Customer Reviews

I'm Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen--My Journey Home

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 2003 in An Nasiriyah, Iraq, six soldiers (including Jessica Lynch who became the prime celebrity of the incident) assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company were captured by the enemy during an ambush. One of those taken in the firefight was unit cook Shoshana Johnson, who became the first ever African-American female POW. After three plus weeks as a prisoner, moving from place to place, the marines rescued her and the others (except Lynch previously rescued).

The key to this memoir is how profound Johnson describes her ordeal during captivity and even more so as a sudden celebrity of sorts. She makes the case that her abductees were kind giving her medical aid to her ankles hit by bullets and fed and clothed her. Yet throughout she lived in fear as a Black woman POW in a country in which gender and race matter. After being freed, her fame left others angry and resentful so she left the military. With a strong conviction, Ms. Johnson and M.L. Doyle tear into her accusers that she and the others deserved being prisoners and were no heroes as they simply made a wrong turn. Well written with the predominance of the memoir being her POW 22 days and her PTSD that still haunts her since becoming free; fans of military chronicles will want to read I'm Still Standing.

Harriet Klausner

I was impressed with this book. As a female veteran I make it a point to read other books about and by other veterans especially females. This book touched my heart. It is well formatted for the kindle. The book felt as though she was talking to me rather than just citing details. Good luck in your recovery! A must read!

Wow! What an emotional and inspirational journey that American hero Shoshana Johnson (and M.L. Doyle) takes us on in the telling of her story about being ambushed in Iraq, injured, captured, then thankfully, freed! Her honesty and humility evoke the reader's patriotism and pride in the U.S. military. This captivating must-read is a story about the strength and generosity of the human spirit, shown by Ms. Johnson, her fellow POW's, her rescuers, and surprisingly, even some of her captors.

Ms. Johnson's story is inspirational. It is worth reading, especially since so many myths and legends have been spawned by the tragic events in 2003 when her convoy was ambushed.

The dark, early days of the invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003 now seem like a long, long time ago. I'm sure to the former POWs who were involved in the ambushed convoy, it seems like decades...or maybe in some ways like yesterday. A lot of nonsense came out of those foggy, sandstorm-wracked weeks when the 1st Marine Division and 3rd Infantry Division were bogged down short of Baghdad. It's good - and necessary - that the veterans are getting their versions of events into the public eye.

To her credit, Johnson gives credit where credit is due, including verifying, once and for all, who the heroes were on 23 March '03, namely Sgt Donald Walters and PFC Patrick Miller. Only the soldiers who survived that confusing, hellish hailstorm of incoming fire know what really happened and Shoshana appears to tell it like it was. She (rightfully) has an axe or two to grind with the media and the Army, particularly for feeding on her and her comrades for the sake of a story, for turning Jessica Lynch into a hero - through no fault of her own - and, though not universally, for turning on Johnson and her fellow POW's. Many blamed the inexperienced soldiers for getting lost, blundering into an ambush and allowing themselves to be captured. No one who hasn't experienced combat or war in any form has a right to point fingers or second guess what happened, how it happened or the actions of those who were there.

Johnson and her fellow prisoners held up extraordinarily well under very harsh circumstances, to say the least. The mental torture of being helpless in the hands of hostile jailers, not knowing what will happen to you from one day to the next, must be excruciating...not to mention Johnson's painful, debilitating wounds. I was glad to read that she considers their young Marine rescuers to be heroes too. As mentioned, the gist of the story seems to be a desire to set the record straight.

I feel that I should only rate book with four stars due to its length, which seems s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d to the limit, thanks to the shortness of the story. It was the same with Lynch's book, as well as a few other memoirs to come out of the Iraq and Afghan wars.

Admittedly they have worthwhile tales to tell. It's just that young people who have only a couple of decades of living under their belts - extraordinary as some of those years were - can't really justify book-length autobiographies. A better medium might be compiling all of their stories into one volume. Many World War II veterans who saw much more combat and lived through combat horrific beyond belief rate only a paragraph or two in histories of the battles they survived. As Johnson herself admits, she was only overseas for two months.

One last nit-picking point: Though she puts to rest the nonsense about being jealous of Lynch, or her race, in the section where Johnson airs one of her grudges against the Army - concerning awards for bravery - she expresses regret that Walters and Harris weren't honored with "V" for Valor devices on their Silver Stars. A "V" is reserved for the Bronze Star and a number of other awards that can also be bestowed for non-combat performance (Legion of Merit, etc.). The Silver Star is ONLY awarded for valor. The medal itself, our nation's third highest for bravery in combat, is recognition for conspicuous gallantry. A soldier/veteran of the US Army should know this, especially if they're going to bring it up in their book.

All in all, "I'm Still Standing" is a fairly quick read that fills some of the holes in the saga of our continuing war in the Middle East. It won't become a classic like Eugene Sledge's "With the Old Breed," but it doesn't seem that was the intent. Rather, the goal seems to be a desire to exorcise demons that continue to haunt the author and many of her fellow veterans.

It took me a little while to decide to get this book. Am I glad I did. This book is so informative regarding this woman's terrifying experiences as a POW. She happens to be the niece of my friend's boyfriend. I have never met her but would love the opportunity. I greatly respect and admire her strength and wise ways in which she conducted herself under such unbearable duress. Had she boldly showed hostility and mouthed off to the enemy like some of the other prisoners she described, she probably would not be here today to enlighten us about her experience. I read this book in a flash because it was so interesting. I pray for Shoshanna to never have any more trauma comparable to this for the rest of her life. Her daughter is very fortunate to have this strong, intelligent, brave woman for her mother. You go Shoshanna!

Well, I can't add much more to what already been written already. I concurred with most of the reviews and I have to say that this book proves to be honestly written, quite insightful in her experiences and clearly shows the bond of comradeship among soldiers lives on despite of sex and color. The author made sure that those who fought with valor were mentioned since their actions were often under reported. It is nice that although overshadowed by Jessica Lynch, the author holds no grudge or ill feeling. That in my books, that got my respects. I will wish her well. One of the more honest books to come out that war in recent period.

After dropping out of college and only finding employment earning low wages, Shoshana Johnson decides to return to college. Not sure of a career goal, the sound advice she receives from an aunt is to figure out what she likes to do and pursue it. Since Shoshana loves to cook, she decides on culinary arts school. Realizing the expense of attending a culinary arts school, she had to construct a plan on how to pay; and the answer was the military.

Shoshana didn't have a hard time adjusting to the military life; after all she was brought up in the military. Her father joined the U.S. Army after their family emigrated from Panama. Once she enlisted in the Army, Shoshana became a cook to learn a skill and determined being a cook was a safe military job. Little did she know, her life would change forever.

I'M STILL STANDING: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen-My Journey Home, exemplifies courage and honor shown by Shoshana and her fellow soldiers beginning on the fateful day of March 23, 2003, in An Nasiriyah, Iraq where they were ambushed and captured. Shoshana, the first black female prisoner of war in the U.S., paints a compelling and emotional picture of her twenty-two days held in captivity. She recounts in vivid detail the grueling pain she suffered from her injuries, her treatment from the Iraqis, the glorious day of rescue by the Marines, her emotional disorder after returning to the U.S., and last but not least, the unfair and unrighteous treatment from the military.

Shoshana Johnson's "hold nothing back" story is heartfelt, moving, inspiring, and I recommend it to be read by everyone.

Reviewed by Sharon Lewis
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

I am a 74 year old white woman and I had seen the TV report of Shana being captured and when they finely got all of them out of there, but never heard anything about what she went through while she was in captivity. In my book, she is a hero. I wish her the best in life. She sure has earned it. When I started reading her book, I did not put it down until I had finished it.

This is a great and gripping recounting of the capture of Shoshana Johnson and I couldn't put it down until I'd reluctantly read the very last page. The details of what she endured before, during and after the attack put you right in the heart of the events. Best of all, this memoir isn't just about Shoshana, it's very much about 'the guys' who were prisoners of war with her. Their bravery in the face of the unknown is inspirational and I'm sure I'll never have as much heart or brashness in me.

Shoshana clears up why she left the military, her feelings about Jessica Lynch and what actually led to the capture of her and the other POWs. We all heard news reports of broken equipment and of the challenge posed by the ever present sand in Iraq so I hope this quiets those who can blame victims for being victimized. Most gratifying was the ability to see the war through the eyes of an ordinary woman who isn't a superhero or even particularly brave. Thank you, Shoshana.

I almost gave the book 4 stars because of the writing style. It wasn't horrible and, after seeing Shoshana on TV, it does capture her straightforward spirit but the back story trips were too bumpy. The co-writer did succeed at pulling me into the story, however.

I'm a Army Veteran while reading this book you feel like your right there with her.Broken down equipment,decisions made by people that are not on the ground.Decisions that cost lives that could have been avoided.On days you wonder what did I just do,emlisiting in this?Good read....Shoshana and the others who were held captive,captured a part of hearts than and it will capture it again.Hoo..ah!