Ex- POW To Ring In 2004
Shoshana Johnson's life will never be the same again after 2003.
That was the year she went to war in Iraq, was captured by the enemy with other members of her 507th Unit, rescued after 22 days and returned to this country, where, just two weeks ago, she resigned from the military.
Seen as a woman of inspiration and courage, Johnson will be honored by the State of New York on New Year's Eve when she drops the ball in Times Square. Previous honorees include: actor Christopher Reeve, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and boxer Mohammed Ali.
Johnson tells The Early Show's Tracy Smith her family was particularly excited by this honor since there are so many New Yorkers among its members. When the ball drops, she says, a lot of things will be going through her head.
"The year went so fast. And it didn't start out that great, but it ended wonderfully and just being able to see my daughter's face - that is like the biggest moment for me this whole year after thinking I would never see her again," Johnson says.
Johnson, who spent 22 days as a prisoner of war in Iraq March 2003 after being shot during an ambush, was discharged from the Army on Friday, Dec. 12, 2003. Although she is looking forward to new challenges, Johnson says she doesn't regret the time she spent in the military and says it was a tough decision to leave.
"I had no plans of getting out," she says. "I figured being shot and being a P.O.W. was pretty hard and I could coast through the next 15 years. But my injuries and you still have to deal with a lot mentally, I just couldn't do in the military. I wouldn't be an effective soldier. The army needs effective soldiers and if I wasn't able to do my job, there was no reason for me to stay."
She had planned to spend 20 years in the military , just as her father had done, serving in the first Gulf War and retiring from the Army in 1999.
Johnson, who was a cook for the 507th Maintenance Company when it was ambushed in March, was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the Prisoner of War Medal for her service in Iraq. She was shot in both ankles when she and five other soldiers, including Jessica Lynch, were captured. Nine soldiers died in the ambush.
She is still undergoing therapy and treatment for her injured leg. She recently went back for a visit to Panama, where she was born. She is looking forward to starting afresh and spending time with her daughter.
"The world is open to me," she says. "I can do so many different things. I definitely want to look into going back to school. People have asked about the book thing. I have thought about it, but I want to do it a certain way. I want to show respect to my comrades who lost their lives that day. I want people to understand what kind of incredible people they were, what incredible leaders they were, and how they've impacted my life. And we'll see what happens."
Returning home has been a shock, especially after the reception she received.
"We had no idea, the impact those pictures had," she says referring to the television images of her capture. "The team tried to prepare us, but I don't think there was any way to prepare us for what was waiting for us back home, the support, the love."
And, of course, the cameras, she says, "I'm so glad that they took precautions to have us stay on base that first week in order to recuperate a little bit and also to prepare us for the fact that there was some people camped out on our lawns at home."
She says it was particularly hard to see herself on video.
"It's very hard to look at it sometimes because everything comes back to that day," Johnson says. "I know people are curious about the things that happened, my captivity. But it's so hard to talk about. I just hope that America gives me a little time and then when I feel comfortable, I'll let them know everything. And besides, my hair looked horrible!"
Her mom even mentioned at the time Johnson was rescued that her daughter's first comments on the phone were about her hair.
With a big smile, Johnson recalls, "After I got through the crying and just so happy to hear my parents' voice, I was, 'Well, mom, did you see my hair?' I was so upset because that picture had just gone out all over the world and my hair looked atrocious. I'm a very high-maintenance woman and, I mean, I maintain myself. I've always worked hard, to provide for myself and my daughter, but I like looking good."