11.16.06
MOM WRITES SONG FOR TROOPS…
FORT BRAGG, N.C., Nov. 16, 2006 - When Angela Lashley first heard that her
paratrooper son, Army Pvt. Jonathan Wisniewski, was being deployed to Iraq, she
was devastated.
"I just went numb for several days," Lashley said.
But rather than be overwhelmed, Lashley, a singer-songwriter from Nashville,
Tenn., decided to channel the mixture of emotions she was feeling into a song.
The result was "So Brave," a four-and-a-half-minute exploration of a mother's
sense of wonder at her soldier son's bravery that is now becoming popular among
military families and has even gained a fan in first lady Laura Bush.
While the song has received a tremendous response from everyone who has heard
it, Lashley said, there was really only one critic she cared about winning over:
her son. She was initially fearful that Wisniewski, a support specialist with
the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team currently deployed in
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, would be embarrassed by the song and all the
attention. But, in fact, just the opposite happened.
"I thought I was going to be embarrassed, but in the end I was proud," said
Wisniewski, via e-mail from Iraq. "When I first heard the song, I first thought
about my family and my parents because my mom was singing, but ultimately I
became more motivated and kind of had a new sense of pride in what I was doing
over the ocean here."
Wisniweski's fellow soldiers also liked the song, he said.
"I showed a few of my buddies in my tent, and they all liked it. One of my
friends actually requested more of her music, which I thought spoke volumes not
only about her song but how talented my Ma really is," Wisniweski said.
That talent has shown itself off-and-on over the past two decades as Lashley
juggled the demands of raising a family with her goal of being a recording
artist. She said she writes songs "when inspiration hits," which means she
sometimes goes years between songs. One of her biggest previous hits was a song
she wrote during the first Persian Gulf War, also dedicated to American
soldiers.
The idea for "So Brave" came when she was in the process of trying to come to
terms with her feelings about Wisniewski's deployment, Lashley said.
"(Having a son serving the nation at war) is noble and wonderful thing, but for
a mother it's also terrifying," she said. "It's difficult to revel in your son's
bravery while you shudder at it at the same time."
As she was sorting through her feelings, she kept coming back to memories of her
son's bravery as a boy, like when he stood up for a friend against bullies, or
kept playing on the school football team despite debilitating illness. Those
memories made her realize that Jonathan had always been brave, even before he
put on an Army uniform.
When the song was finished, Lashley had CDs made up with a picture of her and
her son on the cover. The song, the CD artwork says, is dedicated to "all
American soldiers."
The song is available on a special Web site. It should be getting airtime on the
radio soon, Lashley said. For the time being, the song has spread mainly by
word-of-mouth, especially among mothers of servicemembers. The reasons for that
are obvious, Lashley said.
"Every soldier's mother who has heard the song has a comparable story," she
said.
As a result, "So Brave" has received the official endorsement of the Blue Star
Mothers of America, a patriotic group comprised of mothers of children serving
in the military. Lashley often performs the song at events sponsored by the Blue
Star Mothers.
"What a beautiful song of love from a mother to her son. I can still feel and
understand those words of hope, love, and concern for a child no longer
protected by his mom, but now out there protecting us," said Chris Peche,
president of the San Antonio chapter of Blue Star Mothers.
It was the Blue Star Mothers' endorsement that led to Mrs. Bush hearing the
song, and then subsequently asking for a personal copy, Lashley said. It also
generated publicity that led to an invitation to perform on Fox News personality
Sean Hannity's program.
But despite all the publicity, Lashley said, she would trade it all to have her
son come home safely. The song says, "If you ship out in September, will my
Christmas wish bring you home by December?" So far, Wisniewski has assured his
mom that it looks like her wish will be granted.
But Wisniewski said even when he is home safely with his family, the song will
continue to speak to anyone who is deployed.
"The song isn't just about me, but all the brave soldiers, Marines, airmen and
seamen that have to come over here and be away from their families for extended
periods of time. That's what this song is all about. We are all 'So Brave' over
here," he said.
