site and are working to identify them. People all over the nation are rejoicing today, understandably so, over Jessica's rescue. In her hometown, family members are calling her a hero. They spoke today from Palestine, West Virginia. That's where we find our Patty Davis - Patty.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, food and flowers have been arriving here all day for the family of Jessica Lynch here in West Virginia. They say that they never gave up, but her father did say that when he got that call about 6:15 last night, he thought it was a bad April Fool's joke, but it was no joke. In fact, here's the paper from today, "The Parkersburg News" -- "Lynch Rescued". It was real, that daring rescue and her brother says, in fact, that he is so grateful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG LYNCH, JR., JESSICA LYNCH'S BROTHER: I'd like to thank them a great deal. I mean, of course, they're looking at it as doing their job, but from a family point of view, not as an Army point of view, I'm looking at it as gratitude that they performed their duty well and they went in and rescued my sister and they brought her home safely. As an Army point of view, for myself, being in the service, they performed the mission very well. They went in, executed it, and came out with my sister safe and sound. So I give them great thanks. And any men and women serving over there that performed that duty, I don't -- the overwhelming gratitude that I can give them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: Jessica's family says, however, that they have not had an opportunity to speak to her over the telephone since that rescue, but they have been able to see pictures of her. Her father labeling her as just beautiful. They cannot wait to see her. Now, it was March 23 when her unit, the 507th Maintenance Unit took a wrong turn near Nasiriyah and they were ambushed by Iraqi soldiers.
They didn't think that Jessica had been captured. They didn't know quite what happened to her until earlier this week the Pentagon labeled her as a POW. As you can see over my shoulder there is a POW flag along with the American flag here in front of the Lynch's home in West Virginia in honor of Jessica, who is no longer a POW, but in honor of those who do remain missing and POWs in Iraq - Wolf.
BLITZER: Patty Davis with a lot of happy people in Palestine, West Virginia. Patty, thanks very much. Judy, let's send it back to you in Washington.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Wolf. It's really been heartening, watching Jessica Lynch's family today reacting with huge smiles on their faces.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 2, 2003 - 13:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A daring and dangerous rescue in Iraq is giving hope to other families of American POWs. Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch, who was listed as missing in action, is in stable condition. U.S. Special Operations forces led the operation to rescue Lynch under the cover of darkness. They raided an Iraqi hospital in Nasiriyah, where the 19-year-old was being held.
Lynch and her 507th Maintenance Unit were ambushed on March 23. Five members of that company are still prisoners of war. Pentagon sources tell us Lynch suffered several serious gunshot wounds. At a Central Command briefing earlier today, a spokesman says the rescue forces did encounter resistance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. VINCENT BROOKS, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We were successful in the operation last night and did retrieve Pfc. Jessica Lynch, bringing her away from that location of danger, clearing the building of some of the military activity that was in there. There was not a firefight inside of the building, I will tell you, but there were firefights outside of the building, getting in, getting out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: General Brooks also says forces recovered 11 bodies from the hospital site and are working to identify them. People all over the nation are rejoicing today, understandably so, over Jessica's rescue. In her hometown, family members are calling her a hero. They spoke today from Palestine, West Virginia. That's where we find our Patty Davis - Patty.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, food and flowers have been arriving here all day for the family of Jessica Lynch here in West Virginia. They say that they never gave up, but her father did say that when he got that call about 6:15 last night, he thought it was a bad April Fool's joke, but it was no joke. In fact, here's the paper from today, "The Parkersburg News" -- "Lynch Rescued". It was real, that daring rescue and her brother says, in fact, that he is so grateful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG LYNCH, JR., JESSICA LYNCH'S BROTHER: I'd like to thank them a great deal. I mean, of course, they're looking at it as doing their job, but from a family point of view, not as an Army point of view, I'm looking at it as gratitude that they performed their duty well and they went in and rescued my sister and they brought her home safely. As an Army point of view, for myself, being in the service, they performed the mission very well. They went in, executed it, and came out with my sister safe and sound. So I give them great thanks. And any men and women serving over there that performed that duty, I don't -- the overwhelming gratitude that I can give them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: Jessica's family says, however, that they have not had an opportunity to speak to her over the telephone since that rescue, but they have been able to see pictures of her. Her father labeling her as just beautiful. They cannot wait to see her. Now, it was March 23 when her unit, the 507th Maintenance Unit took a wrong turn near Nasiriyah and they were ambushed by Iraqi soldiers.
They didn't think that Jessica had been captured. They didn't know quite what happened to her until earlier this week the Pentagon labeled her as a POW. As you can see over my shoulder there is a POW flag along with the American flag here in front of the Lynch's home in West Virginia in honor of Jessica, who is no longer a POW, but in honor of those who do remain missing and POWs in Iraq - Wolf.
BLITZER: Patty Davis with a lot of happy people in Palestine, West Virginia. Patty, thanks very much. Judy, let's send it back to you in Washington.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Wolf. It's really been heartening, watching Jessica Lynch's family today reacting with huge smiles on their faces.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
