Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp
MNC-I PAO
CONCERT
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq -- To the cheers and delight of thousands of fans, the Charlie Daniels band, on a tour through Iraq and Afghanistan, put on a two-hour performance for Coalition troops near the Camp Victory Sports Oasis Dining Facility, April 10.
Daniels, a North Carolinian, said he enjoys putting on shows for troops, and all his band members jump at the chance to go on a tour like this.
"I told the guys, 'Anyone that doesn't want to go doesn't have to, but would you like to go to Iraq and entertain the troops?' Everybody wanted to go," Daniels said. "There were people that wanted to go, but we just didn't have the room. Everybody was excited about this opportunity and everybody is having a good time."
Daniels and his band put on a show that included timeless favorites like 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia,' 'Legend of Wooly Swamp,' and 'Drinking My Baby Goodbye,' along with other songs using a Daniels-esque mix of country, bluegrass, jazz and blues.
When asked why he does these types of shows and tours, Daniels said "You guys don't get a show everyday. You can't walk down the street and go into a club and here a band play," he said. "That's what makes this so very special for us. We came over here to try and make some people happy, that's all we want to do."
In full desert camouflage and a black Cavalry Stetson hat, Daniels put on a meet and greet with fans after the show. He signed autographs, shook hands and had pictures taken with troops before he and his band members closed out the evening.
Spc. Laura A. Drake, a human resource specialist with Detachment B., 18th Personnel Service Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C., said a show like this boosts morale and allows Soldiers to get away and relax.
"I definitely had a great time," Drake said. "It's a chance to get away and do something fun. Being able to come to something like this lifts all of our spirits. It feels like I'm back home."
Daniels said he and the band let the fans back home know they were coming to do this tour, and asked for their support for all the service members fighting for the United States.
"When we would go to our concert dates back home, I would tell the crowd that we were going to embark on a tour through Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait," Daniels said. "I would tell the crowd, 'We would like to know if you would like to send a message to the troops?'
And the crowd would stand and up and give a thunderous yell, and I said, 'Well tell them you care.' That's what we're doing.
"I'm telling you now," said Daniels. "The people of America care for the troops and they have great respect for their mission; nobody more so than I."
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 04.13.2005 10:05 |
| Story ID: | 1580 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 176 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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