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USO tour strengthened appreciation for America.

Brad Robb, Staff Writer

July 3, 2019

2 Min Read
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Seeing an American flag billowing in the wind conjures up a patriotic feeling.Brad Robb

I did not walk down the aisle to receive my diploma with my graduating high school class.

I did, however, have a pretty darn good reason for missing it, and my parents did not mind one iota. Along with five other young musicians and singers, I was on a commercial jet to Frankfurt, Germany — the first stop on a multi-country three-month United Service Organizations (USO) tour.

The USO is a non-profit, charitable corporation chartered by Congress. Each president has been the honorary chairman of the USO since 1941. While more media coverage and publicity may often be given to USO tours billing Hollywood stars or high-profile musical acts, there have been thousands of young and aspiring musicians, singers, comics, and dancers who have given their time and talents over the years to this worthy organization that does so much to improve the moral of American troops serving overseas.

After dedicating two months to rigorous, late-night practice sessions, we had an hour-long show down like a smooth-ticking Rolex watch. The Memphis Bluegrass Review was ready. After taking off from LaGuardia Airport on a late-afternoon flight, I leaned over to the window, saw the sun disappearing below the horizon fading in the distance and knew for the first time in my life, I was leaving the United States of America.

Although I was not concerned for my safety, I remember a feeling of uncertainty as the jet climbed to altitude on the first leg of a trip designed to entertain U.S. soldiers who were serving their country on small military outposts, often far from cities or towns.

As the tour progressed, it was obvious they were so glad we had come to share our music. Their outpouring of kindness was overwhelming. Their level of patriotism was heartwarming and it made us proud we were Americans playing for Americans.

From Germany, Scotland, and Holland, to Saudi Arabia and Iran, we would land at one place, do our show, spend the night, and were usually gone the next day. The soldiers we met loved telling us where they were from and what their families did back home. More than once we were overcome with sadness as we looked back at them with flags in one hand and waving with the other. We grew to understand the loneliness they felt so far from home.

After our tour was half over, I started to feel that loneliness for my family and America. We were able to speak with our loved ones back at home very infrequently. When we did, the lag time between comments made it very difficult.

As our jet was on final approach to the Memphis Airport, I thought about what I had been through, and thought about what Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz — “There’s no place like home.” God Bless America.

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