Open Letter to Pistol Annie From an Army Wife and Navy Veteran

Dear Miranda, Ashley and Angeleena;

I seriously love what you have created. I get my ass kickin' femme fatal fix every time I hear Pistol Annie. When the dog is barking, the kids are fighting and I haven't shaved my legs; you remind me that I am 'Hell on Heels.' You will never know how much I appreciate you helping me keep my sexy while my husband is in Afghanistan. I am guessing, he will appreciate it too.

I am not just an Army wife; I am also a Navy veteran. So you can imagine how I swell with pride at all those Red, White and Blue songs and how I flex my muscles as all those Shock 'n Awe songs and how I sob at all those You Didn't Come Home songs. Did you know that between World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, there have been thousands of songs about protecting America and loving those who protect her?

The newest one, 'I Drive Your Truck,' really hits home for me because I just bought my husband a welcome home present. It's a smoking hot Dodge Ram 1500 and, I can't help it, I drive it. I drive it because it's his and it makes me feel closer to him even though he's never seen it. That's probably why when I first heard the song; I pictured a guy driving a girl's truck. Of course the song is really about brothers; one of whom was killed in action. But that made me wonder; has there ever been a song about a girl lost to battle?

We bleed, we get hurt, we die and I don't think anyone has ever song about us. But the answer appears to be no. No one has ever sung about a lost female warrior. So it's all on you to make this happen. Sing about your cute, mouthy, brave best friend from high school who went off to fight for her country. Sing about how much you miss her. Sing about how much she changed you. Sing about the family she'll never have.

Now, I know none of you have served in the military but I know a few women who can tell you why we do it. You, of course, already know the answer because you sing about strong, sexy women all night long. We do it for the same reasons the boys do it.

Just like the boys, we sign up because we want out of our town. We want to see the world. We want to feel the power of a grenade launcher, a fighter jet, or a fast moving frigate. We join because we know that being a good leader and good follower are one degree of separation. We join because we want to protect the country we love. We join because we want a career most of the world can't imagine. We join because we want to be stronger, braver, smarter than we thought possible. We join because we know nothing is better than a woman in a uniforms and, just like the boys, we join because, down deep, we want to kick a little ass.

There it is ladies. One simple request on behalf of the untold numbers of women who have fought, bled and died for America. Sing a little song for us.