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A Bitter Anniversary For the Family of a Murdered Soldier
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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 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.
Philip Barron is a St. Louis writer and author of the blog Waveflux.
| Also by Philip Barron | ||||
| Media: War in Iraq a "Lifestyle Issue," Not News Incremental coverage of the war in Iraq downplays the seriousness of the war and does the public a disservice. June 11, 2008. |
What Should John Edwards Do Next? Edwards' chief role in the 2008 presidential race had been that of progressive conscience/gadfly to the two frontrunners. January 30, 2008. |
Soldier Mysteriously Killed in Afghanistan, Family Kept in the Dark, Sound Familiar? Philip Barron: Hopefully Ciara Durkin's family will get a swifter response from the military than LaVena Johnson's has. October 3, 2007. |
Father of Mysteriously Murdered US Soldier in Iraq: "Why Cover Up A Crime Like This?" [VIDEO] At the national convention of Veterans for Peace, the father of PFC LaVena Johnson speaks about her death. August 20, 2007. |
The Dirty Little Secret About Matt Drudge Philip Barron: How one newspaper enlists its readers in a bid for attention from Matt Drudge. August 8, 2007. |