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Saturday, April 30, 2005
Family lessons helped ex-POW in captivity
By RAY WEISS | News-Journal Staff Writer
DAYTONA BEACH — While enduring 22 days as a prisoner of war in Iraq, Shoshana Johnson said Friday she relied on lessons taught by her parents to survive.
Johnson recalled her experience in a speech at the 32nd annual Freedom Fund banquet sponsored by the Volusia County-Daytona Beach Branch of the NAACP.
“My parents taught me that through time, people suffered trials and tribulations, not only because of the color of their skin, but because of their religion and other reasons,” she told more than 500 people in the Daytona 500 Club at Daytona International Speedway.
Remembering the sacrifices of others through the ages helped her cope with captivity in Iraq, she said.
“I didn’t have to endure torture,” she said.
Born in Panama 31 years ago, Johnson moved with her family to Texas for a better life in this country. Her father became a private in the Army at age 30.
“They taught me I should be thankful for what I have,” she said.
Johnson attended the University of Texas at El Paso before joining the Army in 1998.
“I knew that when I signed on the dotted line to join the United States Army, I might be called on to make a sacrifice,” she told the audience.
That time came in March 2003 when Spec. Johnson was captured with Pfc. Jessica Lynch and other members of the Army’s 507th Maintenance Company. The ambush and its aftermath made headlines around the world.
Johnson received a wound to her ankle, causing injuries to both legs, and she limped on her way to the podium Friday night.
She is believed to be the first black female prisoner of war in U.S. history. The Army identified her as the first female prisoner of the Iraq war. Marines rescued her and six others in a raid in April 2003.
Johnson retired from the Army on a disability discharge and was recognized for her courage, valor and service to the United States with the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Prisoner of War Medal.
She returned to El Paso to live with her family, including a daughter.
Choking up with tears Friday, Johnson asked the audience to remember those still serving in Iraq and those who won’t be coming home.
“They don’t do it for glory,” she said. “They don’t do it for money. Say a small prayer for them and their families.”
“Profiles In Courage: A Tribute to Those Who Served” was the theme of Friday night’s banquet sponsored by the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The evening began with a stirring moment when the audience spontaneously stood in silence as the Eagle Battalion Army Reserve Officer Training Corps detachment presented the colors for the singing of the national anthem and reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.
“Listening to her makes you think about what really matters,” City Commissioner Dwayne Taylor said after the speech. “That is the faith we have in our God and our family.”