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United States News Title: The Pledge of Allegiance [ BIG AND RICH] Proud Son of 173d Airborne Soldier Well I am going to start this off with a little back ground history and my apologize to anyone I piss off. First off we all know that Big & Rich have a song call "The 8th of November" well I happen to be a son of one of the soldiers that was in that battle. My father knows Niel Harris and is now helping him with some of the PR for the song and the story. Anyways I very proud of my father and all the guys that were in Vietnam and it has been a passion of mine to make sure I knew everything I could about my fathers unit " 173d 1/503 Airborne " since I was a kid in school. Big & Rich along with Kenny Chesney, Cowboy Troy, and Grenchen Wilson did a show in Seattle, WA on June 24, 2006 and it was a great show.. Now it was a great show not only because of the music but also because my father and 5 of his brothers from the 173d Airborne who were all on Hill 65 on November 8, 1965 were at the show. Just before Big & Rich did the 8th of November for the crowd my father and his brothers were called up to the stage and after the song was done Big & Rich introduced the guys as the "Original Cast of the 8th of November" at which time the crowd went wild and all stood up and appuaded. Right after that Big & Rich asked everyone to take off their hats and recite the Pledge of Allegece. Well I have to say I have never seen so many people recite the Pledge as I did that day. To me that was one of the best days of my life.. The reason being I know that most of those guys my father included never got the welcome home when they came back from Vietnam that they deserved and on June 24, 2006 they did from all the people who were at the show. So there is the back ground to my rant and here is why I need to vent. In the June 25 edtion of the Seattle Times there was a review of the show and it was a good review until the reporter spoke about Big & Rich.. Here is the quote: Quote: Rowdy Big & Rich mixed high-powered country with cheap sentiment, having the audience recite The Pledge of Allegiance. Of course it worked. Well after reading that I decided I would give this reporter a little back ground history on the song and its meaning so I sent him a nice email Quote: To Mr. MacDonald Well I have to say your choice of words or the lack their of really shocked me. You state that Big & Rich and I quote "mixed high-power country with cheap sentiment, having the audience recite The Pledge of Allegiance". Were you even at the show or are you just basing your statements on what others have said about the show. One The Pledge of Allegiance is a trade mark of Big & Rich; it also showed how proud we are to be Americans by everyone, myself included standing up and taking off our hats and reciting the Pledge. It also had a very special meaning that night due to there were four Vietnam vets that were in the battle on November 8th 1965. Of which Big & Rich have written a song about but I guess you missed that part. This was their welcome home, because we all know they did not get it when they came home from Vietnam. And you have the audacity to rain on that and make a comment that Big & Rich made a cheap sentiment. The reason why I am so upset is my father was one of those vets on stage and you pretty much just ripped thier welcome home out from under them. It seems you have no clue what it means to be an American and appreciate what we have and give thanks to those that fought and lost their lives so you and I could have the lives we do. You just want to knock down a band that has done more for our troops then you could ever think of doing. I hope you take this to heart and issue an apology. Proud son of a Vietnam Veteran from the 173d Airborne I figured I would not hear back from him due to most reporters hide behind freedom of speach.. But I just received an email back from him.. Well I still have not really calmed down from his email so I will just post it and put my statements a little later due to I know I will get edited by the message board if I put what I really want to. Quote: Thanks for writing. Sorry to take so long to reply but I just got back from vacation. When a performer or a politician waves the flag, it should be taken with a grain of salt. It may be sincere but probably is calculated. Big & Rich are in show business. They know that the flag-waving bit always works. Audiences are conditioned to it. That's what their act is -- sex ("Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy") and sentiment. I know the song you are referring to, and it is a good song and very moving. The song would have been enough. The Pledge was completely unnecessary and probably cynically calculated. The Pledge should not be used to get applause and an automatic standing ovation, nor to sell records and concert tickets. It should be respected. If your father wanted to be onstage with Big & Rich, good for him. But I wonder if he was being used. I do know what it's like to be an American. And I don't buy the old saw that Vietnam vets did not get a proper homecoming. The ones I know certainly got a welcome home from me and my family and friends. I still appreciate their sacrifices (one of them is now in a mental institution). The same government that got us into the Vietnam mess did not, and does not, treat its vets properly. And, yes, I was at the show. --Patrick Again I will say sorry for anyone I have offended or pissed off but I figured you guys might understand.. _________________ Proud Son of 173d Airborne Soldier ( The 8th of November will never be forgetten thanks to Big & Rich )
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I had to sit through the bloody music video last night at a rodeo. Boy, old Kris looks bad. And if I ever catch that announcer in a dark alley...
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