Freedom Concert
A Salute to the U.S. Military & Their Families

Last night Charlie and I attended Operation Tribute to Freedom at the Tampa St. Pete Times Forum. (Go figure name...)
It was totally awesome....
Governor Jeb Bush was there... Mayor Pam Iorio and even a couple of Tampa Bay Bucs...
The concert was free and exclusively for active and former U.S. servicemen and women and their guests. American patriotism and praise and thanks to those that served and are now serving was the purpose and focus.....A quiet, reverent tribute to the 246 soldiers, by name, who died in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, was presented on a giant screen. Some families of the deceased sat around Gen. Tommy Franks and wife Cathy and other military leaders.
Approximately 10,500 attended this country artists’ tribute to our military ....It was dedicated to ...The Great Defenders...in special appreciation to...People Who Do Their Jobs.
.....An unexpected appearance by Lee Greenwood and his trademark song..
If Tomorrow...started the momentum immediately.
Along came of all things...12 year old Ashley Gearing a first-class novice...pro.
Chris Cagle promised Gen. Franks that he would perform free, anywhere in the world especially for as he said....”A Street Dance in Baghdad” for the American and Coalition heroes still there....
Rebecca Lynn Howard sang her top 10 hit....Forgive.....
Charlie Daniels performed his...‘signature song, The Devil Went Down to Georgia’ with the apt remark, “A few weeks ago I bet Saddam thought the devil came down to Iraq!“ Then he transferred the mood rightly by singing one of the most beautiful renditions of “How Great Thou Art” that I have ever ever heard.
Next appearing was Darryl Worley, one of the first stars to take a stand for the U.S. and our President...Darryl played with great power and heart....”Have You Forgotten?” in reference to 9/11.
When Jo Dee Messina came on stage, this audience was in perfect agreement with the truth that....Freedom is NOT Free...
Each star, upon appearing on stage, bowed to the section containing lost family heroes and paid sacred tribute to the families for their sacrificial contribution for all of us.....
As Jo Dee Messina sang...Heaven Was Needing A Hero .....tears flowed freely from men and women alike.... Armed Forces network was carrying the concert, live to all parts of the globe....so you can imagine the impact on military listeners abroad.
The showstopper was.... Gen. Tommy Franks himself.....not only in his professional capacity but also as a wonderful, loveable, humble....delightful man who is a success...first....as a human being. When he asked....”How ‘bout them Bucks?” in his Texas twang, the audience cheered. When he said, “How ‘bout that Tampa Storm?”(Arena Football)...the crowd shouted their approval.....then “How ‘bout that military that never quits?’...then saying in salute and tribute...”That’s YOU.”...
The crowd went wild....
But when Jo Dee prodded Gen. Franks into singing, impromptu....a few country/Texas sounding lyrics, he delighted the crowd ecstatically.
Bucs player Joe Jurevicious said it for all of us when he took the stage and mentioned his boss. “John Gruden’s got a great game plan,” Jurevicius said. “But none of them compare to this man’s,” he said to Gen. Tommy Franks....
All present.....were in “One Accord”...
The one theme for all of this....in a personal sense for me.....
.......................R E S P E C T................
Plain and simple from the heart and lives of at least 10,500 other fellow red, white and blue...loving Americans.....
Ending in unison while singing ‘America” .....made the fact that It Is A Good Life....become a reality...again!

Link #1...two (bad) pictures...long distance seat...
....short zoom lens..dark stadium etc.