Gary Winkler Named Biographer for Lynndie England
As her legal representative, I Roy T. Hardy, am happy to announce that Lynndie England, the young Army Reservist from West Virginia who became embroiled in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in 2004, will be released from parole and dishonorably discharged from the military by the end of September (2008).
When the infamous Abu Ghraib photos aired on CBS’s 60 Minutes II in April of 2004, 21-year-old England was immediately catapulted into the halls of notoriety as something of Pop Culture icon, albeit an evil one. From a Rolling Stones song (Dangerous Beauty) to episodes of the Simpsons, Lynndie England was and still is vilified as the ugly face of the scandal. For her role, 21-year-old Pfc. Lynndie England was sentenced to 36-months in the Naval Brig at San Diego. Six other reservists connected with the 372nd Military Police Company based in Cumberland, Maryland were also tried and convicted in a military court on charges ranging from abuse to conspiracy.
Having served her time, Lynndie is now looking forward to getting on with her life. But will she succeed in putting the stigma of the Abu Ghraib scandal behind her? To this end, I take this opportunity to announce that we have chosen a writer who will work with Lynndie England on her biography. Author Gary Winkler is no stranger to readers of Appalachian literature. His books, magazine articles and lectures on the subject reveal a breadth and depth of knowledge that no casual acquaintance with the genre can compete with. Indeed, Winkler, who grew up just a few miles from the England home in Fort Ashby, West Virginia, has deep roots in this subject area.
The Lynndie England biography will explore this young woman’s rural upbringing and the reasons why she chose join the military. At the same time, the author will use documentary evidence to demonstrate how the government’s policy of torture not only ran afoul of the Geneva Conventions, but how it left the young reservists assigned to Abu Ghraib with little choice but to follow the lead of their superiors.
A publisher for Lynndie England’s book will be announced at a later date. In the meantime, attached you will find more information on Lynndie England’s official biographer Gary Winkler.
Yours Truly,
Roy T. Hardy
TORTURED: Lynndie England and the Truth about Abu Ghraib
Much has been written about the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq. And while the disturbing pictures of prisoner abuse have been at the heart of this political bombshell ever since it first broke in early spring of 2004, no one person has been more closely identified with and vilified as a result of the photographs than Pfc., Lynndie England, a 5’ 1” former army reservist from the small West Virginia town of Fort Ashby. Court-martialed and imprisoned for her role in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in 2005, Lynndie England, now 26, has been released from her parole and is awaiting her dishonorable discharge from the military. She hopes to get on with her life; but will the public, the media and potential employers let her?
Who is Lynndie England, and how did she become the face of the Abu Ghraib scandal? Set against the backdrop that includes the horror of 9/11, events leading up to the Iraq War, as well as the Bush Administration’s secret attempts to circumvent the Geneva Conventions, Lynndie England tells her story and reveals facts that have never before appeared in print. She talks about her relationship with fellow reservist and Gulf War Marine veteran Charles Graner, a man with a violent past who targeted her affection, only to betray her in the end. England also addresses the dysfunctional atmosphere that existed at Abu Ghraib and what the infamous pictures taken at the prison do not show.
TORTURED is a compelling story, one told on the road to redemption by a young woman who was clearly vilified by scandal, but who continues to cling to her rural roots and to the family who stood beside her every step of the way.
Roy Hardy, England’s attorney, and author Gary Winkler examine the evidence presented by the United States Government in the case against Lynndie England and six other reservists from the 372nd Military Police Company, a unit based in Cumberland, Maryland.
