jimpeel
Member
Stealth
If you get the addy my check will be in the mail.
If you get the addy my check will be in the mail.
ZAHN: After the media coverage, TV movie and her new book, millions know the story of Private First-Class Jessica Lynch, but even with her capture and time as a prisoner, and rescue she says she's no hero. She gives that credit to a 23-year-old army mechanic. Army Private First Class Patrick Miller was in Lynch's convoy, took fire, was taken prisoner.
To tell his story, he is here now for his first live national interview. What an honor to meet you. Welcome, private.
PFC. PATRICK MILLER, U.S. ARMY: Thank you.
ZAHN: I wanted to start off by talking about what Jessica Lynch has to say about you. She said, "Patrick is a brave soldier, risking his life as he did to save others. I am proud of his courage." You came tonight with a silver star that you were awarded for your heroism.
MILLER: Yes, ma'am.
ZAHN: How do you view yourself? And actually I would love for you to open it and share it with your audience tonight. That's got to mean an awful lot to you. Hold it up to the camera so we can see.
When you got that, what did it mean to you?
MILLER: I really -- it's nice to be awarded medals and stuff, but for me, I am not -- I didn't join the military to win medals and that kind of stuff. I joined to -- because that's what I wanted to do at the time.
ZAHN: And you certainly did your job that night. It is true that during this whole encounter, eight Iraqis were shot. You admit you weren't much of a marksman, in fact, you had a jammed weapon that night.
MILLER: Yes.
ZAHN: How did you survive?
MILLER: There's a forward assist that pushes the bolt forward. My round, it would fire, but -- and it would eject the casing, but it wouldn't push the next round all the way into the chamber, so I had to push on the forward-assist to get the bolt to push the round all the way into the chamber.
ZAHN: And once you survived that, of course you were captured, taken prisoner, and I understand you did just about anything you could do to drive your captors nuts.
What did you do?
MILLER: A little bit of everything. When they first captured me, they found my can of chew and tobacco, and asked me what it was, and I guess they don't have chewing tobacco over there, so I told them it was candy.
ZAHN: Did any of them try it?
MILLER: Yes, a couple tried it.
ZAHN: Did they get sick.
MILLER: Ended up throwing up, seeing their breakfast again.
ZAHN: That must have delighted you.
MILLER: I was trying not to laugh too much, because it was just -- I didn't know what would happen if I started laughing at them for throwing up.
ZAHN: Don't you feel you are lucky to be alive and the fact that you could at a point where your life was at risk, and you could have died at any moment that you could laugh at a little trick you pulled.
MILLER: You -- it was one of them deals you had to laugh inside. You couldn't really laugh like at them, because you didn't know what they would do and that kind of stuff. And it was that then the radio frequencies that were in my Kevlar, I told them they were prices for power steering pumps.
ZAHN: And they believed it?
MILLER: They believed it and threw them in the fire, the little fire they had going.
ZAHN: They were pretty stupid, weren't they?
MILLER: Apparently.
ZAHN: Well, you were lucky that they weren't swifter than that. Private Miller, we really salute your bravery and we're delighted to honor your heroism this evening. Good luck to you.
MILLER: Thank you.
ZAHN: Thanks for sharing your story.
Is this guy cool under fire or what!!!???? This guy is great!!MILLER: A little bit of everything. When they first captured me, they found my can of chew and tobacco, and asked me what it was, and I guess they don't have chewing tobacco over there, so I told them it was candy.
How many times have we heard that the forward assist was useless and would only worsen a problem?MILLER: There's a forward assist that pushes the bolt forward. My round, it would fire, but -- and it would eject the casing, but it wouldn't push the next round all the way into the chamber, so I had to push on the forward-assist to get the bolt to push the round all the way into the chamber.
LMAO What a cool kid!Ended up throwing up, seeing their breakfast again.
I'm not going to hold Jessica Lynch responsible for the media hysteria that was promoted around her.