Knee Deep in the Hooah!

She is 74-years old, and is an absolute Southern beauty. She has 21 of her own grandchildren, a legendary Country music career, and is known as having the “countriest of country music lyrics.” Not only is Loretta Lynn all of those things, and so much more to those of us in Tennessee especially, but she was also in Iraq recently entertaining our troops!

When Toy Soldier was deployed he once wrote a blog entry that he and I discussed one evening in the car during his mid-deployment leave. He said to me that night “Country music didn’t make sense to me until I was deployed. Iraq makes Country music make sense!” We talked at great length how (more traditional) Country music really is the most “Americana” sound you can get.

You won’t hear songs philosophizing about the meaning of life, existential angst, the condition of the greater world, or other such things in Country music. We hear about the common life of the common man and woman. We hear about the trials of changing diapers, washing dishes, fixing cars, and not being able to pay our bills on time. We hear about how a father loves his little girl, how a mother misses her son, and how brothers grow up to be friends. We hear the story of our lives or the lives of others we know and love, being told. It’s unique.

I am not a fan of many of the modern day Country singers, but Loretta Lynn was my musical idol when I was growing up. The movie about her life came out and two other friends and myself aspired to be Country singers just like her and Patsy Cline. We even used to put on makeshift concerts. I still love Loretta and I her trip to Iraq doesn’t surprise me. She’s an American lady, and she loves our Country — in turn she loves our troops too.

Country Stars Laura Lynn and Lucas Hoge Rock Q-West
Posted on 01.12.2009 at 03:03AM
By Maj. Scott Cooley
181st Brigade Support Battalion

Country music performers Laura Lynn and Lucas Hoge performed for Soldiers at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center here Jan. 6.

They performed songs by Johnny Cash, Reba McEntire, Jo Dee Messina and others. One of the highlights of the show was a solo acoustic performance by Hoge of the song “POW 369,” written by Stephen Dale Jones and made famous recently by Darryl Worley.

Toward the end of the concert, Laura called for members of the audience to join the band on-stage to help sing the ever-popular Lynyrd Skynyrd song “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Following the concert, Lynn, Hoge and members of the band stayed to sign autographs and visit with many of those in attendance.

“I thought they were very entertaining,” said 1st Lt. Alan Conway, provost marshall officer. “They played a wide variety of songs, and they were very friendly. It was a great show.”

Sgt. 1st Class Shawna Snodgrass, who works in the communication and events section of the Mayor Cell at COB Q-West, said that the band was great to work with.

“They were very excited to be out with Soldiers, and they put on a fantastic concert,” Snodgrass said.

While on COB Q-West, band members were given the chance to see some of the new Army vehicles designed to safeguard Soldiers as they escort convoys, and had the opportunity to fire several weapon systems.

They also got to watch a controlled detonation, which included various captured explosives, conducted by Capt. Daniel Thoman and his explosive ordnance teammembers Staff Sgt. Eugene Pittman, and Sgt. Mark Kergan. LINK