 Wirt County native, nineteen-year-old Jessica Lynch was a member of the Army's 507th
Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss, Texas. She is reportedly one of eight soldiers in her unit listed as missing in action.
Two others died during an engagement with Iraqi troops. Five others are prisoners of war, having been paraded before Iraqi
television.
Private First Class Jessica Lynch is a supply clerk trained to drive a water tanker for the Maintenance Company. She hasn't
been seen since the attack last Sunday.
Iraqi television video showed four uniformed bodies, though footage shown by U.S. stations did not show identifying
features. There are indications the bodies were from the 507th.
The 507th support unit of mechanics did not expect to see combat, and journalists said they were not equipped to defend
themselves. Support would have been provided by a different unit.
U.S. officials say a convoy of vehicles from the 507th took a wrong turn Sunday and Iraqi soldiers attacked it near the town
of An Nasiriyah, 230 miles outside Baghdad.
The 507th deployed last month from Fort Bliss. The unit of 100 to 150 soldiers keeps trucks rolling, fixes generators and
maintains other equipment. About 4,500 soldiers from Fort Bliss have been sent to the Middle East.
The Defense Department said Spc. Jamaal R. Addison, 22, of Roswell, Georgia and Pfc. Howard Johnson II, 21, of
Mobile, Alabama were killed.
Listed as missing from the 507th are Pfc. Jessica Lynch, 19, Palestine, W.Va.; Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, of El Paso;
Spc. James Kiehl, 22, Comfort, Texas; Pvt. Brandon Sloan, 19, Bedford Heights, Ohio; Pfc. Lori Piestewa, 22, Tuba City,
Ariz.; Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38, Cleveland; and Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, El Paso.
Relatives have said the 507th soldiers shown on television in Iraqi custody were Spc. Edgar Hernandez, 21, of Mission,
Texas; Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, of Alamogordo, N.M.; Pfc. Patrick Miller, 23, of Park City, Kan.; Spc. Shoshana
Johnson, 30, of Fort Bliss, Texas; and Sgt. James Riley, 31, of Pennsauken, N.J.
Jessica's family believes she will return home to become a teacher like she planned.
Letters and cards may be mailed to the Lynch family, Palestine Post Office, Palestine, WV 26160. E-mail messages may be
sent to lynchfive@juno.com
See earlier Hur Herald stories
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