Shoshana Nyree Johnson was born in the Republic of Panama and moved
to the United States with her family when she was a child. A
second-generation Army veteran, she did not plan a career in the
military, but became a JROTC cadet in 1991 and joined the U.S. Army
in September 1998 while attending classes at the University of
Texas at El Paso (UTEP).
On March 23rd, 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Shoshana was
in a convoy that was ambushed in the city of an-Nasiriyah. Wounded,
she and five fellow soldiers were captured and taken as prisoners
of war, making world news headlines. The POWs were rescued by U.S.
Marines on the morning of April 13, and Shoshana returned to the
U.S., retiring from the Army on a Temporary Disability Honorable
Discharge in December 2003. Her awards and decorations include the
Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, and the Prisoner of War
Medal. U.S. Army officials also identified Shoshana as the first
female POW of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the first black female
POW in U.S. war history.
Shoshana lives in El Paso, Texas with her daughter Janelle, her
sisters Nikki and Erika, and two nieces.
" A well-told memoir of captivity and recovery." -- Kirkus
Reviews
"I'm Still Standing is one hell of a story by one hell of a woman.
Soldier. Single mom. Survivor. Shoshana Johnson is a true American
hero. Her memoir is a compelling, inspirational read." -- Larry
King
"I'm Still Standing is Johnson's brutally honest account of the
horrors of battle, the deprivations of captivity, and, finally, the
sheer jubilation of freedom. What makes Johnson's inspiring tale
required reading for Americans, in and out of uniform, is her great
heart. Its triumphant beat is felt on every page of this important
book." -- Osha Gray Davidson, The Phoenix Sun
"Johnson endured her captivity with courage and emerged with honor.
With the help of former army reservist Doyle, she vividly, simply,
and unpretentiously tells her tale." -- Publishers Weekly
"Shoshana Johnson is an American 'shero' whose story of tragedy and
survival is an inspiration to many who have served and are serving
in the United States Armed Forces. I am honored to have met
Shoshana, my fellow veteran, and afforded the opportunity to read
her miraculous story." -- Lucretia M. McClenney, COL, USA,
Retired
"Shoshana Johnson survived ambush, injury, captivity, and
colleagues' deaths in the early days of the Iraq conflict with
grit, dignity, and reflective grace. In I'm Still Standing, she
tells her story with the same moving and admirable qualities." --
Sheila Weller, New York Times bestselling author of Girls Like Us:
Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon -- and the Journey of a
Generation
"Shoshana Johnson's story is unsettling, scary, powerful, and
brilliant -- a story of a life-threatening milestone that must be
told to benefit others, both women and men." -- Major General Irene
Trowell-Harris, USAF, NC, Retired
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