Wednesday, July 21, 2004 6:52 PM CDT
Schultz's ‘Letters From War' strikes chord with U.S. Army
By JANICE HUNT, Staff Writer
A U.S. Army general was driving to work at the Pentagon when he heard "Letters From War" on his car radio.
The emotional song, by contemporary Christian musician Mark Schultz, tells of a mother writing her soldier son every day, telling him to "be safe" and "make it home."
"He said, ‘Wow, we've got to get that song over to the troops,'" Schultz said.
The song became the cornerstone of a new Army project called "Be Safe -- Make It Home," which educates soldiers and those back home about potential dangers.
"The whole thing really focuses on those over there staying safe so that they can get back to their families," Schultz said from Nashville in a telephone interview.
The song was inspired when Schultz was reading his late great-grandmother's diaries from the 1940s.
She had three sons in World War II, and she wrote to them every night. Two came home fairly early; a third was caught up in the war, and his fate was unknown for some time.
The woman's worst fear, she wrote in her diaries, was that one day, an officer would arrive at her house with terrible news.
A year and a half after she'd gotten the last letter from her son, a car pulled into her driveway, and a captain got out and walked to her door. Her initial fear turned into joy as she realized that the captain was her son.
"He left as a boy and came back as a man," Schultz said of the four-year span the soldier was gone.
"People really respond to it," Schultz said of the song. "It really is a special moment in the show."
Schultz's commitment to the armed forces don't end with the "Be Safe" program. He plans to travel to Kuwait in December, and a USO tour might be in his future as well. In September, he is to perform in a concert at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
He's even going to join the Golden Knights in jumping out of a plane to the 50-yard line at a Tennessee Titans football game, where he will then sing.
"Can't we get a golf cart?" Schultz joked.
He is also to appear on "Good Morning America" in the near future to talk about his song and the "Be Safe" program.
Schultz recently visited Fort Campbell in Kentucky, where he asked how he could help soldiers serving overseas. Expecting to hear of a need for sending items overseas or similar projects, he was surprised at just how simple their answer was.
"They said, ‘If you see us at a gas station or the grocery store, just pat us on the back and say thanks,'" Schultz said. "They said that's one of the greatest gifts they can get coming home.
"These are kids that belong to their mothers and fathers in their communities, and they could use their support," Schultz said.
Another of Schultz's hits, "He's My Son," can be heard on commercials for the Illinois organ donation program.
The song, in which a father pleads with God to heal his ill child, is one of Schultz's favorites, because it was inspired by a young boy he knew. The boy is now 21 and cancer-free.
Schultz met the boy when he worked as a church youth director for eight years before beginning his music career.
The singer/songwriter who plays keyboards has made a name for himself in the genre and has had some crossover success.
He's made his mark with his songs' storytelling style, which he describes as "writing about real life."
Weaving a melody and lyrics together "make(s) the little hairs stand up on the back of my neck and tears well up because of the excitement of writing a song," he said.
It is especially rewarding to be able to sing songs about topics of substance, he said.
"It's just really a cool thing to be a part of in the body of Christ and just write songs to inspire people to give their lives to Christ," Schultz said.
Schultz said he enjoys seeing that "Christian singers and Christian songs ... can be used to make a difference" even in the mainstream.
"I think it's neat to take a song that's words and melody ... and make it something that you can almost hold," he said.
Contact Janice Hunt at jhunt@jg-tc.com or 238-6866.
Schultz to play on Thursday
Mark Schultz will perform on the Bagelfest Main Stage at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Tickets -- $10 for reserved seats and $5 for bring-your-own-lawn-chair seating -- may be purchased at the Peterson House, 500 Broadway Ave., Mattoon, or by calling 258-6286.
Schultz is a multiple Dove Award nominee. His hits include "You Are a Child of Mine," "Back in His Arms Again," "I Have Been There," "Remember Me," "I Am the Way" and "He's My Son."
The video for "Letters From War," his latest hit, can be viewed on his Web site at www.markschultzmusic.com.
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