Jessica Lynch

Jessica Lynch was born on April 26, 1983, in Palestine, West Virginia. She joined the United States Army in 2001 with the goal of funding her college education to become a kindergarten teacher. She entered basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and completed Advanced Individual Training as a unit supply specialist (MOS 92Y) in the Quartermaster Corps at Fort Lee, Virginia.

In March 2003, during the invasion of Iraq, Private First Class Lynch, part of the 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss, Texas, was involved in an ambush near Nasiriya when her convoy took a wrong turn. Her vehicle crashed during the ambush, resulting in multiple serious injuries including broken bones. She was subsequently captured by Iraqi forces. On April 1, 2003, she was rescued by U.S. Special Forces from an Iraqi hospital. Her rescue garnered significant media attention.

After her medical honorable discharge in August 2003, Lynch pursued her education, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education K-6 from West Virginia University at Parkersburg in December 2011. She has since worked as a substitute teacher and as the women veterans program director in West Virginia. Lynch also became a motivational speaker, sharing her experiences and emphasizing the importance of resilience. She has also made several acting appearances, beginning in 2014 with the film ‘Virtuous’.