When will Congress stand up for Pfc. LaVena Johnson?
From yesterday's Associated Press article on a U.S. House committee's quest for honest answers for two military families:
"After successive failed Department of Defense and Army
inquiries, only a comprehensive, unrelenting congressional
investigation can do justice to Pat's memory, and restore service
members' confidence in their chain of command," said Rep. Mike Honda, a
Democrat who represents the Tillman family's San Jose district. "I will
not rest until the unvarnished truth - no matter where it leads - is
brought to light."
If only Mike Honda represented the Florissant, MO family of Pfc. LaVena Johnson.
It has taken the glare of notoriety and the force of public
attention to finally bring the cases of Cpl. Pat Tillman and Pfc.
Jessica Lynch to the point where Congress has declared its intent to
uncover the facts behind the official deceptions in both cases - and
even with that, it has taken years to get here. What solace does this
give other service families who rightly question what they have been
told about their loved ones in uniform? What lesson can be drawn by the
parents of LaVena Johnson, whose death under clouded circumstances was
written off as suicide by Army officials who have repeatedly refused
calls for a reinvestigation of the case?
What does this tell the families of soldiers who aren't famous, whose names aren't known by the Associated Press or the New York Times or CNN?
The declared intent of the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform to explore the cases of Cpl. Tillman and Pfc. Lynch
is both laudable and overdue. The announcement that the House Armed
Services Committee is "considering" looking into the Tillman case is
welcome news - and, again, overdue. These announcements, belated as
they are, show us one thing clearly: it is up to a concerned public to
remind Congress of its duty toward other service families, those beyond
the media spotlight. You can help to make a start by signing the Pfc. LaVena Johnson petition, and - of equal importance - by directly contacting your Senator or Representative on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
Congress clearly needs your leadership on this.


