[Bazooka_Joe]

Well, first off the girl is (I believe) 19 years old. So the news already knows this will appeal to all people because she is young.

Second, she's a female in the armed forces. If it was a male who went through the same predicament, it would get as much media attention, but not the same praise. Because women are, in modern society, considered to be less likely to fight in a war than a man would, it appealed to people more.

Third, people heard of the torture she went through having her bones broke, and naturally felt sorrow for her.

I personally don't see her as a "hero". She lived through torture of a foreign enemy, and was able to be brought back to US soil in one peace, but I think her deserving title would be a "survivor". Rambo is a hero.