Country music's Angry American gives troops taste of home over Memorial Day weekend

Photo By Sgt. Kristin Kemplin | Toby Keith's Memorial Day performance at Freedom Rest featured hits 'I Love This Bar,' and 'As Good As I Once Was.' This is Keith's fourth tour in Iraq with the United Services Organization.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

06.07.2006

Courtesy Story

363rd Public Affairs Detachment

BAGHDAD --Three quarters of the way through his whirlwind concert tour, country singer Toby Keith swept into Baghdad's International Zone to perform for troops at Freedom Rest for a special Memorial Day concert.

Perched on rooftops, gazebos, diving boards and filling every inch of concrete space in the courtyard, 1,300 Soldiers, Marines, airmen and seamen braved the heat to listen to the country star perform favorites like "I Love This Bar," "As Good as I Once Was" and "Get Drunk and Be Somebody."

Songwriter Keith and writing partner Scotty Emerick played patriotic tunes that have become a staple of Keith's performances, like "American Soldier," and the controversial "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."

The Clinton, Okla., native spent Memorial Day weekend in a whirlwind 9-show, 60-hour concert tour throughout Iraq, including performances in Tikrit, Kirkuk, Balad, Mosul, Fallujah and Q-West. Keith said he felt it important to continue touring for troops three years into the war because 'they still need someone to come hug their neck, shake their hand and show them that we still support them."

Keith, whose father was an Army veteran, also praised Soldiers who reenlisted in the war zone, saying "it takes an amazing individual to stay in the hot zone."

Capt. Jonathan Johnson, 4th Infantry Division's engineer battle captain and fan of Keith, said he felt it was a good show of support to see Keith here over Memorial Day weekend visiting troops. Johnson, a native of Lafayette, La., said it impressed him that Keith, one of a handful of artists traveling with the United Services Organization, also performs for troops at smaller camps and forward operating bases often overlooked on concert tours throughout Iraq.

Keith said he hopes to bring back his experiences in Iraq to show Americans that what they see on television is only half of the story. "There is so much going on with the building of this infrastructure," said the country singer. "Little by little, democracy is setting in."

Keith said he believes the Iraqi police and Iraqi army still have obstacles to overcome "but they just keep kicking doors down to make it happen."

This is Keith's fourth USO tour performing for troops stationed in the Middle East.

The tour also included performances for troops in Germany and Djibouti. Keith now heads back to the States to resume his summer tour schedule.

• Date Taken: 06.07.2006
• Date Posted: 06.07.2006 09:24
• Story ID: 6711
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ