Morning edition of the Music Challenge (part two) – Name a song that has helped a soldier get through a tough deployment.

Now this Music Challenge question is rather audience specific.   I have never served in the military and except for my grandfathers serving in WWII and my father’s years of national service (all that happened long before I was born), I have not experienced being part of a military family.   It is for that reason that I humbly thank all those that serve and honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, not just today but every day.

If you are a part of a military family or have served yourself then I am sure there were some songs that pumped you up and gave you the motivation to get through some tough days.  I think about the movie Good Morning Vietnam  – songs like the Beach Boys I Get Around brought smiles to the soldiers faces … but that was a movie … what songs do soldiers really like… I did a little bit of research and here is what I found.

When it comes to pre-mission music to pump you up here are a couple tracks that soldiers have said they loved when interviewed on line.

Thunderstruck by AC/DC – Over decades of making loud and fast music, AC/DC’s Thunderstruck stands out. In addition to being the song boxing legend Manny Pacquiao walks to the ring with, dozens of sports teams use it for their games. It’s like We Are the Champions after it slams a four pack of Red Bull,

Enter Sandman by Metallica – There’s no shortage of songs in the Metallica library for inclusion in this list, but Enter Sandman from their 1991 album, Metallica, tops the list – at least among the combat veterans  that were polled. Honorable mentions go out to For Whom the Bell Tolls from their 1984 album, Ride the Lightning, and Seek and Destroy from 1983’s Kill ‘Em All.

Okay  … so again I can not even begin to imagine what our brave men and women go through and I can’t imagine what song would be needed to give you the extra push to face unthinkable situations that our military deal with daily.   So forgive me for even having a go at this music challenge as I am unworthy.  However I always choose a song for our Music Challenges so below is a song that I think would be on my playlist if I was brave enough to have one.

If you know of a song that has helped you or someone you love get through a tough military mission then please share and again … it can not be said enough…. We thank you for your service today and always.