Jessica Lynch grew up in rural West Virginia, dreaming of one day becoming a kindergarten teacher. However, after an Army recruiter informed her and her brother that the Army would provide them with health care, educational benefits, and travel, both Lynch and her brother were sent to basic training. Over a year later and Lynch was in El Paso at Fort Bliss, where she met her friend and “Battle Buddy” Lori Piestewa.

Lynch and Piestewa were deployed to Kuwait in March of 2003 after George Bush formally declared war on Iraq. After a bomb struck their vehicle, both women were captured as prisoners of war. Piestewa later died from her injuries to the head and Lynch was held for over nine days before being found by American forces.

Piestewa was born and raised in Tuba City on the Navajo reserv

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