Page 2- She had severely injured her shoulder in a training exercise and was recovering from surgery. But Piestewa knew her roommate was nervous about going into a war zone. And there were the other members of her unit to consider. So Piestewa decided to argue her way into deployment. Her kids were safe in Tuba City. The 507th was her family now, and it was in danger. She told her brother Wayland she had a feeling that Lynch or someone else in the company was going to get into trouble in Iraq. She wanted to be in a position to help.
Lynch told Piestewa it was OK, she didnt have to go. But she had made up her mind.
"You have to I have to," Piestewa told her roommate. She went to her superiors and lied about her shoulder, saying it had healed. She was returned to active duty.
http://www.oshadavidson.com/Piestewa3.htm
God bless them all for doing their duty to the best of their abilities.
“If I’d been a petite, cutesy thing, it would’ve been different.”
The petty wench lost me right there. Screw this. Getting captured does NOT a hero make....and to compound it with such pettiness......I’d better shut up now or I’ll get into big trouble here.
Have zero memory of her.
What a whinny twerp.
So she got herself killed for nothing. War isn't a sport where you can play hurt, it's life or death for all participants.
Ms. Johnson, the press did you a favor, otherwise you'd be 10x more traumatized, guaranteed!
Anybody with a better memory than mine:
There was another hero that took out several Iraqis with his gun before he was captured along with the rest of the group. He kept singing a song and it irritated the hell out of his guards. I remember he was a blond kid that looked no older than 20.
I remember the total fear that this girl had on her face as she was taken captive and filmed.
I would never think that I could judge her. She did her job and did it honorably. To me, she deserves a hell of a lot of respect and support.
Army cook Shoshana Johnson
Lynch on left, Shoshana on right. Ignored...?
“Anyone remember Lori Piestewa?”
_____________
Yes, I do.
“It was kind of hurtful. If I’d been a petite, cutesy thing, it would’ve been different.” Damn straight. And the same goes for me, too. How’d Kennedy put it? Oh, yeah, “Life is not fair.” That’s how he saw it, some time before Oswald shot him.
Thought you might find this interesting....
A little side trip here...I was looking up “Shoshana Johnson” and just learned she is a Panamanian citizen. She was born in the Canal Zone.
Controversy also arose regarding the varying treatment and media coverage of Lynch and Shoshana Johnson, an African-American soldier captured in the same ambush as Lynch, but rescued later. Critics, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, said that Johnson’s race was a major reason that Johnson received little media attention and a smaller disability pension as compared to Lynch.
The former PoW with her daughter Dakota Ann
Dakota Ann is named after Lynch's close friend Pfc. Lori Piestewa, one of 11 soldiers killed in March 2003 when their military convoy was attacked in Iraq.
I remember Lori Piestewa, may her soul rest in Peace. In fact, when Dennis Miller was interviewing Johnson about her book (oh, no!) last night, my thoughts first went to PFC Piestewa and the horrible way she died. She was a brave woman, by your account. I was very sad about her death.
And as for Johnson, she should have stayed quiet instead of writing this dumb book.
I remember Lori’s story. She was an American Indian, right?
Then Major Rhonda Cornum was an Army Flight Surgeon captured in GW I. She suffered severe torture and abuse at the hands of the Iraqis.