NASHVILLE, TN. (Chely Wright Official Website) -
Chely Wright returns from a seven-day junket as part of a Stars for Stripes musical event. In the seventh segment of the Stars For Stripes 2006 Tour, Wright visited a NATO base in Holland and an Air Force Base in Ramstein, Germany to perform for enlisted men and women and their families at both of these bases.
An avid supporter of our nation's troops, Chely has visited and performed in 13 different Stars for Stripes shows at bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Germany over the last three years.
To demonstrate her continued support of our service men and women, Chely embarked on her European expedition on July 23, 2006 making her first stop in Emmen, Holland to perform at the Butterfly Festival along with Mark Chesnutt.
She traveled to Schinnen, Holland two days later to perform at the JFC Brunssum Theater. [JFC Brunssum is a small NATO base (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in the Netherlands.] Upon their arrival in Schinnen, a beautiful little town known for the best shopping in all of the Netherlands, Wright begins to tell her story. 'The street was too narrow for the bus, so we had no choice but to unload the bus and walk down the street to the hotel.'
Chely and her crew arrived just hours before the show to find the venue [JFC Brunssum Theater] did not have electrical power-the base had experienced a massive power failure. Despite the late sound check, and no A/C, Chely went on to perform in the tiny 350-capacity movie theatre for the troops and their families. Lots of children were in attendance to enjoy Chely's performance of her hits and an introduction to some of her newly crafted songs and some were invited on stage to join her in dance. Following the show, Chely stayed to sign autographs for everyone in line. As a special surprise, Lt. Col. Tim Sughre, who was the Deputy Chief of Staff in Bagram, Afghanistan when Chely toured Afghanistan in 2005 and is now deployed to Belgium, made a special trip to drive to Brunssum to see her. 'Tim's visit made me feel like what we are doing as part of this tour is important and memorable to him and all of the military persons who are here,' Wright shared.
The following day, Chely and her entire band bussed to Ramstein Airforce Base in Ramstein, Germany. Chely and Judy Seale, President of Stars for Stripes set aside personal time in their schedule to visit the wounded at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) and their families at The Fisher House Foundation immediately upon arrival. [Landstuhl is the largest American hospital outside the United States and the first place our wounded arrive in order to receive medical care after leaving Iraq/Afghanistan, before returning to the states. The Fisher House™ Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers to enable family members to be close to their loved ones during hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.]
Chely took intimate time to visit with some of the patients, as time would allow. In the first room she visited with three soldiers-all of whom were introduced as 'Brian.' In the second room she visited, she met two military men by the name of "Jeff." 'I will never forget my visit with Brian and Jeff-these five gentlemen have genuinely affected my life.' Soldiers Brian (3) and Jeff (2) were wounded in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Chely has frequently visited patients in medical facilities in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan and at Walter Reed Medical Center and Bethesda Hospital in the Washington DC area. The visit to the Landstuhl Center was Wright's first. 'It was much different visiting these patients at LRMC than the times we have visited patients at Walter Reed or Bethesda. These military men and women come right off the field of war and their injuries are barely 24 hours old,' said Wright. 'I cannot even put into words how this experience has made me forever value their sacrifices.'
On Thursday (July 27) Chely recorded a public service announcement (PSA) for Distracted Drivers that will air on the American Forces Network (AFN) to raise awareness surrounding the importance of safe driving. The PSA features Wright's hit "Shut Up and Drive" as its theme song. Later that evening, Chely performed at the Enlisted Club at the Ramstein Air Force Base where an audience of 250 or more enjoyed her interactive show. 'There was one solider in the audience who was on the telephone with his wife,' shares Wright, 'He handed me his telephone so that we could say hello to one another.' Chely signed autographs for nearly two hours after her performance that evening.
Chely closed the tour on July 29 at the Seljord Festivalen in Seljord, Norway on the bill with Bobby Bare.
'Every time I make this trip as part of the Stars For Stripes Tour, it's difficult for me to leave. I can see the genuine appreciation in each and everyone of their eyes,' said Wright. '…And as long as they are there, I will continue to go back.'
The entertainers who participate in the Stars for Stripes Tour donate their time to travel overseas to visit and entertain the troops. The SFS project began in late 2003; 20 tours have been completed to date. In addition to Wright, other renowned recording artists who have donated their time and talents to this charge are Richard Marx, Lee Ann Womack, Aaron Tippin, Charlie Daniels, and newcomer Dierks Bentley among others. Chely's visit is the seventh of this year's overall tour; ten tours are on the books for 2006.
