Jessica Lynch and Family of Pat Tillman Blast the Pentagon Over Lies

It was March 23, 2003, when US Army private, Jessica Lynch was severely injured and captured after her convoy was ambushed in Iraq. Yet, on Tuesday, Lynch spoke strongly to the Pentagon, saying they lied about the incident.

Lynch testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, saying they were deceitful in the ways they took the horrendous experience and created false stories of heroism.

Referring to the circulating story in 2003, of the "little girl Rambo from the hills of West Virginia who went down fighting," Lynch said, "It was not true. I'm still confused as to why they choose to lie and try to make me a legend."

In reality, Lynch was simply riding in a truck when she became injured and captured. She was not fighting. Dr. Gene Bolles, the doctor that treated her at a Germany hospital, stated that her injuries were extensive, but not the result of bullet wounds, as the Pentagon had first told America.

It was not until much later that the truth continued to emerge. She only made her way to the Iraqi hospital through the efforts of Iraqi soldiers. Iraqi doctors even attempted to return her to American troops.

Lynch testified about the factual heroism she witnessed in the other members of her unit, saying they deserved the platitudes that were placed upon her. "The bottom line is the American people are capable of determining their own ideas of heroes, and they don't need to be told elaborate tales," she said.

The hearing itself was called by the now Democratically-controlled Congress, in order to examine why "inaccurate accounts of these two incidents" were spread by the current administration.

Also testifying was Kevin Tillman, brother of Pat Tillman. Pat Tillman was the US Army Ranger who left his status as a football star to join the military, only to be killed by his own platoon in Afghanistan.

Kevin Tillman's testimony was full of emotion and anger as he accused the army of destroying his brother's uniform and other personal items, falsifying witness statements and reworking the official field hospital report so that it would appear to be an "inspirational" story.