Like Jessica Lynch? Not that she did anything wrong, she just was knocked the *expletive deleted* out from the get go in a fight that actually included honest real bravery. And wasn't the only POW. But she's a cute girl from a small town and all that, right?
Pentagon pulled that stunt for the PR. Also, Lynch's brother was serving at the time. Nothing was explicitly stated or threatened, but a family member is useful leverage. Especially when the Army can assign the guy to any task or make his life a literal hell for the remainder of his term.
She was disabled and injured, then used for propaganda purposes without her involvement. IMHO, she performed her duties with honor, and got screwed over by the brass, same as plenty of other soldiers. Personally, I'm not sure which would be worse. Being screwed over in a negative manner (left for dead, insufficient support, bad intel, etc) or being given high visibility preferential treatment that wasn't warranted.
When Israel attacked the USS Liberty, Commander William L. McGonagle resisted with astonishing flexibility and professionalism. A read of his actions during the incident should be mandatory for naval officers. Afterwards, he was given the Medal of Honor. Dude deserved it twelve ways to Sunday. He never accepted that, and thought it was or could be a bribe.
That's a special kind of hell for any honorable service member.
