Supporting our heroes during their hardest battles
Every now and then, Shoshana Johnson finds herself questioning whether she was worthy of being rescued. The Army veteran was part of a convoy ambushed in Iraq in March 2003. Seven soldiers, including Johnson, were captured, while 11 others were killed.
“There’s a lot of guilt in surviving,” Johnson said. “And sometimes you wonder if you are worthy of the gift.”
Johnson’s military journey began when her father enlisted in the Army, leading their family to immigrate to the U.S. At 5 years old, she became an “Army brat.” Twenty years later, at 25, Johnson joined the Army as a cook.
“I was an ‘old lady’ in basic training,” she joked. “Twenty-five years old and joining and I’d never run a mile in my life. So, it was rough on my body.”
In February 2003, Johnson deployed to Kuwait with the 507th Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss, Texas. Aware of the risks of war, she never expected to be near combat. But on March 20, Johnson’s company formed the end of a convoy of 600 vehicles heading from Kuwait into Iraq to start the ground phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Three days later, a navigational error forced her unit off course in Nasiriyah, where they were ambushed.
“I remember the first shots, and it sounds like rock, just like rocks or pebbles hitting the windshield,” Johnson recalled. After running out of a means to combat enemy fire, Johnson’s sergeant made the decision to surrender. She was now a prisoner of war.
On April 13, Johnson was having breakfast when she heard the banging sound of a door being kicked in. The Marine Corps’ Company D, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, had arrived.
She was taken to a hospital in Kuwait, where she underwent surgery the next day to treat her wounds. About a week later, she arrived home, greeted by her family “and half of El Paso.”
As Johnson adjusted to life after captivity, she sought help from DAV. David Garcia, the past commander of DAV Chapter 187 in El Paso, Texas, met Johnson and helped her get the benefits she earned through service, specifically Combat-Related Special Compensation. She eventually became a DAV member.
“[DAV] stepped up and took care of me in a way to ensure that I was able to take care of my daughter,” Johnson said, adding that Garcia has become part of her extensive support system and keeps her and her family in the loop on legislation affecting veterans.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my community and my family.”
You can be part of Johnson’s community by giving today and supporting veterans like her in their journey of receiving the benefits they have earned.
