Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Laura Myers | 190215-N-IY469-022 – Lt. Cmdr. Joanna Johnson gets pinned by her mother, Shirley...... read more read more
Two Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) staff members were part of a unique promotion ceremony on Feb. 15. Lt. Cmdr. Joanna Johnson, an NMCP family nurse practitioner, was promoted to commander and her mother, Shirley Russell, also an NMCP family nurse practitioner, pinned her.
Russell served on active duty in the Nurse Corps and retired as a commander from NMCP’s Branch Health Clinic Oceana in 2011. She used her silver oak leaf insignia that she wore when she was on active duty to pin on her daughter’s collar.
“The fact that she held on to it for me, yes they are actually hers,” Johnson said. “It means a lot because you never know how far you're going to come, and when you think about it, it's pretty special.”
Johnson joined the Navy Nurse Corps in 2003 and Russell retired in 2011. They were the only mother-daughter nurse corps members for all those years.
“It's special because I saved it for all these years,” Russell said. “I retired seven years ago and I kept all my devices for her for when she got to that point and this one was special, I kept two, one in my shadow box and one for her.”
Russell said nobody at their commands knew they were mother and daughter until she was asked to be part of the lieutenant ranking board. She had to decline because her daughter was one of the lieutenants. She said everyone was surprised.
“What a legacy, to be able to have your mother as a Navy nurse and to see that legacy continue,” said Capt. Dixie Aune, director for Nursing Services. Aune administered the oath during the promotion ceremony.
| Date Taken: | 02.15.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2019 13:06 |
| Story ID: | 311125 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 462 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, NMCP Staff - Daughter Pinned With Mother’s Silver Oak Leaf, by PO1 Laura Myers, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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