 Soldier kidnapped in Iraq reveals details of her imprisonment. The stories of military heroes are forever embedded in the annals of history, and most armies stand firm on never leaving anyone behind. It is usually of the utmost importance for militaries to remember the sacrifices soldiers make on behalf of entire nations. When this female soldier went missing in Iraq, the tension was high and things weren't really what they seemed, at least for some. The media describes the capture in a very different way. Read on to find out what really happened to this missing female soldier who became a prisoner of war. Jessica Lynch recruited to the American army in 2001 with good intentions. She dreamed of contributing to the American army in any way she could, no matter what it took. She believed this was the place to grow, explore, and expand her skills so that she could achieve all her future goals. Things took a turn for the worse in 2003, when she was reported as a missing and action female soldier in Iraq. This just wasn't any MIA case. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance would cause more controversy than anyone could have anticipated. What really happened to this missing female soldier that caused so much uproar? Jessica Dawn Lynch was born on April 26, 1983, in Palestine, West Virginia. She was your typical girl next door with big dreams for her future. Her humble and quiet nature didn't mean that Lynch wasn't destined for something big, especially because she excelled in everything she set her mind to. Lynch was adamant to explore the world, meet new people, acquaint herself with new cultures, and take on new skills so that she would secure herself a better future. Life may have been super peaceful in West Virginia, but she lusted for a bit more excitement. And yet, little did Lynch know how much excitement was in store for her. Lynch was on the brink of a new beginning with the closing of another chapter in her life, graduation from Wart County High School. Her dream was to embark on a teaching career path, so that she could become a figure the youth would want to look up to and learn from. The one thing standing in her way was her family's financial situation, but this didn't stop Lynch's determination, she had an idea, the army. The military sounded like a great alternative because she could hone in on her leadership skills in order to become a teacher in the future. Many people didn't believe she could conscript, but that wasn't going to stop her. In fact, she was so determined that her father emphasized to people that his daughter had a notable characteristic, she always proved her doubters wrong. It was actually in 2001, the year before she graduated, that Lynch and her family met with an army recruiter to get the ball rolling. Turns out that she was a person of action, even at the age of 17. The family seemed okay with her joining the military, because it would ensure a scholarship for her future studies. Lynch's mother noted that the recruiter warned that the possibility of war can never be ruled out, but no one in the family seemed concerned because the thought of war was so far-fetched. So, it was all set, Lynch would recruit to the army after graduation. The future seemed bright, but the family would soon realize how wrong they were when something totally mind-boggling occurred soon after. Everything changed for Lynch on the fateful day of September 11, 2001. The world witnessed the worst terrorist attack committed on American soil. This made Lynch even more passionate about serving her country, and just two weeks following the attack, she made her way to basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Although America had just experienced its worst attack in history, Lynch still didn't think there was a possibility of a full-blown war. Well, at least not for her. The thought of combat didn't even cross her mind. But as these things go, she was in store for a rude awakening. Lynch successfully completed her basic training with flying colors, and was ready to move on to more advanced courses. The avid soldier was moving fast with her training that she went on to complete her advanced individual training for her military occupational specialty as a unit supply specialist at Fort Lee, Virginia. Lynch trained in Fort Lee, Virginia at the quartermaster corps, where she became a unit supply specialist. 9-Eleven had a devastating effect on America, and almost a year later things were heating up and fast. It was December 2002, and things for Lynch were going to change forever. Soon after Lynch signed a four-year extension in the army. The soldier was determined to contribute in any way she could to the US army, but her mind was still set on becoming a teacher in the near future. By the beginning of 2003, America wasn't willing to skirt around the issues with Iraq and the Middle East any longer. The possibility of war was becoming a reality, but neither side was prepared for the event that was about to unfold. Lynch was sent to Iraq in March 2003 as private first class to serve as a supply clerk with the 507th maintenance company from Fort Bliss, Texas. She wasn't sent to perform any combat duties, but rather duties that involved keeping the supplies and equipment in good condition, as well as distributed and documented as required by Army Protocol. During one of the missions, a convoy of the third combat support battalion elements and the 507th maintenance company was let out by a Humvee-driven by Lynch's good friend and fellow soldier, Lori Piestua. None of the soldiers had any clue that was about to get caught in the midst of something very sinister. The convoy made a wrong turn near the major crossing point over the Euphrates River because the navigational equipment worked on gridlock references instead of spoken and visual instructions. This meant that instead of deterring around the city of Nusrah, the convoy drove right into Iraqi, controlled land. None of the soldiers were prepared for combat and they weren't aware they had crossed enemy lines. By the time the captain got his bearings and decided to turn around, it was too late. The enemy had noticed. That was it. The convoy had taken more than one wrong turn and the enemy was tailing them fast. Suddenly, the enemy opened fire and the convoy Lynch was in was hit by a grenade launched from a rocket propellant, which caused the Humvee to collide with a truck. After everyone's doubts about the possibility of war, Lynch was caught in the heart of the Battle of Nazaria, one of the worst battles that shaped the US invasion of Iraq. The battle ensued for an hour and a half until the convoy split into three groups. The first and second managed to escape without much damage, but the third part of the convoy faced a different more unfortunate fate. However, the question was, which part was Lynch in and was she hurt? The ambush left 11 soldiers dead. While Lynch wasn't one of the dead, she was seriously injured when the grenade hit the convoy. She incurred a severe wound to the head and broke her back. Lynch was injured along with five other soldiers, one of which was her best friend Piestua, who received a severe head injury. When the ambush became public, the US army listed Lynch and the five other soldiers as missing in action, but the army wasn't prepared for what was to come. Soon after the battle subsided, the Iraqi Fidein forces captured the wounded soldiers and held them as prisoners of war. The Iraqi forces decided to use the capture to their advantage and released a video on Al-Jazeera to show the world the captured American soldiers. Lynch and Piestua were captured on the video, but Piestua never made it. She died on the way to the hospital from her head injury while Lynch was luckier, at least for the time being. After some time, the Iraqi forces decided to take Lynch and the other soldiers to the Saddam hospital that is used as their military operations base. Lynch woke up in the hospital, but to her surprise, she was treated by nurses and staff, including doctors Anmar Uday and Harith al-Husona. The twist in the tale began during Lynch's time at the Saddam hospital. An Iraqi lawyer by the name of Muhammad Uday al-Reheef spotted Lynch while at the hospital and was horrified at what he witnessed, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. Read on to find out how his account would later be disputed and become part and parcel of all the controversy. Al-Reheef took it upon himself to risk his life to save Lynch. He walked over six miles to the US Marine base to inform the soldiers about what he had witnessed. He told them his wife was a nurse at the hospital and while visiting her, he noticed that security was on alert. He claimed that he saw Lynch being held captive, and that witnessed her being slapped in the face by an Iraqi colonel. The Marine forces sent him back to the hospital to gather more information so that they could plan a rescue mission upon which the lawyer returned with five maps. The maps, along with Al-Reheef's account and those of other informants assisted the US forces to strategize a plan. Would it be successful? While the US Marines and Navy SEALs, under the command of the US Army, planned a diversionary attack, the Green Berets, PJs, Army Rangers, and Delta Force launched a nighttime rescue raid and escape mission for April 1, 2003, not so long after Lynch was taken in as a prisoner of war. The plan was for the Marines to drive away the Iraqi forces near the Saddam hospital so that the other forces, with the help of the Air Force, could launch a nighttime raid on the hospital. The forces were successful in penetrating the hospital barricades where they retrieved Lynch and the bodies of several dead soldiers. Lynch was placed on a flight and rushed to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany where she received immediate medical attention. The rescue was a success and she was on her way to recovery, but it was only the beginning of Lynch's troubles. The Pentagon released its first press briefing on the rescue on April 2, 2003, with a video lasing five minutes that tracked the rescue mission. However, the video was edited to emphasize certain parts of the operation. The video claimed that Lynch was discovered with bullet and stab wounds to her body and included the Al-Reheef's account of Lynch being slapped around by an Iraqi Fidein. There were even suggestions of sexual abuse. At that moment, everything seemed clear, Lynch was a brave hero saved by brave US forces. However, all the cracks began to appear soon after. After recovering from her wounds and undergoing several back operations in Germany with her family by her side, Lynch returned to America to undergo some more treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. She was sent flowers, cards and gifts until her release on August 27, 2003. When Lynch returned to West Virginia, she was greeted on the streets by thousands of residents, as well as her fiancé at the time, Army Sergeant Ruben Contreras, whom she would split up from soon after. She turned into a celebrated American hero, but the road to recovery had only just begun. She would need another 22 surgeries, but her medical trouble seemed mild compared to what she was about to face. Lynch's rescue became a monumental moment for America. The US forces had conducted its first successful rescue mission of a prisoner of war since the Vietnam War, and she was the first American female soldier to be rescued during a war. Lynch was portrayed as a true soldier of valor and was awarded for her bravery with the purple star, bronze star and prisoner of war medals. Everything was happening so quickly that she also signed a $1 million book deal, but this didn't come without its haters and critics, even a critic you'd least expect. Lynch became an iconic figure in America, representing the courageous soldier who risks his or her life during the Iraq War. She also graced the front cover of a biography, I Am a Soldier 2, the Jessica Lynch story, penned by Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg. The biography stated that several medical records proved that Lynch was sexually abused and raped within three hours upon her arrival at Saddam Hospital. The private first-class soldier was portrayed as a hero throughout the biography, but certain details didn't add up, and soon reader and critics would question the reliability of the account. In light of the biography and several precarious press releases, Lynch spoke out for the first time since her recovery. She disputed a lot of the information in the accounts, especially the fact that she was sexually abused or mistreated in the hospital. Lynch did not want to be associated with the media or the army that turned her story into what seemed like something of a sensationalized Hollywood plot. The video the Pentagon released angered her because many things didn't add up, and she felt that it was a propaganda stunt. Continue reading to see how the controversy unfolded and which information didn't add up to several witness accounts of the rescue mission. Several staff and doctors of the Saddam Hospital came forward and gave their accounts of what occurred during the US rescue mission. Dr. Harith Alhusona was shocked at some of the misinformation because she claimed that Lynch became a friend after she tended to Lynch's injuries. She insisted that the Iraqi officers and soldiers had left the hospital two days before the US forces arrived. She went on to insist that the night the Iraqi Fadein left, the doctors placed Lynch in an ambulance to deliver her to the Americans who were stationed about one kilometer away. She recalled how the Americans started shooting before they could even tell them to take Lynch. But that wasn't all. Hassem Hamoud, a waiter at the restaurant Nazaria's Aldiwan near the Saddam Hospital, recounted that the night of the US raid, the American soldiers approached him to ask if any troops were still at the hospital. Hamoud told them that there were none left several times, which meant the Americans knew there was no threat. Ann Marouday, the other doctor who tended to Lynch, remembers how the US forces blasted into the hospital like an action movie. Dr. Mudhafer Rask recalls seeing two cameramen and a photographer in army uniform capturing the moment while the doctors and nurses were lined up at gunpoint like criminals. Once the soldiers realized there was no threat at the hospital, they were led by the staff to the bodies of the missing soldiers. None of this was presented in the Pentagon film. Rask was very perturbed by how Lynch's time in the hospital was portrayed. The misinformation about the rescue didn't bother him as much as the fact that the Americans didn't show the public that Lynch was given a special bed in the hospital. Dr. Al Husona proclaimed, we all became friends with her, we liked her so much. They took care of her and assured her that she was out of danger. Although Lynch didn't remember much the ambush and her time in the hospital, she did confirm that the staff was good to her and that no one mistreated or abused her. This stood in direct contrast to Al Reheef's version of the story. After Al Reheef helped the US forces to rescue Lynch, he was awarded asylum in America and landed a $150 000 book deal. He claimed he witnessed all the abuse when he visited his wife, Eman, who was a nurse at the hospital. The doctors confirmed that the lawyer visited the hospital, but they claimed that his wife wasn't a nurse there and there was no nurse by the name of Eman there either. The doctors also insisted that Lynch was treated well and shielded from the Iraqi forces, contrary to Al Reheef's account. There was still more to be disputed, in fact, the key issue that lay at the heart of whether Lynch was a hero or not. After Lynch's return home, the Washington Post released an article detailing how Lynch fought back bravely after her convoy was ambushed by the Iraqi forces. This was supported by the Pentagon's account of finding Lynch covered in stab and bullet wounds. Months after Lynch recovered and could finally speak in public, she vehemently rejected this claim and felt very uncomfortable with being labeled a hero when she felt like she had only just survived. She contended that her weapon jammed right after the attack, so there was no way she could have fought back. The Iraqi doctors stated that the injuries were blunt and resembled that of a severe car accident, which Lynch's father confirmed when he said that none of her wounds were battle wounds. Lynch emphasized that other soldiers fought back and deserved the recognition, but they were being shunned for propaganda reasons. Who was she referring to? Lynch wasn't impressed with the supposedly false stance the media was offering for what she called a propaganda effort. During one congressional hearing, she lamented. I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and try to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that they were, in fact, legendary. Lynch mentioned the names of her fellow soldiers who she felt were the real heroes, such as Laurie Piestua, first Sergeant Doughty, Sergeant Donald Walters, and Patrick Miller. She was even more angered by the case of Piestua and Shoshana Johnson because she felt like Americans like to pick and choose their heroes based on certain criteria. In fact, this would haunt her for many years to come. Lynch wholeheartedly agreed with the critics who claimed that the media was biased to Lynch in the coverage of the war heroes of the Iraq War. She exclaimed that the public probably wouldn't be interested in Laurie Piestua, a single mother of Hopi descent, or Shoshana Johnson, a single black mother. Piestua was killed, but Lynch said that her blue eyes and blonde hair seemed to make her more of a canonical hero. This affected Lynch for years, on both a physical and mental level. The fact that Lynch spoke out about her heroic status didn't mean that she didn't receive hate mail and threats for trying to present herself as the star of the show. Lynch was celebrated and loved by many Americans, but she also began to receive lots of hate mail and threats because they believed she was fabricating her heroic acts. Lynch continually stated, That wasn't me, I'm not about to take credit for something I didn't do. I'm just a survivor, but that wasn't enough for the haters. Lynch was saddened by the fact that people couldn't emphasize with her being captured and the fact that she couldn't fight back. She was stuck in a rut, she needed to convince the admirers that she didn't do much, and she had to convince the haters that she wasn't trying to pretend that she was a hero.