9781422277140

Wirt High School in Elizabeth, West Virgnia, became a focus of attention during Private Lynch’s ordeal.

But Wirt County is hardscrabble country, where crops are plentiful but jobs are few. Such sourness didn’t stop Jessica from figuring a way out, however. In 2001, she, along with her brother, joined the US Army. It was a golden op- portunity to get a free education and a chance to see far-off lands. Jessica was by no means the only Wirt County local to serve—the county had a long history of military recruitment. Flag-covered graveyards, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War halls were testaments to the region’s patriotism. Yet, Jessica didn’t join to get out of Palestine. “She did it for the ad- venture,” her recruiter told journalist Rick Bragg. “She did it to see the world.”

7 7