Tom Irwin, former Army supply specialist, spent a month in Iraq last year, performing for front-line troops in Mosul and Fallujah with a group called Comics on Duty. Read the Army Times article on Tom here.
"Our shows are all about raising the morale of the troops and making people laugh... I know what its like to be a Soldier in a wartime situation. It's good for me to come back and entertain the troops." ( MarineLink)
"When you're looking at these kids, the audience is full, they've got rifles under their seats, these guys are just beat down. The war never stops for them, they're dirty and tired. You walk into the mess hall and it's pretty quiet. You'll hear people talking and laughing, but it's somber. You don't know what these people see during the day.
"After a show one guy told me that when you're at war you never forget where you are and what's going on around you. Not even when you sleep. But, and this is the reason I do this, he said, 'for the past two hours you guys were up there, we almost forgot. It almost went away.'"
Irwin did about 30 shows in Iraq between February 13th and March 9th, and about the same number again when he returned to Iraq from November 21st through December 4th. His one-man show, 25 days in Iraq, will be hitting the road on the East Coast in the next month. Tom will be performing a benefit show for Operation Truth.
After returning from Iraq for the first time and seeing the war up close, Irwin began to feel that the men and women fighting this war were becoming anonymous expendable commodities to the people back home. So he took action and wrote a show called "25 Days in Iraq" which debuted in Los Angeles last October. The hard hitting show was Irwin's attempt to showcase the sacrifice of the men and women in our military, while entertaining his crowds. Audiences responding very strongly to the show, as it was extended through November. Although he was asked to extend the show a second time, Irwin declined, because he put it all down and returned to Iraq for a series of holiday shows throughout November and December.
Here are some of the responses to his show:
"Every American should see 25 Days in Iraq." Because at the end of the day your forget that the men and women fighting this war are just like you and me. And for a guy that has been there attempting to tell their story and willing to go back again. It's remarkable.
A. Plotnick, Los Angeles"
"Hi, Tom! I saw your show last Wednesday at the Fake Gallery and I want thank you for the experience! I really wanted to thank you that night, but I was so emotional and I couldn't really speak! I know you are a Comic and you are definitely funny, but your show moved me in other ways [besides humor], too!I am not a supporter of war and generally find that since I do not support the violence, that I kind of dismiss the whole notion of what is going on right now in Iraq. I didn't realize I was doing this until I saw your show. You really woke me up to the personal aspect of what is going on, regardless of if I believe the cause is just- the people that are there are fulfilling our President's order and this is part of being an American- supporting the system we create and choose to live in!I have an even greater relationship with and love for our military personnel now. And I thank them, and you, for doing what you do.Tom, your support of the troops was tangible and I thank you for doing what few would do. Iwish you all the best in your endeavors!
Sincerely, S. Allen, Los Angeles"
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