Coming Back Isn’t Always Coming Home: The Story of Shoshana Johnson and the Weight We Don’t Talk About
We don’t talk enough about what it means to come home — not in the “you made it” way, but in the “now what?” way.
Shoshana Johnson knows that kind of homecoming.
In 2003, she became the first Black female prisoner of war in U.S. history after being ambushed in Iraq. She was held captive for 22 days. The world watched. The headlines buzzed. And then — just like that — the story moved on. But she didn’t. Behind the ceremonies and the spotlights, Shoshana returned with wounds that no one could see, questions no one could answer, and a transition that most couldn’t understand.
She didn’t ask to be a symbol. She just wanted to be whole again.
In the years since, she’s spoken about the trauma she carried, the lack of support she received, and the mental health challenges that followed. Her story isn’t just about survival — it’s about the after. The quiet unraveling. The need for healing. The courage to start telling the truth. We highlight this not to retraumatize, but to recognize. Because for every public story, there are thousands like it behind closed doors — people who return in body, but are still trying to figure out where their soul went.
“I am a soldier, but I am also human.”
— Shoshana Johnson, I’m Still Standing
Shoshana Johnson enlisted in the Army as a food service specialist — not expecting to become a national headline. But in March 2003, during the invasion of Iraq, her convoy was ambushed in Nasiriyah. She was shot in both ankles and taken hostage by enemy forces.
The world knows her name because she was rescued. But what happened after her rescue is what matters just as much. Her return wasn’t easy. Although she was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Prisoner of War Medal, the spotlight quickly faded. She struggled with PTSD, anxiety, and a transition that left her feeling invisible. In her memoir, I’m Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen—My Journey Home, she shares that returning home didn’t mean returning to normal. It meant starting over — mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Her story reminds us that survival doesn’t end at rescue. It continues in the quiet moments: navigating VA appointments, trying to sleep through nightmares, showing up to family dinners when you feel like a stranger in your own skin.
Shoshana’s legacy isn’t just about what happened in Iraq. It’s about what she made visible when she came home.
That’s what this blog is here for: to name the experiences that are too often left in silence.
If you’ve ever felt like you were supposed to be okay after service… but weren’t — you’re not alone.
If you’re still trying to figure out what “home” means now — you’re not alone.
If your strength has always shown up quietly, and your story never made the news — that doesn’t make it any less worthy.
This space is for you.
Whether you share your story or read someone else’s — you’re helping build a space where the truth of service lives.
📝 Submit your own story — anonymously or with your name — right [here].
Sources:
Johnson, Shoshana, and Mary Doyle. I’m Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen—My Journey Home. Touchstone, 2010.
CNN.com. “Rescued POWs Share Their Stories,” April 2003.
U.S. Army Women’s Museum. “Shoshana Johnson.” https://armywomensmuseum.org
🎙️ Follow Troop Transitions for more voices, more truth, and more connection.