I'm not sure about the word "hero" for Jessica Lynch. I mean sure, she went through shit and she deserves recognition for that, but she doesn't come across as a hero so much as someone who was pushed around by fate. She had the misfortune to be born into a situation where joining the military was the best available career option. She had the further misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and get captured. She had the good fortune to be a tiny little blond girl, which might have saved her life. (Despite the fact that this is disgusting stereotyping, I think being a tiny little blond girl might have made her look to the Iraqis more like a kid who just stumbled into a bad situation, and less like The Enemy. I doubt GI Joe would have gotten such good care). She didn't really do anything that makes her any more of a hero than anyone else who has been a POW, she just happened to be the most photogenic of the lot. (Some may say the most tragic, but I reserve that adjective for the guy who may never get to see his unborn child).

Even if she isn't a hero, she still deserves something. I think being able to live her life how she wants to and have opportunities so she can support herself without having to cash in on her 15 minutes of fame like some pathetic reality show contestant or former child actor would be appropriate. But the opportunities available to Ms. Lynch must also be available to her fellow former POWs and vets. If, for example, Jessica Lynch gets a full university scholarship because she's Jessica Lynch and no one else who had been through the same hell gets a full scholarship, that would be little better than her having to support herself with talk show appearances and Playboy pictorials.