The father of Pfc. LaVena Johnson, John Johnson, was interviewed last Friday by Michel Martin, host of the NPR program Tell Me More. Also on hand was activist and retired Army Colonel Ann Wright.
Soldier’s Family Challenges Army Suicide Report
Tell Me More, August 11, 2008
keep pushing dont let the govenment cover this up, they inlist our children to fight for our country, but the minute some is harmed or killed they are thrown to the side and cover ups start , her family is in our prayers
I learned of LaVena Johnson’s death last summer through Philip Baron’s site. It is one of the most outrageous, mind-boggling stories of injustice I have ever heard. It gives new meaning to the phrase “blaming the victim”.
LaVena Johnson’s parents were on Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now” show a few weeks ago. One quote from her mother about army officials still chills me. Ms. Johnson said, “They lie like they breathe.”
The courage of Col Ann Wright, Philip Baron and of course LaVena’s parents gives me hope.
You are liars and the truth is not in you. The military has proven with Jessica Lynch and Army Ranger Pat Tillman that they will kill even their own. They are liars and murderers and the only way to get at the truth is for so called whistle blowers to come forth and say what you know. In the Name of All that is right and all that is moral come forward take courage and tell the truth and shame the devil.
The Pentagon will attempt to drag this out in the hope that the Johnson family will finally give up or, perhaps more importantly, lose publicity…
I’m a USMC military veteran of 22 years. I consider myself informed and try to stay up on issues, but I’m sad to say that this is the first I’ve heard of this “travesty”! I am absolutely outraged! This is COMPLETELY unacceptable and NOT what I wore MY uniform to defend!
I plan to use all of my media resources to get this info out to others who may not have previously heard about this. I also plan to write my legislators and demand their support in pursuit of justice.
I implore everyone who reads this to take similar action because we cannot allow this kind of injustice and deplorable behavior to occur.
Please
It is with much empathy and smypathy that you loss your daughter to such tradgic. I too loss my daughter to a tragic situation and my prayers are with you and your wife. Do not give up the fight for what you believe and that is you daughter did not commit suicide that my heart tells me that the army once again is covering up a murder. The truth will prevail.
Prayer and thoughts with you in Christ Jesus.
The media like to label those of us conspiracy theorist whenever we dispute some kind of governmental lie.
The episode of the lie against LaVena starts with the big lie of the so-called 9/11 attack. This big lie is followed by the attack on Iraq, the murdeing and exiling of the Iraqi people, the looting of our treasury, Katrina, and now the cold blooded murder of LaVena.
This has KKK written all over it. LaVena suffered pain as do all freedom fighters like Fannie Lou Hamer, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, etc,.
Fear not. Let LeVena death be a carion call like the death of Emmitt Till, whose death sparked the civil rights movement. Lets never forget LaVena!
I am angry. i have never heard of this case until now. i am upset that noone took her under their wings; thats what u do to young soldiers.teach them the ropes about the military keeping them informed, making sure noone tries to harm them or take advantage of their rank, etc… rest assured the truth will eventually prevail. someone will talk; someones conscience will eventually eat away at them as drugs eat away at brain cells. it may not happen 2day, it may not happen tomorrow, but it will happen. i am working on a paper to give to the DOD and others who can make a change. god speed. someday u will be enlightened with the truth. SOMEONE KILLED THAT BABY AND THEY WILL PAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
where is the accountability? her CDR, XO, 1SG, PLT LDR, PLT SGT, HER BUDDY? Is there a world renowned psychic that would take on the case in the name of justice?
This is a Dam shame. I am a Male Afro American, that gave 14yrs of my life to the United States Marine Corps. Although this beautiful young soldier was not a Marine, she was a fellow soldier. Personally speaking, It does not surprise me that a fellow American could commit such an act , Military Personnel are products of the American Society, and although the military basic training claims to clean them up, and discipline person’s into new individuals, we that have serve know for fact, basic training does not make new individuals of everyone that graduate, there are bad apples that find a way to slide through.
What is so shocking are the Commissioned, and Non-Commissioned Officer’s, that know the truth , and cover it up, for fear of embarrasement,or to protect other superiors of their unit, in my opinion their worst than the person that commit this act, to hide the fact that something like this could happen under a United States Military Command. Lets face it, who are they fooling, similar incidents can be found in American Society every day.
Like I said, This is a shame, it is an embarrasement for all of us that have served faithfully, I am not embarrased for this sick individual, or individual’s. I am embarrased for the chain of command, it makes me sick to think i ever served. my condolences goes out to the parents of this young women, I hope god gives them comfort, because you cant expect it from some of our military. Another thought that might be a interest to whom it may concern, who ever committed such an act had to be a senior personnel, because we know subordinates dont get away with something like this, they get thrown in the fire quicker than a blink of the eye.
I would like to suggest, that anyone reading this article, and have family, or friends serving in the military, regardless of which branch of service, to email them this article. To bring awareness to those that might think there safe, Especially our female’s
Who ever did this probably made sexual advances toward Lavena Johnson, and when she turn them down, it cause a spark. Some men are weak like that , and can’t except rejection. She probably had no idea this person would go through such extreme, because regardless of wheather in country, or abroad, most service members believe they are safe amongst their own. This person probably caught her alone, in a somewhat secluded area, and attack her viciously when her back was turned.
We need to get this story out ,I wish I had more resources and money, i would spread the news like wildfire, and catch this scum, and bring the command down with the bastard. War, Or not. Someone with the resources need to go after this one and catch these scum bags , There Al Queda too, YOU KNOW!
we better get to bottom of this for this happenes to your child !!!
It’s not a maybe answer. That girl was brutally murdered, and the monsters that did it are walking around without a care in the world. I don’t know why someone would do that. Something she saw, knew or dislike for her father are all questionable, but not reason enough to do what they did to her. I am both very sad and angry about this situation. I didn’t know her but she’s my sister and it could have been anyone. I read another article on FINALCALL.COM and the details were mind blowing (and this is an understatement). Who are they (the military) covering up? The head moncho? President? Who?
I was there in Balad, Iraq when all of this happen. What is interesting to me is that no one heard of it. This is my first time. We all worked in the DFAC and I had friends who were cooks that lived with me, but no one ever mentioned such a thing. Based off what I have read there is something extremely shady about what is going on. Keep pushing too get this case reopened. As a soldier myself I am extremely outraged. I will surely keep your family in my prayers.
I am shame to say i served in the Army after reading about PFC Johnson murder. The Army has loss its way to providing the truth. This seems to be an on going thing in the military. There are no high standards or morals. A lack of leaderships is definitely contributing to all these cover-ups in the military. I would never want my daughter to serve in the Army ,even after i served for 20 years. Its not the same military. We have to many self serving troops and leaders. It’s about their careers and promotions and not about caring and looking out for soldiers.
I served in Irag in 2004-2005. We put locks on our doors to protect us from our own. We had one rape, which was related to me, “AS LITTLE PARTY THAT GOT OUT OF HAND. The girl was beat up so bad, when i saw her the next morning my mind could not even comprehend what had happened to her. She was sent home, the male friend stayed. We also had a soilder killed by another soilder in his room. This was over a girl. That story was changed from the minute the bullet left the gun. The American people have no idea how the military really handles death in a foreign country.
whoever comitted such acts would pay for it no matter when or where justice
will soon ring its bell for this young fellow soldier who died, if she was a member of my family, I would take a trip back to Haiti to take a payback thru a voodoo ceremony with her picture in my hand.