Montgomery Gentry plays for LSA Anaconda troops

Photo By Sgt. Spencer Case | Country music stars Gerald "eddie" Montgomery and Troy Gentry perform for troops at Logistical Support Area Anaconda, March 12.  

03.23.2006

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

The award-winning country music group Montgomery Gentry brought a piece of small-town Kentucky to about 3,800 troops in the Sunni Triangle during a March 12 USO concert.

Artists Gerald Edward "Eddie" Montgomery and Troy Gentry spent over an hour performing hits such as "Something to be Proud of," "She couldn't change me" and "Gone" to a crowd of enthused troops at Logistical Support Area Anaconda's Holt Stadium.

Beleaguered troops say they were more than happy to have something to distract from the stress and the monotony of deployment life.

"It was a good concert," said Spc. Richard Lowther, a radio operator for 1257th Transportation Company who listens to Montgomery Gentry songs on his MP3 player during spare time, "it was real good for morale."

Lowther added that the concert provided a much-needed reprieve from work. "We work seven days a week," he said about his unit. "We had to take a day off to see this concert."

When the show began, the 4,000 seat capacity stadium was almost full. Hundreds more Soldiers, airmen and Marines congregated in front of the stage to get a closer look at the celebrities.

The crowd included several injured servicemembers from the Air Force Theater Hospital who watched from hospital beds. One servicemember was Marine Corps Cpl. Alan Rivera, Company B, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines who was injured by an improvised explosive device in Fallujah. The band presented Rivera with a signed drumstick before the show started.

As the first raw strum of Gentry's guitar resonated through the night air, the sound of screaming troops'some of whom had been waiting over an hour'reached its crescendo. Without further ado, Gentry broke out the beginning chords of the hit song "Gone," followed in rapid succession by "She couldn't change me,"and "My town" to name just a few.

Unlike other performers, this duo kept talking to a minimum throughout most of the show, preferring to let their rousing beats and heartfelt lyrics speak for themselves.

However, at one point, while taking a sip of O'Doul's between songs, Montgomery did take the time to show a sense of humor about the troops" conditions.

"This non-alcoholic beer sucks," Montgomery declared, as hundreds of troops laughed and cheered in agreement.

Montgomery later struck a more serious note.

"I promise you that every stage we go on, we remember you. The people at home remember you. We are so proud of you. " Montgomery told troops after performing the song, "Something to be proud of."

The show was supposed to end with the upbeat rock tune, "Hell, yeah," but when troops demanded one more song, the band acquiesced to the encore. After Montgomery Gentry performed one last tune, several hundred troops remained behind to shake hands and take pictures with the musicians.

As the lingering crowd dwindled, it was clear that the troops who attended the performance would return to their daily routines invigorated by the night of country music they had shared.

• Date Taken: 03.23.2006
• Date Posted: 03.23.2006 12:03
• Story ID: 5821