Georgia father who sought revenge in Iraq is back home
KATE BRUMBACK
Associated Press
ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. - National Guard member Joe Johnson volunteered to go to Iraq to avenge his son's death. But what he saw there caused a change of heart.
Johnson was horrified by the extreme poverty. The friendliness of the people and the grateful smiles of Iraqi children weakened his desire for revenge and made him want to help instead.
At a ceremony Friday, two months after Johnson's return from his eight-month tour, the state of Georgia dedicated an rural north Georgia interchange to the memory of his son. Justin Johnson, 22, was killed by a roadside bomb in April 2004, just 12 days after arriving in Iraq.
"I believe the Lord changed my heart because I do have a heart for the children," Johnson said after the ceremony.
His wife, Jan, said she told her husband before he left that killing Iraqis was never going to bring Justin back. However, she recognized that going to Iraq was something he had to do to start healing.
When he called his wife from Iraq, Joe told her about passing out candy and school supplies to the children.
"The old Joe is coming back," she said to herself. "It was a good thing. The kids won him over."
Joe acknowledged the transformation. He credited God with knowing what he needed.
"The kids changed me," he said. "I still had hate in my heart for Muslim people, for the insurgents, but the Lord changed me."
Joe, 48, has always had a soft spot for children, Jan said. The two have done missionary work in Central and South America, including volunteering in an orphanage in Ecuador and other work in Peru, Honduras and the Bahamas.
In fact, they were in Ecuador shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when Justin called and told Joe to come home quickly to go with him to the Army recruiter's office. Soon after his son enlisted, Joe discovered that, at 44, he was still young enough to join up.
He had served six years in the Army and Navy when he was younger but had never seen combat. In 2003, he joined the National Guard and wanted to go to Iraq while his son was there. He figured joining Justin overseas would be easier on his wife than the two having separate tours.
He was training in Fort Lewis, Wash., when the news of Justin's death came on Easter morning. He decided to stay home with his distraught wife for a while.
His desire to go to Iraq grew stronger than before. A year later, Cpl. Joe Johnson left for war.
When he arrived in Taji, Iraq, his National Guard unit was charged with civilian affairs.
"In a lot of the areas we went into, we weren't rebuilding the country, we were starting from scratch," he said.
He was overwhelmed by the welcome he and the other soldiers received from children and adults alike. He said the majority of the people he came into contact with were happy to see the American soldiers.
Jan said she believes God planned for Joe to start out with a civilian mission in order to soften him up and keep him grounded before sending him into combat.
Joe said that, though he initially wanted to be in Iraq at the same time as Justin, God knew it wouldn't be good for him to be there when Justin was killed. He said there's no telling what he might have done, that he might have just gone out and started shooting people at random.
On Friday, the weather was perfect - bright and sunny but not too hot and muggy - for the ceremony dedicating the intersection of state Highways 53 and 140, near where Justin grew up and 20 miles from the Johnson's current family home in Lyerly.
The dedication of the "SPC Justin W. Johnson Memorial Interchange" began with the arrival of about 130 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders. It also featured a flyover by a Black Hawk helicopter, a performance by the Rome Fire Department Pipe and Drum Corps, and speeches by various elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey.
Jan and Joe sat on the temporary stage with their other children, 27-year-old twins, Josh and Joleen. Josh is a member of the Army's Special Forces, and his mother worries that he may soon be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
"This is rough," Jan said, choking back tears as she addressed the crowd of roughly 200 people gathered by the side of the busy road. "I just want to say that yes, we're honored to have this interchange named after Justin ... but I want it dedicated to all our fallen soldiers of the past, present and future."
Link Here
Associated Press
ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. - National Guard member Joe Johnson volunteered to go to Iraq to avenge his son's death. But what he saw there caused a change of heart.
Johnson was horrified by the extreme poverty. The friendliness of the people and the grateful smiles of Iraqi children weakened his desire for revenge and made him want to help instead.
At a ceremony Friday, two months after Johnson's return from his eight-month tour, the state of Georgia dedicated an rural north Georgia interchange to the memory of his son. Justin Johnson, 22, was killed by a roadside bomb in April 2004, just 12 days after arriving in Iraq.
"I believe the Lord changed my heart because I do have a heart for the children," Johnson said after the ceremony.
His wife, Jan, said she told her husband before he left that killing Iraqis was never going to bring Justin back. However, she recognized that going to Iraq was something he had to do to start healing.
When he called his wife from Iraq, Joe told her about passing out candy and school supplies to the children.
"The old Joe is coming back," she said to herself. "It was a good thing. The kids won him over."
Joe acknowledged the transformation. He credited God with knowing what he needed.
"The kids changed me," he said. "I still had hate in my heart for Muslim people, for the insurgents, but the Lord changed me."
Joe, 48, has always had a soft spot for children, Jan said. The two have done missionary work in Central and South America, including volunteering in an orphanage in Ecuador and other work in Peru, Honduras and the Bahamas.
In fact, they were in Ecuador shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when Justin called and told Joe to come home quickly to go with him to the Army recruiter's office. Soon after his son enlisted, Joe discovered that, at 44, he was still young enough to join up.
He had served six years in the Army and Navy when he was younger but had never seen combat. In 2003, he joined the National Guard and wanted to go to Iraq while his son was there. He figured joining Justin overseas would be easier on his wife than the two having separate tours.
He was training in Fort Lewis, Wash., when the news of Justin's death came on Easter morning. He decided to stay home with his distraught wife for a while.
His desire to go to Iraq grew stronger than before. A year later, Cpl. Joe Johnson left for war.
When he arrived in Taji, Iraq, his National Guard unit was charged with civilian affairs.
"In a lot of the areas we went into, we weren't rebuilding the country, we were starting from scratch," he said.
He was overwhelmed by the welcome he and the other soldiers received from children and adults alike. He said the majority of the people he came into contact with were happy to see the American soldiers.
Jan said she believes God planned for Joe to start out with a civilian mission in order to soften him up and keep him grounded before sending him into combat.
Joe said that, though he initially wanted to be in Iraq at the same time as Justin, God knew it wouldn't be good for him to be there when Justin was killed. He said there's no telling what he might have done, that he might have just gone out and started shooting people at random.
On Friday, the weather was perfect - bright and sunny but not too hot and muggy - for the ceremony dedicating the intersection of state Highways 53 and 140, near where Justin grew up and 20 miles from the Johnson's current family home in Lyerly.
The dedication of the "SPC Justin W. Johnson Memorial Interchange" began with the arrival of about 130 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders. It also featured a flyover by a Black Hawk helicopter, a performance by the Rome Fire Department Pipe and Drum Corps, and speeches by various elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey.
Jan and Joe sat on the temporary stage with their other children, 27-year-old twins, Josh and Joleen. Josh is a member of the Army's Special Forces, and his mother worries that he may soon be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
"This is rough," Jan said, choking back tears as she addressed the crowd of roughly 200 people gathered by the side of the busy road. "I just want to say that yes, we're honored to have this interchange named after Justin ... but I want it dedicated to all our fallen soldiers of the past, present and future."
Link Here
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