SakshiFight The Power
Jessica herself was surprised at the behavior of the media. She criticised the American media and said: “I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and tried to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were, in fact, legendary.” She even took the names of few soldiers who she considered the real heroes. She recalled “people like Patrick Miller and Sergeant Donald Walters who actually fought until the very end. The bottom line is the American people are capable of determining their own ideals of heroes and they don’t need to be told elaborate tales.”
Fighting
According to Jessica, it was time for her to address all the lie spread about her. She was infuriated by the fact that Pentagon was trying to present her as a war hero. She struck down all the lies and said “It does [bother me] that they used me as a way to symbolize all this stuff,” she added, “It’s wrong.” One thing more that remained beyond Jessica was the question that why the military videotaped the rescue mission if they were about to lie.
American Woman
The hero of America was feeling guilty for taking away all the glory from the people who deserved it the most. Many of her friends had to give up their lives while struggling in the battle but unfortunately, their efforts and valor remained ignored and unknown. It is mentionable that Jessica was rescued with another soldier named Shoshana Johnson a black woman. But the media did not say a single thing about her and Lori belonged to a Hopi descent. So all in all the main reason behind portraying Jessica as a war hero was her blue eye and blond hair.
More Lies
The book made many heartbreaking revelations. Journalist Rick Bragg who has also been awarded Pulitzer Prize disclosed that she was abused during the time Jessica stayed unconscious in Iraq. And it was not a hollow claim, the medical reports stating the condition of injuries suffered by Jessica substantiated each and every word of the writer. Though Jessica was initially hesitant about inculcating these facts in her book. She was “adamantly opposed to including the…claim in the book.” Bragg insisted on it and told her that “people need to know that this is what can happen to women soldiers.”
Answering The Critics
It was not easy for Jessica! In her book, she axed all the lies spread by media. However, her decision to reveal the truth did not go well with her as the public who had previously considered her a hero was now criticised her severely and some even accused her of cooking up those parts of the story herself. She got her mailbox flooded with hate mails. Jessica defended her stance “I was captured, but then I was OK and I didn’t go down fighting. OK, so what?” She continued “It was really hard to convince people that I didn’t have to do any of that. That I was injured, that I still needed comfort.”
A Lost Friend
The Nasiriyah war had changed her life completely. She lost many dear friends and one of them was her best friend, Lori Piestewa. For Jessica, losing her was the biggest loss of the war. Jessica admits “I still don’t cope well, to this day, with losing Lori,” Jessica added “Why did they kill her and not me? Why am I here, and not her? The therapist is helping me, telling me to focus on the…memories.”