[Penny/Don]

Corresponds to what I was told by a member of her family. Much of what happened, she can't remember (we must also remember Jessica suffered a serious head wound).

Just another excellent why folks should chill (stop clamoring for pictures and interviews) and allow Jessica all the time she needs to recover....it may be a very long time before she's ready for a press conference or crowds of well wishers along a parade route. She was injured severely....and is very fortunate to be alive. It is a miracle....and I praise the Lord for it.

[david_2000_13206]

A quote from the article:

"Psychiatrists and members of her military unit who survived the ambush in which she was captured have been brought in in an effort to help her recover her memory"

I wonder if this is the best idea? While it is important in terms of prosecuting war criminals, maybe Jessica would be better off not remembering things her own mind has spared her from. Anyone with a psychology background to share some knowledge about this?

Thanks.

[juergen]

THe thing you have to think about is, what happens the day something triggers those memories. That wont be good.

[Patricia]

That's the problem. "Triggers". Happens to all of usin a sense. Most are happy.(The smell of passing by honeysuckles brings back a memory of youth, or better days for some. NOT remembering is not a good thing. It will come back in time. Even if in little snips.As with any problem,..first you have to remember and admit it.DO NOT just blow it off. The mind is an amazing "MACHINE".I've done it. Tried to just blow thing off. Joke about it. But deep inside,...the mind knows all. In time, it may find it's own way to deal with it.(Trauma) For me, it was through severe panic attacts. To the point I thought I was really gonna die. And it's not cool going through that on a daily basis.
It has to be dealt with,first and foremost. Sadly, you have to go through a lot of pain first, in order to get better.
For those of you that may be "questioning" my knowledge" of this.
I was abused(physically) as a child. Spent some time in foster homes. And for the most part, I'm a clown. I joke about anything and everything. It was my defense. How to avoid it.
One day in 1995 I was laying on the floor, wating a Giant game, And it JUST HIT. Out of no where. It was like going from stone-cold sober, to being WHACKED in a heartbeat.I thought I was gonna die.Like I said,it will find it's own form of getting out. But it can take many forms.That's just one.
I'm sure she has the very best of help. These people are not stupid. They will actually make her remember.IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH IT.
But I also know that she will be fine. I just know it.Yes, she may have a long and winding road ahead.She has the very best of everything at her disposal. And she has her parents.And her upbringing.For some reason, people from the south, have a very REAL way of looking at things.I know this sounds,....well,...not right. But that's what I have found.And I have al the faith in the world that this kid will get through this.She is YOUNG, She has SPUNK,and she is BRIGHT. She will make sure she is fine.NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
As Kicks said, it's closure.And there is only one way to get there.

[david_2000_13206]

Military investigators must already have a good deal of information. They have recovered all of the POWs and the bodies of all of the MIAs. They should be able to draw some conclusions from the bodies of those killed, especially whether the injuries that caused their deaths are consistent with being killed in combat or executed after capture. They should also be able to figure something out from Jessica Lynch's injuries. The type of broken bones from a truck rolling over are surely different than those from being beaten and tortured. So private Lynch's memory may be important mostly to identify war criminals, as they probably have a pretty good idea if ther were war crimes or not. So, is this that important to pursue? It was Fedayeen who ambushed the 507th. Are there many of them left alive? If so, they probably will not stay that way for long. The Fedayeen are well known in Iraq, since they were the tormentors of the Iraqi people. I think leaving them to the justice they will get at the hands of those they tortured and killed for years will be a fitting end for what is left of them.

[cody evans]

Part of the Fedayeen uniform consisted of a mask, , so it is unlikely that Iraqi's themselves will be able to identify them. They'll be hiding in the woodwork for a long time to come.

[moonlight0201]

It is better for her that way because if she remembered it she would remember watching her friends die before her eyes. If she did not remember anything right now of it -- it would help for her recovery, but that is the hardest thing to remember when she does remember everything that happened. Then that is when the real horror kicks in of what happened, the nightmares might end up coming before she even realizes that they are coming. But for a good birthday present for her was giving Mohammed a job in D.C.
I'd love to see him get his citizen papers to be a permenant resident of the states because as far as I am concerned he is American for what bravery he gave in saving her. I hope she would remain in touch with him and his family for that.

[moonlight0201]

QUOTE (milemark @ May 4 2003, 12:26 PM)

Military investigators must already have a good deal of information. They have recovered all of the POWs and the bodies of all of the MIAs. They should be able to draw some conclusions from the bodies of those killed, especially whether the injuries that caused their deaths are consistent with being killed in combat or executed after capture. They should also be able to figure something out from Jessica Lynch's injuries. The type of broken bones from a truck rolling over are surely different than those from being beaten and tortured. So private Lynch's memory may be important mostly to identify war criminals, as they probably have a pretty good idea if ther were war crimes or not. So, is this that important to pursue? It was Fedayeen who ambushed the 507th. Are there many of them left alive? If so, they probably will not stay that way for long. The Fedayeen are well known in Iraq, since they were the tormentors of the Iraqi people. I think leaving them to the justice they will get at the hands of those they tortured and killed for years will be a fitting end for what is left of them.

sort of like as poetic justice like how Italian dictactor saw his end -- the Italian people were going after both him and his girlfriend in the last days of WWII. I see them as their end like what they did to Musolini. For now, it might be a good thing that she does not have memory of everything of how it happened -- it would help for her recovery for the most part, once the physical wounds heal they could work on the psychological.

[iron-bound]

This is not a good thing. But as her brother said a few days after her rescue, it was to be expected.

Sooner or later, these memories will be awakened, they will hit Jessica like a ton of bricks, and it will be the most difficult time of her life.

Even so, they need to be brought to the surface. Not only to help Jessica cope emotionally with her ordeal, but also to give justice to the 9 that didn't survive. Maybe the Iraqis responsible for Jessica's mistreatment are already dead, but the government still needs to know what happened.

It appears that Jessica is still in poor shape physically, emotionally, and mentally, but she's alive, and we can all thank God for that.

[moine]

The loss of memory can be the mind's way of blocking out overwhelming stress caused by trauma.

It's how children and adults deal with the urgent need to survive abuse or events like serious accidents. But the mind doesn't really forget unless there was physical damage to the brain as well.

As Kicks pointed out, the sense of closure alone is a great healing of the soul. Zacci1's story is a prime example of what can happen with supressed memories as well if left untreated.

I have friends who don't remember their childhoods. I mean large blocks of times in terms of years. That happened because of abuse by the adults of the family and is a classic problem for most abuse victims. Even adults suffer this problem - I'm just barely remembering some parts of my marriage now seven years after the separation and divorce, and I wish I had dealt with them sooner.

It may take Lynch years to remember anything if at all. But the sooner she gets the professional help, the better equipped she'll be to get the closure she needs.