Sorry that you feel that way Blockdog, it really wasn't my intention to offend you. I apologize if my apparent misinterpretation of your comments  seemed like an attack on your character.  You've been very helpful to me in the past and I haven't forgotten that. 

..and what should she turn down this money ? I must have missed something....

...I believe that Jessica and that other fellow and many others in this incident ( especially the dead )deserve hero status...

That being said, the only reason I came to the conclusion that I did was mostly from your statement (which I highlighted originally) that "especially the dead" deserve hero status. Granted you did indicate that you felt that others involved were worthy too, but what did  you mean if not how I interpreted the part about "especially the dead" ? That one threw me I guess.

Again, I'm certainly not trying to draw conclusions about your character at all, but your statement did seem to imply essentially what the article I linked to was saying. Being that many people feel that those soldiers victimized or killed in Iraq are more deserving of hero status than those who weren't.  I've lately had the sense that a lot of people DO feel this way, as I keep seeing all these incindiary comments and articles (both here and elsewhere) regarding Bush's apparent lack of respect for the returning casualties, which is genuine character assasination on the part of the left IMO. Nobody can possibly know how the man really feels in that regard.

re: Pvt Lynch:  I am also still curious though why you (or anyone else) feels Pvt. Lynch should be entitled to special treatment.  Isn't anyone who volunteered for such work as much of a hero as she is for performing their assigned duties? Because in the end, that's all she really did, it just so happens that the press took a false story and ran with it in her case.