The sound of patriotism, with a twang

Toronto Sun ^ | 2006-11-02 | Lorrie Goldstein

[Clive]

God bless country music.

And musicians.

Two in particular -- Canada's Julian Austin and Australia's Beccy Cole.

Both have written powerful songs honouring Canadian and Australian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively.

Both have been overseas (Austin five times) to entertain the troops.

Both get what supporting our military is all about.

Austin's The Red and White is a raw and moving tribute to Canadian soldiers who have fallen in war, which blasts Canadians at home who ignore their sacrifices.

"Of all the great things I have experienced in my lifetime, performing for our soldiers sits at the top of my list," Austin, whose father was a medic in WW II, says on his website, julianaustin.com.

"The feeling I had being over there is unexplainable."

Soldiers and Department of National Defence staff say whenever Austin, nicknamed "GI Jules" by the troops, performs The Red and White, many have a hard time fighting back tears and there is always a standing ovation at the end. (To hear it, Google "Julian Austin: Red and White Song" and follow the prompts at forums.army.ca).

Cole's song -- Poster Girl -- written in support of Aussie troops in Iraq, is spreading like wildfire on the Internet among soldiers, their families and friends.

Cole, who has a seven-year-old son, went to Iraq for two weeks over Christmas last year to entertain Australian soldiers, known in her country as "diggers".

After she returned home, one of her fans who opposed the war wrote her an angry letter, saying he was taking her poster down from his wall and would never again listen to her music.

Poster Girl is Cole's beautiful response. Praise for it from Australian, Canadian and U.S. soldiers, other war vets and their loved ones has been pouring into her website.

While dedicated to Aussie soldiers, its messages about the noble intentions of soldiers and the love, pride and dread felt by the families they leave behind, are universal.

Cole told The Australian newspaper it was only by visiting the troops in Iraq that she came to fully appreciate what they are trying to do.

"When I met the troops, I became patriotic and really proud," she said. "I didn't know what my stance was until I went over there. People are quick to judge these situations without knowing fully what it's all about. Prior to that, I think I would have said I'm staunchly anti-war, but aren't we all?" Indeed.

(You can hear Poster Girl and watch the excellent video at her website, beccycole.com. Tip of the hat to Kate McMillan of smalldeadanimals.com, who first steered me to it on her site.)

In researching this article, I also discovered there's no shortage of Canadian singers and other entertainers willing to go to Afghanistan to entertain our soldiers.

The latest group of 15 heads out later this month on one of the regular tours organized by The Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency.

That was heartening to know, especially with one Toronto talk show yesterday whining about the cost of providing Tim Hortons coffee to our soldiers in Kandahar and the cheap shot taken at them recently by someone speaking for something called the Senlis Council.

She complained that while our soldiers have a Burger King and Tim Hortons on their base in Kandahar, 15 minutes away Afghan children are starving. Right.

As if our soldiers aren't risking their lives trying to change that. Incredible.

[Clive]

-

[Timeout]

Watch here: POSTER GIRL

Wow! I'll never get it why some people refuse to understand "peace through strength".

[Snowyman]

Austin's The Red and White,


http://www.army.dnd.ca/LFWA_HQ/media/RedandWhite_smaller.wma?id=667

[Clive]

Thank you for posting the link.

Here is the Red and White song.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

I saw Julian Austin perform The Red and White last year at Kandahar Air Field. He's good, and so were the performers that came with him. That was the best soldier's show I have seen, and I have seen a few.

[Clive]

You beat me to it by less than a minute.

But the song bears replaying.

[sgtbono2002]

We should thank all entertainers for entertaining our troops. This is what real people do. They dont make stupid remarks about a leader and then cry when their audience disagrees.

[Snowyman]

But the song bears replaying.

Needs to be played on every radio station , especially this coming week . Unfortunately , it won't be.

[Snowyman]

There is also Terry Kelly's “A Pittance of Time”. Can be found here,

http://www.terry-kelly.com/introduction.htm

[Clive]

I would like to hear that song being sung more often in Canada.

It is interesting to see that despite the push polls put forth by organizations such as Leger Marketing, the "Red Friday" days in Ottawa and Toronto in support drew many times more people than did last week's NDP effort in opposition.

This despite the ability and experience of the various left wing special interest groups to collaborate to swell the ranks of each others' demonstrations.

I think that we are being sold a bill of goods on the extent of civilian opposition to the Afghanistan job.

[Clive]

Thank you.

Here is the mp3 version for those of us who don't have the proprietary codec to play the quicktime6 version:

A Pittance of Time

[fanfan]

Canada ping.

Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.

[Bahbah]

Thank you, Canada. Thank you, Australia.