Country artist visits Fort Belvoir with tribute to military families

David Joseph, a Nashville recording artist, performs at the Main Exchange on April 19 for military family members. Joseph handed out 500 of his CDs "I'm Coming Home," about a deployed service member and his family. (Photo by Marny Malin)

The Fort Belvoir Main Exchange hosted David Joseph, a Nashville recording artist on April 19. More than 500 DVDs of his debut music video "I'm Coming Home" were given away in tribute to the sacrifices made by military personnel and their families.

"We want the Fort Belvoir community to know that we really appreciate what they have done and what they continue to do," said Joseph.

The DVD "I'm Coming Home" was the first release from Joseph's eleven-song debut album also called "I'm Coming Home." The song is about a service member's message to his wife and child while he is overseas. The inspiration for the song came out of unconventional means.

"A pastor out of Alabama named Carlton Fisher baptized me in the Alabama River," said Joseph. "I used to do programs of ministry and performance at the prison where he worked. When I was in Nashville, there was a chaplain's conference that he was attending. The theme of the conference was "Coming Home." He asked me to write a homecoming song for our troops to open the conference. I wasn't able to attend that conference but that's how the song was inspired."

Joseph has received a lot of positive reactions to the song from service members and their families.

"I have had a wife who lost her husband in Iraq talk to me after a performance," said Joseph. "This song was positive for her because her eternal home is going to be forever. That's what she took from it. I said, 'Great, I want you to look at it that way every time and every day when you listen to it.' We've had other folks that just came back from Fort Dix. These guys were so happy to have this DVD. They're not going home for two more weeks, but they would sit around there and listen to the DVD."

Members of the audience at the Fort Belvoir Main Exchange also enjoyed the song and its message.

"It was great," said Melody Ashton, a military spouse. "We were just in here eating and my son said that we have to go in there."

Joseph will be traveling to a total of 40 different military installations, where he will give away a total of 25,000 DVDs. For more information, visit his Web page at www.myspace.com/davidjosephcountry.