Military members honored as Adkins entertains

Fourth of July concert brings out heroes

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by EMILY BARNES Trace Adkins performs at the Night of Remembrance concert at Regency Furniture Stadium on July 4. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Michelle Wood of Dahlgren, Va., looks up at her son, Aiden, 3, who is being held by Mike Jedrykowski as John Luskey performs. Click here to enlarge this photo Families and friends of the military release balloons in their memory at Night of Remembrance in Waldorf on July 4. Click here to enlarge this photo Savana Modglin, 7, of La Plata dances with her mother, Shannon, as John Luskey performs at the Night of Remembrance concert in Waldorf on July 4. Click here to enlarge this photo Alan Van Parys of New Tripoli, Pa., signs a balloon in memory of his son, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brandon Van Parys, as his wife, Tammy watches and son, Christopher, 14, stand nearby before the start of the Night of Remembrance concert headlined by Trace Adkins. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Bobby Richardson of Hughesville holds his ten-month-old grandson Gavin Richardson, as Trace Adkins performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert, at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 John Luskey performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. In the background on the screen are photographs of members of the military whose memories are being honored. Click here to enlarge this photo 4july_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Friends and family of Capt. Jesse Melton III (of the Marines) watch as his mother, Janice Chance, signs a balloon in his memory, before the start of the "Night of Remembrance" concert headlined by Trace Adkins, at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo 4july_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Beverly Fabri of Chestertown, MD, talks to Rick Van Blargan of Federalsburg, MD, before the start of the "Night of Remembrance" concert headlined by Trace Adkins, at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. She is there to honor the memory of her son, PFC Nick Spry (Army), and he is there to honor the memory of his stepson SPC Michael Yates (Army). Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 People attending the "Night of Remembrance" concert headlined by Trace Adkins, enjoy fireworks after the show, at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo 4july_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 People attending the "Night of Remembrance" concert headlined by Trace Adkins, enjoy fireworks after the show, at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Charles Scott, visiting the area from North Carolina, holds his daughter, Jessica, 3, as John Luskey performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo 4july_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Lisa Ruiz (left) of Maryland's Eastern Shore, hugs Tammy Van Parys of New Tripoli, PA, at the "Night of Remembrance" concert, at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Van Parys is there to honor the memory of her son, LCPL Brandon Van Parys (Marine) and Ruiz is honoring her son, HM3 Manuel Ruiz (Navy). Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 The audience cheers as John Luskey performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Sydney Rye, 8, of Mechanicsville, MD, holds a sign for Trace Adkins as she watches John Luskey perform, during the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 John Luskey performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 John Luskey performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Trace Adkins performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Trace Adkins performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Trace Adkins performs at the "Night of Remembrance" concert at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Balloons are signed by family and friends in memory of members of the military, at the "Night of Remembrance" concert headlined by Trace Adkins, at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. The balloons were all released into the air together at the event. Click here to enlarge this photo concert_i070809 Staff photo by EMILY BARNES 7/04/09 Balloons are signed by family and friends in memory of members of the military, at the "Night of Remembrance" concert headlined by Trace Adkins, at Regency Furniture Stadium, in Waldorf, MD, July 4, 2009. The balloons were all released into the air together at the event.

Trace Adkins, a country star with numerous hit songs, was the headliner. He was also second fiddle.

On July 4, at Regency Furniture Stadium, during a "Night of Remembrance," the stars were members of the military. The event, most acutely, honored the fallen: From Maryland and beyond, 20 families who lost members in Iraq and Afghanistan attended as guests of Waldorf's Kool Productions.

This was more than a concert. Between the opening set by North Beach's John Luskey and the main act, members of the military delivered speeches, a bagpiper performed to 4,500 attendees standing silently and the 20 families simultaneously let go of white balloons bearing a name and rank and messages filled with love, pride and tribute.

After traveling together from National Harbor in a bus with a police escort, families gathered in the Legends Club.

"My son told me that he might not come back," said Janice Chance of Owings Mills, "but he wanted to go, anyway. He wanted to change the world."

Chance's son, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jesse Melton III, was 29 when he died in Afghanistan. Sitting nearby was Melton's sister, U.S. Marines Corps Capt. Jenine Melton, who has served two tours in Iraq.

The Maryland president of Gold Star Mothers, Carol Roddy, and her husband, Bob, of Abingdon, attended the event in honor of their son, U.S. Navy Petty Officer David S. Roddy, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist who died in Iraq in 2006.

Families acknowledged that moving on from the sudden loss of a loved one is very hard. Still, Keith Wallace of Lexington Park talked about the possibility of discovering a "new normal" — because he is so proud of the service and contributions his son made to a cause he believed in.

In the meantime, in the three years since Keith and Mary Wallace's son, Cpl. Matthew Phillip Wallace, died in Iraq, never was there a chance to meet so many kindred souls. People like Gary and Cindy Lohman, whose son Sgt. Ryan Baumann attended Great Mills High School with Wallace and died in Afghanistan last August.

"Initially, it's almost like I'm speechless," Keith Wallace said. "It's such a therapeutic thing for people who share a common tragedy to be able to look at each other and realize they are not alone." He, and others, acknowledged the efforts and graciousness of Kool Productions, particularly its volunteer family liaison Monique Mitchell of Huntingtown.

After the national anthem, Luskey played a set of songs from two albums, the latest of which was released during the show. A couple months ago, Mitchell had asked Luskey if he would write a song to honor the event's fallen soldiers.

Photos of the honored soldiers flashed on the screen while he sang "In Every American," and perhaps no other moment was as poignantly emotional. It was yet another surprise for the families, who also met with Adkins before his set.

Introduced by a recorded instrumental, Adkins opened a mostly loud, upbeat set of modern country rock with his 2007 single, "I Got My Game On," a song about a man feeling hyper-confident. A man that could have been Adkins.

The song, and most others after it, was accompanied by a Country Music Television video on a screen behind the stage. When Adkins launched the song, "Swing," the audience could watch a video filmed, incidentally, in a minor league ballpark. On the other hand, when Adkins performed "Marry for Money," a single from his latest album "X (Ten)," one might have confused the latter part of the video with an ad for Victoria's Secret.

Song selections touched on Adkins' full catalogue, including the well-known cross-over hit, "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," and the No. 1 country single, "Ladies Love Country Boys" off 2006's "Dangerous Man."

Backed by two guitars, keyboards, fiddle, bass, drums, pedal steel guitar and occasional mandolin, Adkins was able to produce his songs in a live setting with a level of clarity equal to his records. Surprises, in turn, came between songs, when Adkins spoke casually to the audience like a regular pal.

He called the stadium a cool place. He said Blue Crabs jokes will write themselves. He commented on the outfield advertisement for See-thru Windows. "As opposed to what other kind," he said, sparking laughter.

"I do a lot of silly songs, and I know that, but you got to have some fun," Adkins said, later, before singing a song he always "approaches with the utmost respect."

"Arlington," sung from the viewpoint of a soldier during his funeral in Arlington National Cemetery, drew the night's most enthusiastic response.

For an encore, a gospel choir from Washington, D.C., came out and backed up Adkins on his dramatic new single, "Muddy Water," which segued in and out of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."

Adkins, however, did not play "Til' the Last Shot's Fired," a song he performed Memorial Day at the National Mall. Still, as the show ended — as the lights came on and the entertainer disappeared — one might have hummed his refrain: Say a song for peace, for every fallen son.

Shortly thereafter, fireworks exploded above and one might have imagined 20 white balloons rising higher through the air, beyond the eye-catching streaks.

Later, 20 families left the stadium.

They were together then and will remain together in the years to come.

dmercer@somdnews.com