This Former POW Takes the Stage by Storm

NY Newsday ^ | February 5, 2004 | Sheryl McCarthy

[presidio9]

Ten months ago Shoshana Johnson was a wounded American POW in combat fatigues, whose terrified eyes stared out at us from videotapes on the evening news.

But when she walked onto the stage at a Long Island community college yesterday in a peach-colored suit, ankle-strap heels, with her shoulder-length hair done up in a perky flip, she wowed the audience with her unexpected glamour.

"You'll have to excuse me," she told the gathering of about 100 adults and students. "When I joined the military five years ago, I never in my wildest dreams imagined I'd be speaking before a large group of people. I expected to be a sergeant yelling and giving a lot of orders. But not this!"

In the months since she and five others from her Army unit were captured by the Iraqis, marking one of the lowest points in the war, Johnson has been transformed from Army cook to POW, to national hero, to a public figure with obvious star quality.

Since retiring from the Army in December, she has made a number of public appearances. But her appearance yesterday at Nassau Community College, part of the college's observance of Black History Month, marked her first outing as a public speaker. She came off as so smart, so natural, so self-effacing, and yet so skilled at engaging the audience, that I thought: So this woman was an Army cook!

"You dream of being the first black woman president, of being the first black woman billionaire," she told them. "But the first black woman POW - that's a title they could have kept."

[firehunter]

I agree whole heartedly.
By the way, I have 20 inches of snow here. How about you?

[demlosers]

A saw her on Leno where she displayed a knack for public speaking.

[hoosiermama]

Here's one for your ping list.

[HenryLeeII]

Why is she a hero again?

Maybe because she served her country, survived a harrowing ordeal as a POW, and didn't come back to the US and start running her mouth off looking for publicity and a quick buck?

[NYCVirago]

Read the full article, please -- she herself says she is a survivor and not a hero.

[IYAS9YAS]

Really, the article shows a very articulate and endearing person. She shows class. I like her attitude.

It seems a lot want it to be a race issue, but she refutes it and doesn't buy into it. Good for her!

[rocksblues]

bump

[Conservababe]

Ankle strap heels? And she is disabled because of an ankle injury?

[mel]

good response

[IYAS9YAS]

Did not know of the previous media statements. Maybe she has grown a little. As far as the other goes, I don't think she abandoned her child. I do think she should have made a choice other than the military because of her single-parent situation. She, and every other female compromise safety of others in and near combat areas because males are very protective individuals and western culture has shown we actually care about our females. She didn't appear to be out of shape, but that may have been the case, and no, she is not a hero. Survivor and lucky, yes. Hero, no.

[rocksblues]

"Hero, no."

Is Jessica a hero then?

According to your logic only men who serve our country can claim that! IE John Kerry is a hero!

[Chu Gary]

Say Hank,

"Maybe because she served her country, survived a harrowing ordeal as a POW, and didn't come back to the US and start running her mouth off looking for publicity and a quick buck?"

I and a lot of my compatriorts served in Vietnam, on daily flight duty where our planes had to dodge enemy fire at the end of the runway. On the ground, we had to dodge incoming commie artillery. When I came back to the US, I wasn't interested in talking about the war, I was interested in finishing college and getting on with my life. Based on your definition, most everyone who served in Vietnam, in Korea, in WWII and WWI is a hero just for having their feet on the ground and keeping their mouths shut. Is that about right? Seems like the term "hero" gets really cheapened by that opinion. Just MHO.

[NYCVirago]

I like her a lot, too. One of the few moves I've liked from Mayor Bloomberg was picking her to drop the ball in Times Square this New Year's Eve.

[HenryLeeII]

I and a lot of my compatriorts served in Vietnam, on daily flight duty where our planes had to dodge enemy fire at the end of the runway. On the ground, we had to dodge incoming commie artillery. When I came back to the US, I wasn't interested in talking about the war, I was interested in finishing college and getting on with my life. Based on your definition, most everyone who served in Vietnam, in Korea, in WWII and WWI is a hero just for having their feet on the ground and keeping their mouths shut. Is that about right? Seems like the term "hero" gets really cheapened by that opinion. Just MHO.

To be honest with you, I was thinking something similar when I posted my reply. Put into the context of who I was replying to (a snot-nosed college-age kid who doesn't really sound like she's done anything special in her life, according to her bio page), I believe my reply is correct.

Given that, there are certainly soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen who have performed much more heroic feats than Ms. Johnson, and I've had the privilege of knowing some. So it is fair to say that she is not a hero in the same sense that some others are.

However, I have the utmost respect for anyone who has put on the uniform and served their country honorably, and from what I've read there is nothing to indicate otherwise regarding Ms. Johnson. Some will argue that she shouldn't have been in combat, and I agree that women should not be, but she doesn't make military policy and her unit stumbled into a fight, they weren't sent out to find one. If there was incompetence or poor decision making by her superiors, again that's not her fault.

Based on your definition, most everyone who served in Vietnam, in Korea, in WWII and WWI is a hero just for having their feet on the ground and keeping their mouths shut.

As I said, anyone who puts on the uniform and serves their country honorably has my utmost respect; whether you want to call them a hero or not is personal opinion.

[IYAS9YAS]

Not sure where you picked up that I said only men could be heroes. Other than my comment on not letting women be anywhere near combat. Being caught and being repatriated is not heroic. Jessica is not a hero in my mind, either. She was caught and repatriated. Yes, her story got more cover, but she is not a hero.

Heroism is not limited to combat or men. Combat, however, should be limited to men. John Kerry is no hero. He got wounded...Heck, I've been wounded worse than him just working on my car.