The Pfc. LaVena Johnson Petition

Congress must investigate crimes against women soldiers

2008-04-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

The effort to prompt a renewed investigation of the suspicious death in Iraq of PFC LaVena Johnson has always had a strong ally in retired Army Colonel Ann Wright. Today, Col. Wright speaks out on LaVena’s case and that of other military women - in-theater and in the US - who have died following sexual assault. The introduction from the article at CommonDreams.org:

The Department of Defense statistics are alarming — one in three women who join the US military will be sexually assaulted or raped by men in the military. The warnings to women should begin above the doors of the military recruiting stations, as that is where assaults on women in the military begins — before they are even recruited.

But, now, even more alarming, are deaths of women soldiers in Iraq, and in the United States, following rape. The military has characterized each of the deaths of women who were first sexually assaulted as deaths from “non-combat related injuries,” and then added “suicide.” Yet, the families of the women whom the military has declared to have committed suicide, strongly dispute the findings and are calling for further investigations into the deaths of their daughters. Specific US Army units and certain US military bases in Iraq have an inordinate number of women soldiers who have died of “non-combat related injuries,” with several identified as “suicides.”

94 US military women in the military have died in Iraq or during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). 12 US Civilian women have been killed in OIF. 13 US military women have been killed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). 12 US Civilian women have been killed in Afghanistan.

Of the 94 US military women who died in Iraq or in OIF, the military says 36 died from non-combat related injuries, which included vehicle accidents, illness, death by “natural causes,” and self-inflicted gunshot wounds, or suicide. The military has declared the deaths of the Navy women in Bahrain that were killed by a third sailor, as homicides. 5 deaths have been labeled as suicides, but 15 more deaths occurred under extremely suspicious circumstances.

8 women soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas (six from the Fourth Infantry Division and two from the 1st Armored Cavalry Division) have died of “non-combat related injuries” on the same base, Camp Taji, and three were raped before their deaths. Two were raped immediately before their deaths and another raped prior to arriving in Iraq. Two military women have died of suspicious “non-combat related injuries” on Balad base, and one was raped before she died. Four deaths have been classified as “suicides.”

Col. Wright recaps the story of LaVena Johnson in some detail, but also speaks on the “suicides” and “non-combat related injuries” of such personnel as Army Private First Class Tina Priest, PFC Hannah Gunterman McKinney, Major Gloria D. Davis, and others. The prevalence of such deaths and assaults against the women who serve in the military demands earnest investigation by the armed forces - and by Congress, should the services fail in this trust. I highly recommend reading the essay by Col. Wright in its entirety.

The petition is reopened!

2008-04-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

The petition to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees asking the members of those bodies to direct the Army to revisit the investigation of the suspicious death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson is once again open for signatures and supportive comments. This reopening of the petition comes just one day after its announced closing. The reason for the reversal is that LaVena's father, Dr. John Johnson, requested that the petition remain open for a while longer. I am more than happy to oblige him in this.

An earlier goal for this petition effort was ten thousand names; that mark was met and surpassed, and the current count stands at just over twelve thousand signatories. I hope that the additional time given the open period of the petition will result in even more public support for the effort to uncover the truth behind LaVena's death.

No new deadline for the end of the name-gathering phase has set; that info will be posted here and elsewhere as soon as it has been determined.

Thank you, again, for your attention and support.

The petition closes, moves to next phase

2008-04-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

As announced earlier, the name-gathering phase of the LaVena Johnson petition effort has come to an end. The next phase will consist of weeding out duplicate entries, formatting and printing copies of the document, and arranging for their delivery to the members of the two Armed Services Committees.

Information on the status of the petition effort and related news will continue to be posted on on this site.

Many, many thanks to all who have lent their names to this effort. More news to come.

KKFI interview with LaVena Johnson's father

2008-04-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

On a program originally broadcast on August 3, 2007, Tom Klammer - host of Tell Somebody on Kansas City’s KKFI-FM - interviewed LaVena's father, John. Tom has graciously made the interview available for all interested. The interview has been spilt into two parts, each approximately 21 minutes long.

Part one of the interview:

Part two:

As mentioned here earlier, the name gathering for the House and Senate Armed Services petition requesting a re-investigation of LaVena's death comes to a close on Friday, April 18.

LaVena's father goes to Washington

2008-04-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

KMOV in St. Louis reports today that Dr. John Johnson, father of LaVena, will travel to Washington to speak with legislators about his daughter's story.

Johnson will get to tell his story on Wednesday in Washington as congress investigates the war in Iraq.

Johnson will meet with key members and staff of several congressional committees with the help of retired army Colonel Ann Wright who is a 29 year military veteran who is now an anti-war speaker and author.

Wednesday, Johnson will meet some members of congress who will at least listen as he visits Capitol Hill.

Colonel Wright introduced Dr. Johnson when he spoke at the national convention for Veterans for Peace which was held last year in St. Louis.

The article at KMOV also makes note of the petition to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, which closes on Friday, April 18.

Last days of the petition

2008-03-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

The last day of the name-gathering phase of the petition to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees is Friday, April 18. As that day approaches, I'll work on formatting the petition and making arrangements for delivery to the lawmakers on those committees, and will add more names as they appear on the online list.

A note about formatting: The names and comments of the signatories will be included, but ZIP code and state information will not.

I'll post more information about the process in the coming days. Thanks very much for your attention, and for your help in communicating LaVena's story.

Petition note

2008-03-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

My apologies to anyone who tried and failed to access the LaVena petition recently. The yearly membership at the site hosting the petition needed to be renewed. I've done that, and the petition is up and running with no problems. Again, apologies for any inconvenience.

Regarding personal information

2008-01-18T04:47:00.000-08:00

Following the most recent post on the LaVena petition, a correspondent asked for assurance that the names and information of signatories will not be used for other purposes. This is a potential concern that I should have allayed on the day that I launched this petition, and I apologize for not doing so.

To make things clear, then: The names and personal information of petition signatories will not be used for any purpose other than the stated one - appealing to the members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The petition database will be deleted following the successful delivery of the petition.

Other questions on this matter, or other aspects of the petition effort, are welcome.

Update on the LaVena Johnson petition

2008-01-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

It has been some months since I last wrote on the effort to prompt a reinvestigation of the 2005 death in Iraq of Pfc. LaVena Johnson. Though not much has happened on an official level during that time, the Johnson family continues working to bring the story to the attention of the media and other parties. The petition addressed to the Armed Services Committees of the House and Senate has continued to draw interest and signatures, though at a more moderate pace than earlier; the signature count stands at just shy of eleven thousand names.

As the author of the petition, I’ll be collating the names for hard copy publication and will make sure they get into the hands of the members of both committees. I’ve not set a specific date for this final phase of the petition work, but will announce it with plenty of lead time.

In the interim, I’d like to thank again the many kind folks who have lent their names to the petition and have spread word of it on their own weblogs, via email, and in conversations with others. I think I may also speak for the Johnsons in relaying their thanks as well.

Until the day comes when the list goes to the printer, please take a moment to lend your own name to the effort!

National Guardsman's death in Afghanistan troublingly familiar

2007-10-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Someone familiar with the story of LaVena Johnson forwarded to me a Boston Globe story by Noah Bierman that is hauntingly familiar:

Mystery surrounds death of soldier

Quincy woman is called a noncombat casualty

The Massachusetts National Guard soldier from Quincy who died in Afghanistan Friday was found with a single bullet in her head lying near her church on a secure military base, her family said yesterday after a briefing from Army officials.
The Department of Defense said in a statement yesterday that Ciara Durkin's injuries came from a "non-combat related incident" that is under investigation. The statement contradicts a Sunday statement from the Massachusetts Army National Guard that said Durkin, an Army specialist, was killed in action. A guard spokesman said the term was meant to imply that Durkin was deployed in Afghanistan at the time of her death.
"We're completely in the dark," said Pierce Durkin, the soldier's 28-year-old brother. "Patience is probably dissipating."
Family members, who are pushing for more information from Army officials, are girding for the possibility that Ciara (pronounced Kee-ra) Durkin was killed by a fellow service member, intentionally or accidentally, at the Bagram Airfield. They said they are confident that she did not commit suicide.

From the death of a female soldier in the relative security of her own base to conflicting statements and clumsy parsing of language by authorities to the certainty of a grieving family that its daughter did not take her own life - we have seen this before.

It is to be hoped that the family of Ciara Durkin meets with a swifter and more transparent response from the military than has the family of LaVena Johnson.

Thanks to an Obama supporter, and a question about Hillary Clinton

2007-09-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

It is a pleasure to note that The Barack Obama Report - a campaign blog independent of the senator's official presidential effort - has written about LaVena Johnson. The post, the concern it evinces for soldiers and their families, and the attention it will bring to LaVena's story, are all greatly appreciated.

However, the blog post does bring a question to mind regarding another presidential contender: Senator Hillary Clinton.

A convergence of circumstances places the junior senator from New York in a unique position. She is one of the most prominent members of the majority party in Congress. She is the leading Democratic presidential contender. She is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee - one of the two legislative bodies to which the LaVena Johnson petition is addressed. These factors make for a compelling argument that Senator Clinton should bring her support to the Johnson family and its efforts to launch a new investigation of the circumstances surrounding LaVena's death in Iraq.

Of all the presidential candidates, Democratic or Republican, only Senator Clinton is in an official position - right now - to bring influence to bear on the Army. Even in purely political terms, the opportunity to demonstrate support for military families and their loved ones in service should be clear to all.

It is to be hoped that the senator from New York has sufficient concern for soldiers that she will lend the Johnsons her support in the name of all service families who have given so much, and whose search for the truth about their daughters, sons, fathers, and mothers is too often lost in the fog of war.

Constituents of Hillary Clinton who share this hope are invited to express their feelings to the senator herself by way of email, or via the addresses (district office recommended) or phone or fax numbers below:

District office
780 Third Ave
Suite 2601
New York, NY 10017
Phone (212) 688-6262
Fax (212) 688-7444

D.C. office
United States Senate
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone (202) 224-4451
Fax (202) 228-0282

Elaine Johnson at Veterans for Peace convention

2007-09-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

In the accompanying video, Gold Star Mother Elaine Johnson speaks about the death in Iraq of her son, Spc. Darius T. Jennings, and issues a challenge to President George Bush - and to the Democrats. Her remarks took place in St. Louis at the 22nd national convention of Veterans for Peace. (Elaine is no relation to Dr. John Johnson - father to Pfc. LaVena Johnson - who spoke at the same VFP event.)

Ups and downs, and thanks

2007-08-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

It was clear from the outset of this petition project that this was going to be a long haul endeavor. There are so many stories and events that compete for our interest, and media at large is so predictably sluggish and unresponsive, that it can take a long while for any narrative to gain traction. Also, public attention tends to come in spurts, with long empty stretches in which it seems that no one is paying much heed. All the more reason, then, to be heartened when the attention level is high and responses come fast and furious. That's where we stand today with news of LaVena's story, and I'm grateful for everyone brought here via weblogs, online magazines, message boards, email, and old-fashioned word of mouth.

It's your collective voice that will bring the Johnson family the official help they need.

Thank you.

Dr. John Johnson speaks on LaVena's death at VFP event

2007-08-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

The father of PFC LaVena Lynn Johnson, Dr. John Johnson of Florissant, Missouri.

Dr. Johnson spoke last Friday at the Veterans for Peace speakout on sexual assault in the military outside the Robert A. Young Federal Building in downtown St. Louis. This was just one of many events and workshops comprising the 22nd annual national convention of VFP. More material relating to the convention will be posted here as soon as I can get to it.

In the video embedded here, Dr. Johnson talks about learning of LaVena's death, his suspicions about how she died, and the family's attempts to get the Army to reopen its investigation. He is introduced by antiwar activist and retired Army colonel Ann Wright.

As always, I ask you to help the Johnson family by signing the petition to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, and by directly contacting your Senator or Representative on those legislative bodies. Thank you.

Postings to come on Veterans for Peace events

2007-08-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Just returned from the Veterans for Peace addresses on sexual assault in the military. I'll be posting on the remarks made by LaVena Johnson's father, Dr. John Johnson - as well as some other material - over the weekend.

Incidentally: Today marked my first face-to-face meeting with Dr. Johnson. We chatted for a brief while before the speeches began. Issues of the day aside, he and the family are doing well. More to come.

Welcome (back), Crooks & Liars readers

2007-08-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Bill Wolfrum, guest-blogging at Crooks & Liars, for including us in his blog roundup. He noted that LaVena's father, Dr. John Johnson, will be speaking Friday at the Veterans for Peace convention in St. Louis (as posted here yesterday).

This is the second time that C&L has brought needed attention to LaVena's story. The support is greatly appreciated.

LaVena Johnson's father to speak at Veterans for Peace national convention

2007-08-14T05:52:00.001-07:00

As part of its 22nd annual national convention taking place in St. Louis, Veterans for Peace will hold a press conference on sexual assault in the military on Friday, August 17, 12:30 - 1:45 pm Central. The event will be held outside the Robert A. Young Federal Building, 1222 Spruce Street. Among the participants will be Dr. John Johnson, father of PFC LaVena Johnson, the area soldier who died under clouded circumstances in Iraq two years ago. Other scheduled participants include:

Sara Rich, mother of Suzanne Swift, victim of rape while in the US military in Iraq
Maricella Guzman, victim of sexual assault while in the US military
Michael McPherson, Executive Director of Veterans for Peace and veteran of the US Army and Gulf War I
Sharon Kufeldt, Veteran of Vietnam War and Vice-President of Veterans for Peace
Ellen Barfield, served in Korea and former Vice-President of Veterans for Peace
Ann Wright, Colonel, Retired, US Army Reserves

From the VFP press release on the press conference:

Sexual assault and rape of women and men in the US military increased so dramatically during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that in 2005 then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld formed a task force on sexual assault.
Nearly one-third of a nationwide sample of women veterans who sought health care through the Veterans Administration said they experience rape or attempted rape during their service. Of that group, 37 percent said they were raped multiple times and 14 percent reported they were gang-raped. Department of Defense has been reluctant to release statistics on sexual assault of men in the military, but anecdotal evidence indicates that the statistics are alarmingly high.

Over the past 10 years, more than 700 US Army Recruiters have been accused of sexual misconduct or rape.

60 years of US military studies and task forces since women began entering the military in larger numbers have not lessened the incidents of assault and rape.

We call on the Department of Defense and the US Military Recruiting Commands and the Military Entrance Processing Stations to formally notify women and men of the statistics on the incidence of the criminal acts of sexual assault and rape of women and men in the military committed by fellow members of the military, many in their chain of command.

Links to additional information on sexual assault in the military may be found at the VFP National Convention media page (scroll down to 'References for Sexual Assault Press Conference').

Thanks to the MeFi community!

2007-08-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

I am very grateful to toma, who brought the story of LaVena Johnson to the great hive mind of MetaFilter. (On a personal note: this was a welcome sight indeed, coming as it did after a lengthy round of oral surgery this morning.) I appeal to new readers here for their signatures on the petition to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, and just a bit more of their time, enough to an email or postal letter or to place a phone call directly to their legislator on those committees.

This is very heartening, especially as it follows a surge of attention and interest generated by Kansas City radio host Tom Klammer's interview of LaVena's father, Dr. John Johnson, on station KKFI FM 90.1.

Readers are invited to visit the MySpace site of Jimi Wilson, who has posted a substantial piece of advocacy on behalf of LaVena, written from the viewpoint of a veteran. I learned of this post just this morning.

Thanks to everyone who has helped to raise LaVena's story to the level of visibiilty it deserves. Your efforts will help ensure that justice will be done in her name, and for her family.

Welcome, Stumblers!

2007-07-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Many, many thanks to wordylefty who reviewed at StumbleUpon my most recent AlterNet post on LaVena, and thanks also to the many people who have, ah, Stumbled on in. Your support is most appreciated!

Ten thousand birthday wishes

2007-07-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Today, July 27th, marks what should have been a joyous celebration, perhaps including a party filled with family and friends. Today would have been LaVena Lynn Johnson's 22nd birthday.

The month of July also marks another solemn milestone.

Two years ago this month the body of PFC Johnson was returned to her family and laid to rest, but there can be no rest for her family and friends. The military continues to claim that LaVena took her own life while serving in Iraq, despite several indications to the contrary.

The details of LaVena's death have been shrouded in lies and deception - the kind of official obfuscation that surrounds the death of Cpl. Pat Tillman and other fallen soldiers. Let’s honor PFC LaVena Johnson with a push for ten thousand signatures on the petition to reopen the investigation into her death.

LaVena Johnson story reaches the United Kingdom

2007-06-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

The UK-based news and activism site, NewsInkling, has posted a story on the case of Pfc. LaVena Johnson. The story's author, Waterflake, draws on the recent report by the Center for Media and Democracy, "War vs. Democracy: Untold Stories from the Lynch / Tillman Hearing." The piece was co-authored by SP Biloxi of Justice League who has also written about LaVena. Many thanks to the both of them!

By way of comparison

2007-06-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

The petition asking that the Senate and House Armed Services Committees compel the Army to investigate anew the death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson stands at just over 3500 names at the moment. It has taken some three months to reach this point.

The petition to change the logo for the London 2012 Olympics passed 10,000 signatures in less than a day.

"Worth the risk?": How the media chooses between sponsorship and the truth

2007-05-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Bullpen of New York University's Department of Journalism provides an illustrative tale for anyone wondering about the lack of coverage of the LaVena Johnson case in the mainstream media. Alexandra Zendrian recounts a sobering story told by Vanessa Bush, executive editor of Essence:

Sometimes conflicts of interest arise when editors plan to run a story that involves an advertiser. Bush shared one such situation with students. The story in question was a wrongful death case involving the U.S. Army. Essence wanted to run an article in their February 2006 issue about Private First Class LaVena Johnson, who the Army said had shot and killed herself. But Johnson’s family was convinced that she had been brutally beaten, and intended to bring a wrongful death case against the Army. Because the Army is one of Essence’s biggest advertisers, the magazine had to consider whether running the article was worth the risk of losing the Army’s valuable advertising dollars.
In the end, they struck a compromise: the Army agreed to continue advertising in Essence and simply pulled their ads from that month’s issue. But it was a close call, Bush said, adding that “advertisers will walk away in a heartbeat.”

It is to the credit of Essence and its editors that the story made its way to print, but the "closeness" of the call is troubling. It is disturbingly easy to imagine other media outlets choosing to look the other way, ignoring LaVena's story in the name of advertising dollars.

"Flags of our daughters"

2007-05-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ann McGlynn of the Quad-City Times takes note of LaVena Johnson in a group of profiles of the nine American women soldiers under the age of 20 who have died in Iraq. The material on LaVena is based on an interview with LaVena's parents, John and Linda.

LaVena had been in Iraq for eight weeks when she called and talked to her mother July 17, 2005. They talked for an hour about plans for Christmas and the new job she was going to be starting in Iraq.

“We were talking and making plans and laughing,” Linda Johnson said. “There was no distress or anything like that.”

They told each other “I love you” over and over again.

Two Army officials knocked on the Johnsons’ door 48 hours later to tell them LaVena, 19, had died.

“That was the beginning of our hell,” Linda Johnson said.

The Army told them LaVena committed suicide. The Johnsons believe the evidence shows she was murdered.

New template for petition site

2007-05-27T03:58:00.000-07:00

The layout of this website has been changed for enhanced readability and flexibility. Credit for the new design is posted at the bottom of the page.

Further modifications and additions are in the making and will be announced in due course.