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A Tribute to Sam JohnsonTHE HONORABLE SAM JOHNSON
SAM JOHNSON'S FAVORITE SCRIPTURE IS ISAIAH 40:29-31 "HE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE FAINTING: FOR THE WEAK HE MAKES VIGOR ABOUND. THOUGH YOUNG MEN FAINT AND GROW WEARY, AND YOUTHS STAGGER AND FALL, THEY THAT HOPE IN THE LORD WILL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH, THEY WILL SOAR AS WITH EAGLE'S WINGS; THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY, WALK AND NOT GROW FAINT."
IN THE YEARS BEFORE VIETNAM, SAM AND SHIRLEY REARED THEIR FAMILY IN NEVADA, FRANCE AND ENGLAND. THEY MOVED TO PLANO TO BE NEAR SHIRLEY'S FAMILY WHEN SAM RECEIVED ORDERS TO VIETNAM. THEY BOUGHT A HOME AND BEGAN TO GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. SEVEN MONTHS LATER, SAM WAS SHOT DOWN IN NORTH VIETMAN. SHIRLEY KNEW THAT KEEPING THEIR FAMILY STRONG AND TOGETHER WOULD BE A DIFFICULT CHALLENGE, BUT SHE RELIED ON HER FAITH IN GOD TO GIVE HER THE STRENGTH TO CARRY ON WITHOUT HIM. SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST WIVES TO BECOME ACTIVE IN TEXAS, PUBLICALLY PETITIONING TO BRING THE POW'S HOME. SHE GAVE SPEECHES TO SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND BUSINESS GROUPS AND JOINED OTHER WIVES OF POW/MIA'S ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO WERE DOING THE SAME. THANKS TO SHIRLEY'S COMMITMENT TO SAM AND THEIR FAMILY, HE RETURNED HOME TO A CLOSE-KNIT, THRIVING AND LOVING FAMILY. NOW THEIR CHILDREN ARE GROWN. BOB HAS 2 CHILDREN. GINI AND JIM MULLIGAN, WHOSE DAD WAS A POW WITH SAM, HAVE 6, AND BEVERLY AND SCOTT BRINEY HAVE 2.
HE GIVES ALL THE CREDIT TO CHRIST FOR HIS RETURN AND HONORS HIM FOR THE LESSONS LEARNED AND FOR THE PROTECTION WHICH CHRIST GAVE TO HIS FAMILY. THEY STOOD SAM IN FRONT OF A FIRING SQUAD AND HIS WORDS WERE: "I LOVE YOU, JESUS", AND HE AND SHIRLEY DO.
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WE WOULD LIKE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN SAM JOHNSON ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS RELEASE FROM A NORTH VIETMANESE PRISONCAMP. SERVING 29 YEARS IN THE AIR FORCE, COLONEL JOHNSON WAS DIRECTOR OF THE TOP GUN SCHOOL AND FLEW WITH THE AIR FORCE THUNDERBIRDS PRECISION FLYING DEMONSTRATION TEAM. IN 1966, MR. JOHNSON'S F-4 WAS SHOT DOWN OVER NORTH VIETNAM.
THE JOY OF THE LORD WAS PRESENT AT SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE ON FEBRUARY 14, 1973, WHEN SAM ARRIVED HOME TO BE WITH HIS FAMILY AGAIN AFTER ALMOST 7 YEARS AS A PRISONER OF WAR IN HANOI, NORTH VIETMAN; 3 1/2 YEARS IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. THOSE YEARS COMPRISED 2 YEARS OF NOT KNOWING IF HE WAS DEAD OR ALIVE, 2 MORE YEARS OF NOT HEARING FROM HIM DIRECTLY, AND 3 MORE OF WONDERING IF HE WOULD RETURN. AS HE STEPPED OFF THE C117, HIS FAMILY WAITED WHILE HE MADE A STATEMENT TO THE PRESS AND THEN RAN TO MEET HIM. HIS CHILDREN, BOB, GINI AND BEVERLY, ALLOWED SHIRLEY TO GET THE FIRST HUG, BUT THESE 3 GROWN CHILDREN, WHO WERE 21, 19 AND 16, SURROUNDED THE FATHER THEY HAD NOT SEEN SINCE THEY WERE 14, 12 AND 9 YEARS OF AGE. SHIRLEY CAN HARDLY KEEP FROM CRYING TEARS OF JOY AND AMAZEMENT WHEN SHE RECALLS THAT DAY.
SAM AND SHIRLEY HAVE COME TO ANOTHER TIME OF SERVING THEIR COUNTRY IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. IT IS A BLESSING FROM GOD. A BLESSING BECAUSE SAM CONTINUES TO TELL THE STORY OF THE HORRORS AND HOPE, THE COURAGE AND ANSWERS TO PRAYER, THE BOLDNESS OF NOT BEING AFRAID AND RENEWED STRENGTH WHEN THERE WAS NONE.
CONGRESSMAN JOHNSON IS THE RECIPIENT OF NUMEROUS MEDALS INCLUDING TWO SILVER STARS, TWO LEGIONS OF MERIT, THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, FOUR AIR MEDALS AND TWO PURPLE HEARTS -- HE IS AN AUTHENTIC AMERICAN HERO WHO CHAMPIONS PRO-LIFE AND PRO-FAMILY POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TEXANS UNITED FOR LIFE, IT OUR MY GREAT HONOR TO AWARD THE 1998 DEFENDER OF LIFE AWARD TO THE HONORABLE SAM JOHNSON, U.S. CONGRESSMAN -- A HERO OF OUR TIME.