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Senator Byrd

Leadership.      Character.      Commitment.

April 02, 2003

"A Miraculous Rescue"

Today, a community in West Virginia is celebrating amazing news.  For many days, the people of the small town of Palestine in Wirt County, West Virginia, have been gripped with concern for Private First Class Jessica Lynch.  She is part of the Army's 507^th Maintenance Company convoy that was ambushed near the southern Iraqi town of Nasiriyah on March 23.  Since that day, no word had been heard from Private First Class Lynch.  The Army did not know where she was.  The Defense Department did not know.  Her family could only be told that she was missing.

For each painstaking hour, over each nerve-racking day, the family and friends of Jessica Lynch awaited word.  They held onto each other; they held onto hope; they held onto faith.

Then last night, the telephone rang.  Good news.  Amazing news.  A miracle had happened.  Private First Class Jessica Lynch had been found in a hospital in Iraq.  She was rescued in a daring effort by the Army Rangers and Navy SEALS.  Today, she is safe once again.

Her state of West Virginia is relieved.  Her community is thankful.  Her family is overjoyed.

I spoke with Jessica Lynch's father last evening and shared with him our thoughts and good wishes.

The news of Jessica's rescue spread through the county and throughout the state like wildfire.  Wirt County has fewer than 6,000 residents, and it appeared as if every one of those people were out honking horns and hugging neighbors last night.  Jessica Lynch's parents and siblings were not alone.  Jessica has become a part of everyone's family.

As a nation, while we celebrate this rescue, we remain steadfast in our concern for the other members of the Armed Services who are listed as missing or captured.  We look forward to one day celebrating their safe rescue and return.

We also pray for those families whose loved ones will not be coming home.  Hundreds of people gathered yesterday for the funeral service of West Hamlin, West Virginia, native Therrel Shane Childers, a U.S. Marine who became the first American combat casualty in the war in Iraq.  A chaplain at the service yesterday noted that First Lieutenant Childers "emanated a courageous sense about him, that nothing scared him." 

We must continue to wrap our arms around the hundreds of thousands families of those men and women engaged in military action.  Each day, each hour, they struggle with worry and concern.  They do not struggle alone.  To those families, know that the nation is with you at each step and at every turn.

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