"I'm Still Standing" by Shoshana Johnson (2010)

In this well constructed memoir Shoshana Johnson recounts her ordeal as an Iraqi Prisoner of War in the early days of the fighting to topple Saddam Hussein. If I countenance the book as unusual it is only because it is only in the past few years that women have been involved in combat roles in our military. This may be the first memoir I have read about combat which was written by an American woman-soldier. I don’t know why this book did not garner more attention at the time it was released.

Perhaps; and I offer this with a bit of cynicism, although there is some truth to it; we were all too wrapped up in the story about Jessica Lynch; the pretty blond white woman who was in the same convoy as Ms. Johnson.  If you recall she was the first captive rescued and has had books, movies and television specials lauding her courage under fire. The initial reports claimed that she fired her M-16 until it was out of ammo were later proved to be incorrect.

Much to her credit is the fact that she testified before Congress in 2007 that in actuality she never fired her weapon; which jammed at about the same time she was knocked unconscious. When asked about all the media hype that stated otherwise she responded by saying, "That wasn't me. I'm not about to take credit for something I didn't do. I'm just a survivor."

I could not go on to review this book without noting the inequity in the media coverage of the two women. And I can’t help but notice that when a white woman goes missing the word goes out a lot quicker than for an African-American one. It’s sad; but unfortunately true. I don’t know whether to blame the media or society itself; I can only note the difference. Now; on to the book.

This was a pleasure to read. It was written with alternating chapters; one would take place in Iraq; and then the next goes back to her childhood. There are chapters on her schooling; her decision to join the Army; and what it is like to be a woman in the Army. And of course, the clincher here is her account of how she was treated at the hands of her captors in a Muslim country. Surprisingly, they weren’t treated too harshly; although being locked in a cell all day could hardly be called humane.

The captives were given medicine for their wounds, as well as surgery in Ms. Johnson’s case. She had sustained serious wounds to both legs; leaving her at the mercy of her captors in matters like using the toilet, etc. Of all the POW accounts I have read, this may be one of the most interesting in respect to the treatment of women POW’s; which is a new thing for Americans.

Her description of the debacle which brought them under fire to begin with is interesting. Had they gone around the town where they were ambushed; rather than through it; the attack may not have occurred.   Also of interest is how the communications equipment did not function at all. The constant jamming of the M-16’s; which are designed for close range jungle fighting, and also urban warfare; were ill equipped to deal with both the distances involved in desert fighting, as well as the problem with sand jamming the weapon.

Having been in the service I can tell you that it is elementary knowledge that sand is a problem. Remember the attempted rescue of the Iranian hostages in the late 1970’s? It was either 1979 or 1980. But the point is that the helicopter which malfunctioned during refueling in the desert went down for lack of a burlap sack to act as  a filter for the sand entering the engine intakes. Sometimes the command decisions just don’t add up.

The book goes on to describe Ms. Johnson’s rehabilitation upon her return to the states via Germany; a place she was once an “Army brat” while growing up. Her father; a Panamanian immigrant to the United States was a career soldier I the U.S. Army; as is the author’s sister.

This book is an interesting and informative narrative of what it is like to be on the front lines of the war on terror as a soldier; a minority; and as a woman. The special needs of the woman soldier; leaving children behind, and more; are mind boggling. You can’t read this book without developing admiration for Ms. Johnson, and all the rest who serve.  Whether you agree with mission or not, people such as Ms. Johnson are highly motivated in their desire to defend the freedoms which we take for granted. 

"My Hitch in Hell" by Lester I. Tenney (1995)

Today marks 68 years since the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. It is only fitting to post this review today in honor of all those who suffered at the hands of the Japanese during the war. You can debate it all you want to, but the bomb did shorten the war and save lives. And when you read this book you will realize that it was probably the only way to avoid taking Japan one house at a time.

Some people lament that the Japanese had already made overtures to sue for peace just before the bomb was dropped, and therefore the bomb was unnecessary. But, that line of reasoning falls flat when you take into consideration that the Japanese were also negotiating “peacefully” with us while their ships were steaming towards Pearl Harbor.

From the very first line of the foreword by Admiral James Stockdale; Professor Emeritus at Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and a former POW himself; this book rings with all the truth and horror of war and the human consequences it engenders. It is the story of a boy, gone off to fight for his country, who returns home to live a full and productive life. It’s not that his life was perfect; after the horrors which he had witnessed nothing could ever be perfect again; the real story here is how he coped with that burden, both at the time he was experiencing it, as well as in its aftermath.

Enlisting just after the first peacetime draft in American history, the author joined the National Guard in 1940, over a year before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was determined to do his one year hitch and get it out of the way. He had no idea what the next 5 years held in store for him.

Stationed in the Philippine Islands at Clark Field, he was just in time for the infamous “Bataan Death March” to Camp O’Donnell, a distance of about 100 miles, which was the first prison camp in which he was interred. The brutality of the Japanese towards their prisoners began immediately, and with such unimagined cruelty, that it stretches the imagination to understand it.

Knowing he would not survive long in this environment, Mr. Tenney decided to set goals for himself in order to survive the war. He would focus on the present and only the immediate future in order to make it home someday. He had secretly married his girlfriend just before shipping out, and for the entire war, his wife did not know where he was. For the first few years she had no idea if he was dead or alive.

Escaping from the first prison camp was easier than one would expect, as the Japanese had no numbering system in place at the beginning. After his initial escape he served with some natives operating with the few Americans who had managed to form a guerilla group, fighting the Japanese in their own way, inflicting damage wherever they could, and in any way possible. Eventually, he was turned in by a local youngster who was starving and exchanged Mr. Tenney’s location for some rice. To his credit, the author holds the boy blameless for his actions, which would have severe consequences for himself.

After a second stint in Camp O’Donnell, the author is moved to a prison camp further inland, the infamous Camp Cabanatuan. There was no real hope of escaping this camp, as by now the Japanese had in place a number system, whereby the 5 men before you and the 5 men behind you would be killed if you did escape. So, in essence, escaping meant that you were condemning 9 other men to death for your decision.

After some time there he was among the prisoners who were shipped to Japan aboard freighters which were not identified as carrying POW’s. This meant that our submarines would sink the ships, not knowing that their own fellow countrymen were aboard. Japan had never signed the Geneva Convention and, as such, was not required to mark those ships. That was the excuse they used after the war to justify the barbaric treatment afforded our POW’s.

In Japan the author was assigned to work in the coal mines about 35 miles from Nagasaki, the site of the second atomic bomb drop in August 1945. The prisoners were actually able to see the mushroom cloud from their location. But before that day, they had to go through 3 and a half years of hell working in the coal mines with no proper equipment and no medical treatment to speak of.

The description of life in the POW barracks reads like James Clavell’s “King Rat”, with the prisoners trading and bargaining anything they could in order to survive. They even managed to put on a show, a sort of Ziegfeld Follies, to amuse themselves and keep sane. The author’s description of these shows and the help he received from some of the men who were homosexual is very touching, as he was initially disgusted by these men, but was able to overcome that feeling while working with them. This experience changed his entire view about homosexuality, making him realize that we are all human beings, something which is easy to forget when you are being treated like an animal.

Some of the prisoners would actually pay someone to break their hand in order to get a few days off from the coal minds. There were “breakers” in camp who, for some rice or cigarettes, would break whatever bone you wanted. These men were not considered to be evil in any way. They were merely performing a job for a set fee. Faking skin ulcers on the leg was another way to avoid work, and the author expertly describes how this is accomplished. I have stored this knowledge away for future use should it ever become necessary.

A breathtaking narrative of almost 5 years in hell, this book is a valuable record of what it was like to be interred by the Japanese during the war. It is also the story of one man’s journey into the darkness, and how the lessons he learned from his parents about integrity and hope, gave him the will to survive.

After his return home in 1945 the book really becomes almost heartbreaking, as the author faces the many struggles to regain the life he once knew, the least of which was to get back with his wife Laura. His ordeal in the Japanese coal mines fades into the past as he focuses on regaining his health, and his wife, as well as to find a place in the world for which he had endured so much. I am happy to report that, unsurprisingly, Mr. Tenney went on to achieve those goals, and much more with his life.

This is an extraordinary record of the experiences which thousands of men went through at the hands of the Japanese during the war. It is also the remarkable story of one man’s will to survive it.

"Libby Prison Breakout" by Joseph Wheelan

The Civil War was anything but "civil." It was fought with cruelty on both sides. This book concerns the notorious "Libby" Prison in Richmond. The prison was located in a series of three adjoining warehouses that had been the home to a ship chandler by the name of Luther Libby. He had purchased it prior to the war from the original owner, John Enders, in 1852. When the Confederacy commandeered the buildings for use as a prison, the sign Mr. Libby had hung above the entrance with the name "Libby and Son", would cement his name into history forever, through no fault of his own.

The book tells three intertwined stories, each of great interest and each dependent upon the other.

The first part of the story is an examination of the state of affairs in Richmond, the Capitol of the Confederacy during the days leading up to the war. In this phase we are introduced to Elizabeth Van Lew, a Southern, aristocratic woman, born in the North and with deep Union sympathies. She is also a woman of courage and action. She uses her social position to assist the Union in espionage concerning troop strengths and positions. She also organizes an "underground railway" for Union prisoners who manage to escape the deplorable conditions within the walls of Libby Prison.

The authors' description of Richmond and the food shortages coupled with the lack of clothing and building materials conjure up the scenes of Atlanta in "Gone With the Wind". They are simply that vivid.

At the same time as Ms. Van Lew is working outside the prison, the men inside are anything but idle. They are stealing, buying and otherwise engaged in any way that they can to stay alive. They even manage to buy civilian clothing with money smuggled in to them and some are able to simply walk out in this manner. But these are rare exceptions.

While all this is happening, two Union officers, Colonel Rose and Major Hamilton, have begun their own separate attempts at escaping the worst prison since the British prison ship Jersey, located in Brooklyn, New York. After seperate failures they team up to dig a tunnel beneath the walls and into the sewer system in an attempt to escape. They try three times before they succeed.

The book also examines the principles of war, if there are any. Which allegiance is stronger? The duty to one's country, or to humanity? The author compares some of the atrocities of the British during the Revoutonary War with the actions of both the North and the South against one another in the Civil War. You will be surprised at who was doing what to whom, and how little that war has changed in the intervening years. Only the technology is different. The brutality is not.

Finally it is the story of a mass prison escape in which 109 Union officers made their way to freedom. Once they were out of the prison, Ms. Van Lew and her group of activists (which included some of the slaves) manage to hide, supply and transport these men back to Union lines. Some of the means they employ are ingenious, some are simply daring and required nerves of steel.

One further aspect to this book, that makes it more than just another escape story, is the authors use of the subject to explore the policy of "unrestricted warfare". Is it just to use prisoners as bargaining chips? Must we stand on principle when dealing with enemies that abuse and torture our own captives? These were some of the questions faced by President Lincoln and his Generals in dealing with the Confederacy. While we officially rejected the policies of "unrestricted warfare" we cannot ignore Andersonville, the notorious Union hell hole along the Kansas-Missouri border, where "unrestricted warfare" was the norm. General Shermans "March to the Sea" also comes to mind as an example of Northern abuse.

A vividly written book, you will look forward to each chapter as the author takes you through the paces. And you will be surprised, or maybe not, at the relevance of the issues raised here, to the events of today as they pertain to war.