Photo By Master Sgt. Jerry Saslav | Staff Sgt. Jeffrey W. Bishop, a native of New Albany, Ind., who serves as signal...... read more read more
By Sgt. Jerry Saslav
926th Engineer Brigade
JOINT SECUIRTY STATION SADR CITY, Iraq – It was an average August day in Iraq. The temperature was over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. A small crowd of 50 Soldiers, weapons and full battle rattle placed nearby, were seated on in a loose semi-circle, waiting.
Scott Kennedy, a native of Lubbock, Texas, walked up and faced the troops. "I know you guys have long, hot and busy days. Thank you for taking the time to be here," said Kennedy.
A United Service Organization sponsored comedy tour had come to Joint Security Station Sadr City.
"We primarily go out to [patrol bases] and [forward operating bases] and [combat operating posts] that don't normally get entertainment," said Kennedy.
"We want you guy's to laugh, have a good time and pretend that you're back at home for a little bit," Kennedy told the crowd. "You're here at the Sadr City Comedy Club!"
This is Scott Kennedy's 21st trip to Iraq. He never served in the military.
Kennedy has two nephews in the Marines. They both served two tours in Iraq. "They told me nobody ever came out to entertain them. So when we put this tour together, "Comics ready to entertain," I specifically ask to, whenever possible, to go out to places, patrol bases, COPs, FOBs, places where maybe they don't get anything," said Kennedy.
This past February he began coming to Iraq twelve days a month, he brings two fellow comics with him.
"You guys are out here in places like Sadr City, working really hard," said Kennedy. His aim is to give the troops "a little break in the day, recharge some batteries, a little taste of home."
"I've met some of the greatest guy's in the world," Kennedy said. "The greatest human beings in the world are serving our country, and I frankly got tired of saying 'thank you,' in the airport."
"They [the troops] see a Black Hawk and they think it's a [medical evacuation]. They don't get anybody come visit them," said Kennedy. "They're always surprised, and the smile on their faces is enough. They have nothing out there and they'll give you the shirt off their back."
That happened to Kennedy on Friday, Aug. 23, 2008. An non-commissioned officer took off the unit shirt he was wearing and gave it to Kennedy.
"I've run into guy's here that I've done shows for in Afghanistan, and I run into them here and it's almost like an old long-lost brother," said Kennedy.
For this show, Staff Sgt. Jonathon Brown was the long lost brother. Brown met Kennedy at COP Cobra in Afghanistan in 2004.
"I wouldn't expect somebody like that to remember me, you know just one guy. He's an unforgettable face, hilarious as all get out," said Brown, a native of Dayton, Texas, who serves as a squad leader for the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
"There was just four little dirt walls in Afghanistan, and he shows up. I went up to him.... when I first saw him and as soon as I told him about COP Cobra, he said he remembered it right off the back," said Brown. "He said it was one of his most memorable shows that he's done for the USO. That really touched base with me. It was my first real-world deployment. It was my first home overseas and it really touched base with me that he remembered my home. It was good."
Seeing Staff Sgt. Brown pumped up Scott Kennedy and brought back memories.
"That [COP Cobra] was one of the tiniest, in the middle of nowhere, it had nothing, and they had absolutely nothing, and they were the best group of guys," said Kennedy. "There wasn't even a wall, I mean they were still digging in, there was no bathroom, there was nothing. When I got home I sent them a humongous care package. I'm trying to think, what do you send these guys? They have nothing! I sent them some popcorn that you heat up over the stove, I mean they had fire! I never heard if they got it. I've never seen anybody since 2004 from Cobra. I had the whole cast from "Will and Grace" sign cast photo's and stuff. I never heard if they got it. He said 'Yes they got it." They put the photos up in the Tactical Operations Center," said Kennedy.
The "stage" for this show was a concrete pad under a camouflaged net.
"It's not a comedy club, eight o'clock at night in air-conditioning with a beer," said Kennedy. "[The troops] are in the hot sun with battle rattle and a near beer, maybe, on a good day. I have more comics who want to come than I can bring. There's never a shortage of people who want to come,"
One of those people was comedian Dan Naturman. This was his first time in Iraq.
"You can't really compare this to anything else, it's a whole new ball of wax," said Naturman, a native of New York City. "It's what little I can do to contribute."
Naturman was the first comic up. He loosened up the troops.
"We need it, troops need it. It takes away from some of the rigmarole that we have to go through," said Staff. Sgt. Brown. "It was an awesome USO show."
Next up was Beth Sherman, a native of Philadelphia. She is a writer for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
"It's like I walked into the television set coming here, because that's the only connection at home with the news," said Sherman. "I read the paper, I watch the news, I write topical comedy for a living. It [Iraq] didn't have a personal connection, but now it has the most personal connection to me"
Sherman has known Kennedy for years. When she found out that he was going to Iraq she wanted to join him.
"It's been an eye opener; I've wanted to go for a while. I'm a comic, I have a lot of friends who have been here, and they say it's unbelievable. People will spend a lot of time thanking you."
And the troops did thank them.
"It was good. It was nice to have a break from the humdrum rituals that we do every day," said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Bishop, a native of New Albany, Ind., who serves as signal NCO for Task Force Gold, 926th Engineer Brigade, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
"I was really surprised when I heard they were coming out, but then I got to thinking 'It's not that bad. They've probably been to worse places," said Bishop.
"We're making a lot of progress over here and it's great to see. I mean, we're in Sadr City," said Kennedy. "I mean eight, nine months ago I don't think I could say 'I'm in Sadr City'. We're here now and we're doing a comedy show. Progress, good things are happening,"
After the show the troops presented the comics with a very Iraq gift....T-Walls. While the comics signed autographs, the comics asked the troops to sign their T-Walls.
"You guys thank us and it's like, we just tell jokes for 15 minutes, you guys are here, you guys are here," said Sherman humbly. "You've left your families, you've left your homes and you've made this commitment to serve our country. It's the least we can do is to come here,"
"If you say you're going to support the troops, then support them if there's something you can do, and there is something I can do, which is perform," said Kennedy. " So that's what I do, come over here and give them a break for an hour or two hours or whatever we can do,"
Kennedy said he will come to Iraq "as long as there's guys here."
"All my heroes are here," said Kennedy." My heroes aren't on TV, there here, they wear uniforms."
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2008 13:42 |
| Story ID: | 23376 |
| Location: | SADR CITY, IQ |
| Web Views: | 239 |
| Downloads: | 216 |
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