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6 reviews for:
I'm Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen--My Journey Home
Shoshana Johnson
3.71 AVERAGE
6 reviews for:
I'm Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen--My Journey Home
Shoshana Johnson
3.71 AVERAGE
We are living in a time where the cost of everything is rising and too many people are living in poverty. As a result, many young men and women attempt to do the only thing that seems sensible, join the military. What better way to gain hands-on experience, bring in a steady and for-sure income while earning money for college? Yea, that's the same thing that Shoshana Johnson figured when she decided to follow in the foot steps of her father and her sister and join the military.
In her debut memoir, Johnson recalls the day, as written by M. L. Doyle, she was taken as a P.O.W. after being left behind by her superiors in the middle of nowhere en route to Baghdad with very vivid details of incidents leading up to her capture.
"My life has forever changed because of what happened in An Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003. One day, maybe I'll be able to get through a day when I don't think about it, when I don't wonder what I could have done to change things."
Johnson, now free from a gag order imposed by the military, is very honest and open about what happened in Iraq. Johnson also dispels many myths and untruths that imply it was the fault of the officers that led to the ambush and capture. According to Johnson, it was after being separated from the convey and wondering into a town that they were attacked by the residents of the city.
"My head whipped around as I looked to see where all this fire was coming from. I saw a man coming at us from between two buildings. He was about three hundred meters away when I first saw him, a young guy wearing a white shirt and dark pants, his tennis-shoed feet kicking up wisps of sand as he ran toward us. He was carrying a pistol and I knew he would use it."
I know many of you will ask how did they end up behind everyone. According to Johnson, her company, the 507th Maintenance Company, consisted of "mechanics, truck drivers, technicians, and supply specialists were the heart of the 507th. Three others and me were attached to the unit as cooks."
I guess it's okay to say the 507th was the clean-up crew. That meant that anytime a vehicle stopped due to maintenance and technical issues they had to stop and get the vehicles back on the road. No man left behind would be a great slogan but unfortunately they were left behind. To add insult to injury, many would blame the 507th for the incident, including the press.
"But the press didn't say anything about our orders to use that damn tape. They didn't say anything about our attempts to repair radios that didn't work and they didn't say anything about how TCP had abandoned us in the middle of the desert and, evidently forgotten that we were out there."
In this page-turning painfully true story, Johnson tells it like it is. It is horrifying that our soldiers would be exposed to war without working equipment and then be blamed for being attacked, wounded and captured. After reading many reviews about this book, I was not sure what to expect but it was worth my time to read it and I'm so proud of Shoshana for telling HERstory and we wont have to rely on HIStory!
"The decision to write this book was a difficult one to reach. I finally agreed to do it after several people convinced me that it was important to tell my side of the story. So much has been said about me and my experience in the press and little of it has been very accurate. I always wonder who it is they are talking and writing about. It just couldn't be me."
Johnson is now credited as being the first African-American (actually Panamanian-American) female P.O.W. and has received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medals for her commitment, dedication and valor. She was held captive for 22 days and thanks the Marines that saved her life.
If you haven't read this book you should and it is a must have for your library. Let's make sure that even if history books decide not to cover Shoshana Johnson we do our part to make sure we know who she is and pass the knowledge to others, especially our children.
After reading this novel, I had many mixed emotions. I LOVE the United State of America and as of today there is no other place I'd rather be. But, it greatly saddens me when I hear stories of our soldiers not having proper equipment and support or getting adequate health care. These soldiers lay down their lives to defend our country and as citizens it's time to let our politrikans know that we will not tolerate the mistreatment of our soldiers. I was pissed that Shoshana had to call in help to fight for the benefits she deserved. America we have to do better, we just have to!
God Bless Our Troops and Veterans
In her debut memoir, Johnson recalls the day, as written by M. L. Doyle, she was taken as a P.O.W. after being left behind by her superiors in the middle of nowhere en route to Baghdad with very vivid details of incidents leading up to her capture.
"My life has forever changed because of what happened in An Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003. One day, maybe I'll be able to get through a day when I don't think about it, when I don't wonder what I could have done to change things."
Johnson, now free from a gag order imposed by the military, is very honest and open about what happened in Iraq. Johnson also dispels many myths and untruths that imply it was the fault of the officers that led to the ambush and capture. According to Johnson, it was after being separated from the convey and wondering into a town that they were attacked by the residents of the city.
"My head whipped around as I looked to see where all this fire was coming from. I saw a man coming at us from between two buildings. He was about three hundred meters away when I first saw him, a young guy wearing a white shirt and dark pants, his tennis-shoed feet kicking up wisps of sand as he ran toward us. He was carrying a pistol and I knew he would use it."
I know many of you will ask how did they end up behind everyone. According to Johnson, her company, the 507th Maintenance Company, consisted of "mechanics, truck drivers, technicians, and supply specialists were the heart of the 507th. Three others and me were attached to the unit as cooks."
I guess it's okay to say the 507th was the clean-up crew. That meant that anytime a vehicle stopped due to maintenance and technical issues they had to stop and get the vehicles back on the road. No man left behind would be a great slogan but unfortunately they were left behind. To add insult to injury, many would blame the 507th for the incident, including the press.
"But the press didn't say anything about our orders to use that damn tape. They didn't say anything about our attempts to repair radios that didn't work and they didn't say anything about how TCP had abandoned us in the middle of the desert and, evidently forgotten that we were out there."
In this page-turning painfully true story, Johnson tells it like it is. It is horrifying that our soldiers would be exposed to war without working equipment and then be blamed for being attacked, wounded and captured. After reading many reviews about this book, I was not sure what to expect but it was worth my time to read it and I'm so proud of Shoshana for telling HERstory and we wont have to rely on HIStory!
"The decision to write this book was a difficult one to reach. I finally agreed to do it after several people convinced me that it was important to tell my side of the story. So much has been said about me and my experience in the press and little of it has been very accurate. I always wonder who it is they are talking and writing about. It just couldn't be me."
Johnson is now credited as being the first African-American (actually Panamanian-American) female P.O.W. and has received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medals for her commitment, dedication and valor. She was held captive for 22 days and thanks the Marines that saved her life.
If you haven't read this book you should and it is a must have for your library. Let's make sure that even if history books decide not to cover Shoshana Johnson we do our part to make sure we know who she is and pass the knowledge to others, especially our children.
After reading this novel, I had many mixed emotions. I LOVE the United State of America and as of today there is no other place I'd rather be. But, it greatly saddens me when I hear stories of our soldiers not having proper equipment and support or getting adequate health care. These soldiers lay down their lives to defend our country and as citizens it's time to let our politrikans know that we will not tolerate the mistreatment of our soldiers. I was pissed that Shoshana had to call in help to fight for the benefits she deserved. America we have to do better, we just have to!
God Bless Our Troops and Veterans
Very heavy stuff, but an admirable story all around.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Great point of view from soldier’s perspective.
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Fantastic story by a strong woman with a clear sense of self and purpose. A meaningful read that I recommend to everyone. Left me with a bitter taste in my mouth regarding the American media, though...
This is the true-life tale of POW Shoshana Johnson. Johnson was taken captive during a convoy in Iraq. At the time, she had actually just entered the war. The book begins right in the heart of the battle where she was injured and taken captive. From there, it goes backward, telling of her decision to join the army, her training, and family stories. The story however, is not quite chronological, as each chapter bounces between her time before Iraq, and during her captivity period. Johnson's experiences also closely examine where the Army may have been at fault for her capture, and are critical of a number of Army policies. It is interesting to hear her side of the story, unedited and uncensored.
Johnson is brutally honest, sharing in graphic detail every bit she remembers. However, I did not find it a painful read. It is written in basic language with relatively large font & few words on the page, making it a page-turner and a quick read. She had, what surprised me, as a relatively tame stay as prisoner of war. She was beaten and battered for the first few days, but in the remaining days (of 22), it seems she was fed and treated with a modicum of respect. I'm in no way saying it wasn't horrific, I just didn't know about the Geneva Convention (protecting the rights of POWs) or the Red Crescent (people & doctors who aide POWs) and that people actually adhered to the guidelines of care. From the media, I always assumed that POWs are consistently brutally beaten, which I'm sure is true of many stories, but apparently not all.
The story is tremendous, but her writing style is basic and limited. It reads like a story written by a layperson, not a professional, which it is. There are a number of pieces of the story that are repeated on multiple occasions, that I think a good editor could (should?) have cut out. Overall, absolutely worth the read. It's always incredible to read a story of a strong woman. Definitely a good look at Army policy from an inside standpoint, even though she certainly still seems to be an Army proponent. Also, it is a wonderful honor to a woman who worked hard to serve her country and today suffers the ill effects of having done so.
Johnson is brutally honest, sharing in graphic detail every bit she remembers. However, I did not find it a painful read. It is written in basic language with relatively large font & few words on the page, making it a page-turner and a quick read. She had, what surprised me, as a relatively tame stay as prisoner of war. She was beaten and battered for the first few days, but in the remaining days (of 22), it seems she was fed and treated with a modicum of respect. I'm in no way saying it wasn't horrific, I just didn't know about the Geneva Convention (protecting the rights of POWs) or the Red Crescent (people & doctors who aide POWs) and that people actually adhered to the guidelines of care. From the media, I always assumed that POWs are consistently brutally beaten, which I'm sure is true of many stories, but apparently not all.
The story is tremendous, but her writing style is basic and limited. It reads like a story written by a layperson, not a professional, which it is. There are a number of pieces of the story that are repeated on multiple occasions, that I think a good editor could (should?) have cut out. Overall, absolutely worth the read. It's always incredible to read a story of a strong woman. Definitely a good look at Army policy from an inside standpoint, even though she certainly still seems to be an Army proponent. Also, it is a wonderful honor to a woman who worked hard to serve her country and today suffers the ill effects of having done so.