CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (May 19, 2005) – The passion of picking a six string, manipulating musical notes, running fingers up and down a fret board, seducing the sense of hearing, melding notes into harmonies, melodies and building songs is something Lance Cpl. Jason R. Day, a landing support specialist, has been fixated with from age five.
Though he didn’t bring a guitar with him to Iraq, he found one in an unlikely place.
“It’s kind of an interesting story on how I stumbled on to the guitar that I have now,” said Day. “I ordered one online and the order didn’t go through. I was standing in line at the post office to send the business a money order and I noticed a guy with a bag that said Martin on the side of it. I asked him if it was a guitar and he told me that he was sending it home. I ended up buying it off him for 100 bucks, and it’s not a bad guitar.”
Though it is not a full-sized guitar, Day said he still enjoys playing it.
“I would rather rock an electric guitar,” he said grinning. “I can rock the acoustic, but I get a better sound on the electric. I love the electric guitar."
Day’s favorite guitar was given to him on his twenty-fifth birthday.
“I opened up the case and pulled the cover back,” said Day, reminiscing of the glorious event. “There it was; a sunburst Gibson Les Paul. My dad said he was going to get me the guitar or a car and decided that I would probably like the guitar more. I love that thing.”
The day his passion for playing started Day was exploring his 10-acre farm when he happened upon his dad’s electric guitar hidden in one of the sheds.
“I picked it up and there was this beam of sunlight shining on me,” said the Fort Wayne, Ind., native. “It was like a calling. It defined my whole purpose in life.
“I told my dad about finding it, and I got in a little bit of trouble because I wasn’t supposed to be climbing around in the sheds,” continued Day. “When my dad would play music really loud, I would hold on to the guitar and jump around. It was then I knew I wanted to be a rock star. After that, he taught me ‘House of the Rising Sun,’ and I just kept learning from there.”
His love for “classic rock” started on Saturday mornings when his dad would play his record collection at 8 a.m.
“It was every Saturday morning,” said Day with a smile. “My dad had this old receiver and he would crank it up. We lived on a farm and there wasn’t anybody around so we could play the stereo as loud as we wanted. It was so cool to be sitting out on the porch on a nice warm day and hear the music come from inside the house.”
Guitarists like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi and Eric Clapton were his influences when he was young. As he grew older the musical talent of bands like Metallica continued to influence him. He played every chance he got, sometimes not doing his homework to play guitar instead.
“I got in trouble one time because my grades were bad for the grading period,” said the brown-eyed 28-year-old, with a mischievous grin. “I was grounded to my room and my parents even took my radio away from me. While I was grounded I learned how to play ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by memory and just sounding it out on the guitar. That’s normally how I learn songs; by ear. I guess I was blessed with the ability to do that. I still have to work hard at it, though.”
According to Day, he had an idea of the hard work brought with joining the Marine Corps.
“I’m not afraid to work hard, especially if I’m learning about music,” said Day.
When he is not providing convoy security as a military policeman augment, he is practicing for his life-long dream of becoming a “rock star.” Something rooted so deeply in his heart, he bears the moniker tattooed on his back.
“He really wants to be a rock star,” said Lance Cpl. Cody Tallent, an Atlanta native and friend who sometimes plays harmonica with Day. “I can see it everyday. He’s already a rock star because he believes in his heart that someday he’ll be one. He’s got to know he’s a rock star to his friends, and right now that rock star just happens to be in Iraq.
“Saying you’re a rock star is a state of being,” continued Tallent, a military policeman with Combat Logistics Battalion 8, 2d Force Service Support Group (Forward). “Jason’s already achieved that state of being. I don’t want Jason to think of himself as the cliché rock star.”
For Day, being a rock star is more than just the cliché, with plans to donate money to charities to help stop poaching.
“It started when I went to my first concert, The Steve Miller Band,” said Day. “Steve Miller used to donate a lot of money to the ‘Arbor Day Foundation.’ I would also like to help people.”
Until the time when Day is able to make large donations to charities, he is focusing on writing music and planning to attend the Musician’s Institute located in California.
“Out here, I’m trying to write one song a month,” he said. “I’m hoping that I will have a complete album by the time I go home, and if I can get into the Musician’s Institute that would be awesome. You have to get as much education as possible. I’ve even checked with them, and they accept the G.I. Bill.”
Right now, Day said his best asset in furthering his guitar playing is his friends and family.
“I get a lot of encouragement to play from everybody,” said the oldest of three siblings. “Somebody had me go to a birthday party for another Marine and play my guitar. I played a couple of songs and the dude told me I could play all night.”
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