CONGRESSWOMAN EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON RECOGNIZES THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GENERAL IN THE U.S. MILITARY SERVICES

Washington, DC – (Wednesday, November 16) – Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson introduced a bill to honor General Brigadier Hazel Winifred Johnson-Brown, the first African American woman to hold the rank of General in the U.S. Military Services and the first African American to hold the position of Chief of the Army Nurse Corps.

General Johnson-Brown held numerous leadership positions in the Army, including Director of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing and Chief Nurse of the Army Hospital in Seoul, Korea. General Johnson-Brown was awarded for her service through the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

“As we conclude Veterans Day 2011, let us not forget to recognize General Johnson-Brown’s service to our country as a significant trailblazer in the military and an example of achieving racial and gender equality throughout the tenure of her career. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this resolution honoring the distinguished career of General Johnson-Brown and her leadership contributions to the nursing profession,” Congresswoman Johnson said.

This resolution is currently supported by the American Nurses Association and the National Nursing Network Organization.

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek,Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.