Entertainers use humor to support troops

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael O'Connor
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  Three comedians closed out a two-week stint of laughs as part of the Lone Wolf Entertainment Comedy Tour 2008 as they performed for Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines and civilian employees spread across Africa, Iraq and other Southwest Asia locations Feb. 27 here.

Comedians Danta Jackson, known as Touchee, Bill Dykes and the cowboy comedian entertained more than 200 servicemembers and civilians turned-out for the near two-hour show and autograph signing session.

"If they can put their lives on the line for us, why can't we do it for them," Mr. Jackson said, a native from Houston. "See, first of all I didn't want to come out here. The judge told me I either go to jail or come out here and tell some jokes. That's the only reason why I'm out here. I'm just kidding." 

Visiting the small forward operating bases really hit home for Mr. Dykes, a native of Houston who's been living in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina hit.

"Some of the FOBs are in remote areas with little to no contact with the Western world," Mr. Dykes said. "The thing that hit me the most is they had upbeat attitudes, despite the austere living conditions. I begged to get on this tour. Especially with post Katrina and all the help we received in the aftermath. I wanted to do my part and give back. I just wanted to bring something from back home to bring their spirits up. That was very important to me."

Giving something back seems to be the common ground amongst entertainers who travel around the world performing for America's sons and daughters serving abroad.

The cowboy comedian, a Kentucky native now living in Florida, said telling jokes is what he does for a living, but it's because of the men and women in uniform who fight for his freedom every day that he's able to do what he does.

"Being here is the least I can do for them," he said, whose father is a 22-year Air Force veteran. "I've been to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia before and that's where I originally fell in love with doing these tours. The appreciation I got back from the Soldiers was well worth coming back to perform for them. As many of these tours I can possibly do from now on, I'm taking every one of them," he said.

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