[lanieer416]

www.dailymail.com

Jessica Lynch wows crowd at Gator Bowl parade

By JOHN RABY
Associated Press Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Former POW Jessica Lynch's appearance in the Gator Bowl parade on Wednesday surprised many in the crowd, including some West Virginia football fans who got their first personal glimpse of their home-state hero.

Lynch wore a blue and gold visor and a No. 3 jersey, similar to that worn by West Virginia running back Quincy Wilson, as she rode on the back of a yellow convertible along the 45-minute parade route. A sign on the car said, "Gator Bowl Special Guest Jessica Lynch.''

No. 20 West Virginia (8-4) takes on No. 23 Maryland in the Gator Bowl on Thursday.

Thousands of parade watchers cheered, clapped and whistled when they spotted Lynch, whose appearance was not widely publicized before the event. One woman walked up to the car and asked Lynch to sign a U.S. flag and she obliged.

Security people along the route saluted the 20-year-old native of Palestine, W.Va.

"Jessica Lynch! Hi! Happy New Year!'' shouted Yolanda Blakeney of Jacksonville, who came to the downtown with about a dozen family members to watch the parade.

"You go, girl!'' yelled Eric Fisher of Frederick, Md.

Lynch, a former Army supply clerk, suffered broken bones lacerations and spinal injuries when her 507th Maintenance Company was ambushed in Nasiriyah in Iraq on March 23. Her limbs and spine are now held together with screws and rods, and she still walks with the aid of crutches and undergoes physical therapy

Her rescue from a hospital on April 1 by special forces quickly made an American hero out of the petite blonde, who joined the Army to see the world, get an education and become a kindergarten teacher.

"I think it's wonderful that she came down to Jacksonville to support our parade and come out here for the new year,'' Blakeney said. "I'm glad to see her up and around.''

Fisher said he was "very, very surprised'' to see Lynch in the parade.

"I think it's a very emotional moment for everything she's been through,'' he said. "She came out to support her team.''

Rick Isaac of Bluefield, W.Va., took his 10-month-old-daughter Taylor, who was wearing a WVU cheerleaders' outfit, to get her picture taken with Lynch along the parade route.

"We support anybody that supports our country,'' Isaac said.

Roger Kerr of Rockport, W.Va., was both surprised and pleased by Lynch's appearance.

"I live just over the hill in Wood County, but it's the first time I've seen her live,'' Kerr said.

Another West Virginia native, former astronaut Jon McBride, served as the parade's grand marshal.

[lanieer416]

I'm definitely watching the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.

[lanieer416]

www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/010104/met_14435347.shtml
More great pictures of Jessica. One with the mascot.

Ex-POW Lynch a surprise for fans


Former soldier made famous by her capture, rescue in Iraq is a special guest of event.


By CYNTHIA L. GARZA
The Times-Union
Many parade-watchers were momentarily silenced and left pensive when a yellow sports car carrying former soldier Jessica Lynch -- dressed in a West Virginia University jersey and visor -- zipped by them during Wednesday's Winn-Dixie Hometown Gator Bowl Parade.

Paul Nocida and Dabney Phillips, both West Virginia University alumni, conferred after the car had already passed them.


"That's really weird," said a perplexed Nocida, who was not expecting to see Lynch. "I saw special guest [on the car] and then I saw who it was."

Then he said, "Whoa, that's so cool."

That's the way it was for most people who were not expecting to the 20-year-old soldier from Palestine, W. Va., made famous after she was rescued by U.S. forces on April 1 from an Iraqi hospital. Parade officials kept mum on whether or not Lynch would actually be in the parade until the last moment. Her publicist, Steve Goodwin, said only that Lynch was here to support the Gator Bowl.

Lynch was a discreet part of the 3 p.m. parade that looped around downtown Jacksonville in about an hour-and-a-half. The pomp was a prelude for the University of Maryland and West Virginia University football game. Those teams will face-off in the 59th annual Toyota Gator Bowl at 12:30 p.m. today in Alltel Stadium.

Football fans filled the Jacksonville Landing and downtown streets to watch the parade lined with everything from horse drawn carriages to fast cars and patriotic floats to six giant, helium-filled balloons.



When the car carrying Lynch passed by, Bryant thought for a second, pointed and leaned over immediately to her three grandchildren sitting by the curb to explain to them who it was that had just passed them by.

The boys didn't remember who she was, but her granddaughter did. She said she would have to pull out her Time magazine at home to show them the story of Lynch.

[mainzman]

GO West Viginia!!!! Kick Maryland's ass !!!

The Mountaineers need to teach those City boys from Baltimore a lesson in playing the game of Football!

[Dilligafst]

Though I did not see the parade, I bet it was heartening. It's also good, I think, that Jessica is not simply vanishing from sight since the November barrage. She is still out in the public eye, something that will inspire and help the foundation.

[lanieer416]

After watching the first half I think they need to put Jessica in at wide receiver.

[mstrunn55]

Yeah, WV needed Jessi in there for sure, she did toss the coin before the game, was great to see her smiling and waving to the crowd, perhpas the Mountaineers were so stunned by her pep talk they forgot how to play?

[GoBlue_ChrisPerry23]

The bad thing is is that the Mountanieers Lost BIG I MEAN BIG

Sam Watson 14