Shoshana Johnson

Born in the Republic of Panama to Panamanian parents, Shoshana Johnson was a JROTC cadet in 1991, and an Andress High School graduate. She attended the University of Texas at El Paso, and later joined the US Army in September 1998. She completed the US Army Basic Training Course at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, and the Advance Individual Training, at Ft. Lee, Virginia.

A second-generation Army veteran, Johnson's first military assignment was at Ft. Carson, Colorado. In February 2003, at her second military assignment at Ft. Bliss, Texas, Johnson received orders to deploy to Iraq and to carry through her duties as a Food Service Specialist (92G) with the 507th Maintenance Company, 5/52 Battalion 11th Brigade.

On March 23, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Johnson was in a convoy that was ambushed in the city of an-Nasiriyah. Johnson received a bullet wound to her ankle, causing injuries to both legs. She and five other members of the 507th Maintenance Company were captured and taken as prisoners of war. The ambush and its aftermath made world news headlines.

House raids conducted by US Marines in the city of Samarra, Iraq, resulted in the successful rescue of seven POWs on the morning of April 13. Later, along with six former POWs, Johnson came back to a hero’s welcome in the US with a cheering crowd of over 3,000 people.

Specialist Johnson retired from the Army on an honorable discharge on December 12, 2003. Johnson's awards and decorations include the US Army Service Ribbon, Army Commendation Ribbon, National Defense Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, and the Prisoner of War Medal. US Army officials identified Johnson as the first female POW of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the first black female POW in US war history. She was awarded the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero by her native country, Panama. It is its highest honor.

Since her return to the United States, Specialist Johnson has received numerous awards and recognition for her courage, valor, and service to the United States. She graduated from El Paso Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in 2008, and she received her degree in culinary arts (pastry) in May 2011 at the same college.

Johnson has penned a memoir about her experience titled I'm Still Standing: From Captured Soldier to Free Citizen-My Journey Home. The biography was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and is a national bestseller.