Despite thwarted concert, visit at Guantanamo Bay moving, quality time
Sunday, November 11, 2007
GUANTANAMO BAY — Wheels up, 2:30 p.m, we take off in the pouring rain, departing straight out of the leeward side of the U.S. Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Our USAF DC 9 is loaded to the hilt with weapons of mass rock-'n-roll construction, as my hearty bandmates and crew and I take off from the U.S. warrior epicenter on the communist Island, deadheaded homebound.
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We just spent three rather frustrating yet invigorating days with the hero warriors of the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard and Marine Corps, right here on one of the many frontlines of freedom.
Our hopes included a good old-fashioned rock-'n-roll hellraiser concert of the highest order, performing the heart-and-soul battle cry soundtrack for the greatest warriors ever known to mankind.
My band and many of my master sound and stage technicians had to come from Europe and beyond so that they could show their sincere appreciation for the military's great sacrifices.
But alas, Mother Nature threw us a vicious left hook with a savage tropical torrent. Though we persevered with much gusto and made it to Gitmo, the storm surge prevented all but my manager and assistant from joining me and Admiral Bianchi on a treacherous flooded Hummer ride through dangerous high waters to the Navy speedboat that sped us across angry seas to the wayward side of Guantamo Bay.
Ugh. Improvise, adapt and overcome, indeed.
Though not able to perform, I was humbled and moved nonetheless to spend some high-energy quality time with hundreds of courageous heroes in uniform and their brave families. My spirit was fortified with every handshake and photograph we took together.
There is no question that these are the brightest, most professional, most patriotic men and women of goodwill and decency the world has ever known.
Statistically, they are the smartest people around, and they have clearly dedicated this intellect and sense of duty to God, country and mankind. They've intensely researched the war on terror, probed every scrap of evidence and determined their choice to put themselves in harm's way.
There is no greater sacrifice than to volunteer to lay down one's life for his or her fellow man. These enlisted men and women are saints with M16s. God bless and Godspeed the warriors.
There was a clear and present openness to their candor and conversation during our time together. The morale was gung-ho, the spirit and energy positive and buoyant. Their sense of humor and focus was forthright.
They come from every walk of life and every state across this great land. They all have a story to share about their love of the outdoors and rock-'n-roll.
It seemed that all were hunters and fishermen, with even a few fellow trappers thrown in amongst them. We had a grand time celebrating the great American outdoor traditions and heritage of hands-on conservation. It seemed also that each and every one either was a member of the NRA or at the very least a hard-core vocal supporter of our sacred Second Amendment.
Their oath to protect the U.S. Constitution is proudly taken to heart. I looked to them for wisdom, strength and soulfulness, and found it all in unlimited quantities. Semper Fi.
My poor bandmates were hopelessly stranded by the roiling waves that blockaded access to the wayward side of Guantanamo Bay. So, they sat helplessly with all our stage-gear with nothing to do except stay out of the wind and rain.
They, too, made the best of their time and shared war stories with enlisted men and women, roughing it in the Spartan barracks of the base with a history dating back to 1494 when Christopher Columbus first called the bay Grande Puerto.
It wasn't until 1898 that a battalion of U.S. Marines landed here and made camp nearby as the first U.S. troops ashore in Cuba in the Spanish-American War.
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the original lease agreement with Cuba for Naval Base Guantanamo Bay. In December of that year, Cuba turned the base over to the United States.
Cubans (like so many Mexicans crossing our southern border), continue to take their lives into their own hands by trying to sneak into the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay.
We all know why. Communism, in all its various forms, is just another name for slavery. People, created in God's image and likeness, have freedom and individualism burning in their souls.
To this one can attribute the heroic dedication of the U.S. troops who secure and protect freedom wherever you find it.
To hang out with the protectors of freedom buoys my spirit and makes me a better man.
As a victim of a failed education system in America in 1967, I was clueless regarding these historical facts. I was not called to serve in the military, nor did I volunteer.
Now, as a middle-aged American, I take a cue from the warriors and I, too, have chosen to go into harm's way — to Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond — to say thank you to those who serve and protect.
We must all do whatever we can to say thank you and show real support for the good guys waging war against evil. But by the sacrifices of warriors go we the people.
Ted Nugent is a Waco-based musician and television show host.
