Average American
At first, she felt hesitant to speak on her time in Iraq. Despite this hesitation, she wore a foot brace to her classes in college. She just hoped to blend in and prove to people she was ordinary. Jessica remarked, “I want people to remember me as being a soldier who went over there and did my job. Nothing special. I’m just a country girl at heart.”
Average American
Words Hurt
Much of her pain came from the spread of lies and not simply her own PTSD or physical recovery. Words from the media and public really affected her as she said, “That’s been one of my biggest struggles is handling the whole criticism that has come with the backlash of the stories that were created — these fabricated stories. I want to make sure that the people that deserve the credit get the credit, not me who was knocked unconscious and didn’t get to fire off a shot.”
Words Hurt
