PFC Lynch rescued by SOF

[hood]

Fox has a video of PFC Lynch being loaded onto a blackhawk after the rescue last night. According to the briefing, it consisted of Rangers, SEALs, Combat Controllers, and a perimeter guard of Marines.

http://66.230.216.3/040203/foxfan_rescue_040203_300.wmv

[USAF G]

HooooooYaaa! Way to go boys! When was the last time our troops managed to rescue any POWs during a conflict?

[Smoothie104]

I heard there was film of the whole mission, but only the footage of the Soldier on the stretcher was made public.

[SHOOTERB]

I think the last time US forces rescued an AMCIT was Just Cause. Kurt Muse wasnt a P.O.W but he was being jailed by the PDF.

[warchild1/27scout]

wonder if they done the same thing as bhd.the rangers come in and set a defensive perimeter and then the shooters(probably devgru)do thier business,and then they take off.i wonder if all of delta were busy.hhmmm.maybe baghdad?

[JiJoMacLE45]

I believe this was the first successful POW rescue by US forces in modern times. I'm unsure of whether any US POWs were rescued in WWII or Korea, but I know none were freed from captivity during Vietnam(although a few did escape and make it back to friendly forces). Muse was a civilian held in Panama so he was technically not a POW. We've recovered POWs from other nations, namely South Vietnamese, but this is quite possibly the first time US forces freed a US military POW during war time.

SEAL platoons have been doing reconnaissance in advance of the Marines so chances are this was just a blue water SEAL platoon that happened to be in the right place at the right time and got the call to go in and bring our people out.

A just deserved well done goes out to those warriors who were able to bring out those American service men and women, dead or alive from the hospital, everyone goes home.

[...]

During WW2 we rescued POWs in the Phillipines and also when Patton ordered a mission to free his son-in-law. Which was a disaster but I belive still freed POWs.

[96B]

As a matter of fact according to a few news sources the Marines are responsible for the intel on the POW. As everybody should know they were hunting some high profile targets and tracked one back to the hospital where the Army Pfc was being held at. Once word was recieved it was planned that a joint Ranger/SEAL rescue mission would be sent in to rescue her. All the while the Marines faked an assault on the town to distract Iraqi forces while SF did their thing.

Nobody really knows for sure unless you are actually over there but Im sure the SEALs have done plenty of recon over there but as far as them going out ahead of the Marines to do recon I dont see why they would be doing it instead of Force Reconnaissance, since they are specifically for scouting ahead of the main fighting force although I can only speculate...

[Ratamacue]

"Because Force Recon is just a bunch of wannabe SEALs!"

[96B]

What ignoramus might you be quoting?

[JohnJohn]

all I've heard is that the CIA is the one to thank for the intel. The Marines secured and guarded the parimeter, and spec ops cleared it out, there were firefights on the way into the hospital and on the way out.

Doesn't matter who did what or how it went down, the facts are there, complete and total success, and now we have one of our own back with us. I am proud of my armed services, I am very greatful for their work and sacrifice. Keep up the great work guys ;)

[96B]

"Planning for the rescue started when a Nasiriyah resident passed Marines a note that said she was being held at a hospital being used as a headquarters by Iraqi forces, Sanders reported. The note even mentioned what room she was in."

That is from an MSNBC report about the whole thing, although you are right it doesnt matter who did what as long as our boys (and gals) are safe and are not being left behind but I was just supporting my post.

[Jacko]

If anyone is interested in other POW rescue missions, the book Ghost Soldiers (I forget the author, it's fairly recent) is a good read. It focuses on how an Army Ranger unit traveled something like 40 miles through enemy territory to rescue the survivors of the Bataan Death March and evac them on (Drum roll)... Ox-drawn carts. Now that takes guts. ;)

[JohnJohn]

I remember that one, very risky rescue mission, very brave and courageous men ;)

[JiJoMacLE45]

I just read the SEAL/Ranger/STS rescue team was a prepositioned QRT on 24hr alert waiting for the word to come in to pull off a job like this. So this might possibly be DevGru who pulled her out.

[Trigger]

Can you imagine how it must have felt. To go from POW/torture test subject into the arms of the rescuers must have been incredible. THIS IS SIMPLY AWESOME!! Lets hope they get everyone back, sooner rather than later. woot

[96B]

Can you imagine what other Iraqis that are holding other POWs are thinking?

[Royal]

Good job, well done.

Classic example of HumInt being acted on soon enough to make a difference - something that doesn't happen often enough, usualy 'cos the head shed's too bloody slow, or too busy covering their arses. :lol:

[robwarrior]

Yes Pows were rescued in the Philippines during WW2 in Cabanatuan city there was a book written about it i forgot the title though. It was the Rangers that stormed a POW camp and rescued Filipino and American POWs. and those POWs were the survivors of the Bataan Death March. my grandfather was a POW in the Death march...

[Smoothie104]

Read this morning that she supposedly killed a bunch of Iraqis, fired till she ran out of ammo, and got stabbed while trying to fight to the death. Is this true? or Media spin to make us all feel good.

Reasons Im asking. The other members in her unit that werent killed/executed seemed to be relatively uninjured, she was not killed/executed after putting up such a fight and killing so many of the Iraqis, and the enemy doesnt stand around and make it easy for you to kill several of them anyway

Your thoughts..............

[USAF G]

Well, they did shoot her, stab her, and break most of her limbs. I'm sure that they didn't mean anything by it though. I'm not going to jump to any conclusions about what happened till they release more of the details. It's interesting that you might find it hard to believe that a "girl" could put up a fight. Is it possible that the other POWs weren't hurt because they didn't resist? Just a thought. G

[hood]

Well, another possibility could be that the others went to surrender, and they were executed at close range. Seeing this, she decided to fight it out since there was nothing to lose.

[Smoothie104]

It's interesting that you might find it hard to believe that a "girl" could put up a fight.


I never said that, nor meant to imply that. I sincerely hope She did. Knowing what those guys do to POW's I would have made a stand too.

I have read that the rumors of her heroics have come from intercepted iraqi radio chatter and that Pvt. Lynch has yet to be debriefed.

Its interesting that you might find it hard to believe that the media likes to embelish, jump to conclusions, twist the facts, and fill our heads with propoganda.

[hood]

I'm sure someone will make a movie and settle once and for all what really happened. rofl

[Trigger]

Yeah, where's adam...? p-)

[Smoothie104]

HAHAHAHAHA!

[USAF G]

Fair enough. I do beleive that the media will happily embelish the truth, which is why I said that I would reserve any judgement on her actions till after more info is released. Since movies always get all of the facts straight, I'm sure a Jerry Bruckheimer Michael Bey collaboration will square us away as to the truth. ;)

[...]

Damn, didn't you see where this woman(girl) grew up? Look at the pictures in the paper. There is no doubt in my mind this girl put up one hell of a fight. You sometimes don't really think of how bad some people still have it in this country untill you see some pictures of West Virginia. This has got to be the best story to come out of the Gulf yet.

[Smoothie104]

Latest reports.

Lynchs Father said she was neither stabbed, nor shot during her ordeal.

[Vance]

I wonder how she got her broken bones?

[The Patriot]

i just heard on the radio that she wasnt stabbed or wounded....but thats just what i had heard on an am station

[stuka]

Yes Pows were rescued in the Philippines during WW2 in Cabanatuan city there was a book written about it i forgot the title though. It was the Rangers that stormed a POW camp and rescued Filipino and American POWs. and those POWs were the survivors of the Bataan Death March. my grandfather was a POW in the Death march...

The book titled "Ghost Soldier". The same book Jacko mentioned earlier in this thread.