Home sweet home..... First hand experience of co-existimg with some of our troops in Bosnia & Kosovo gives me a new appreciation of our home sweet home.

I just woke up after 20 hours of flying and hopping from airport to airport. And I know what our soldiers are unduring. Everyone needs to show their love and appreciation to them anyway possible.

We started our day yesterday with lunch at the Longhorn Cafe at camp Eagle base. We went to sound check at 4:00 pm and sound checked for a few hours. Right before showtime, the band and crew were presented qith special certificates on behalf of the soldiers in appreciation for our visit. Showtime was at 8:00 PM . The response from those in attendance was terrific. We had one soldiers come up and sing a George Strait song with the band. Miles, a buddy we made the night before brought his guitar and jammed some blues with the band. We had another come up and sing and play guitar with the band, a cool southern rockish tune. All in all it was a party. We stayed and signed autographs after the show and after shooting a few pics with some soldiers with their lowrider bikes which they actually built there at Camp Eagle base ( they came to the show from their barracks on the lowrider bikes ) wedrove 3 hours back through the mountains to Sarajevo.

We arrived to the hotel at 2:00 AM and left to the airport at 5:45 AM . The Holiday Inn we stayed at was the one in the movie "SARAJEVO" which was bombed heavy during the war. It is where the journalists were staying during the war and a lot of people lost their lives there. Oscar swears that he was awakened by loud talking in his ear after feeling someone tug at his hand and no one else was in the rrom with him. He of course slept the rest of the night with all the lights on in his room.

We flew out of Sarajevo to Vienna where we had a 3 hoir layover. This gave the guys a chance to buy some gifts at the Vienna airport. After a 9 hour flight we got into Washington DC where we had a 3 hour layover.

We arrived Houston close to 9 PM. I of course slept like a rock but now it's back to work. We fly out Thursday to Las Vegas to get ready for that show.

On behalf of the following LA MAFIA & CREW
Oscar De La Rosa - Vocals
Armando Lichtenberger Jr. - Keys & Accordion
David De La Garza Keys & Vocals
Tim Ruiz Bass
Joe Gonzales Drums
Ivo Bove Guitar
George Martinez Sound engineer/Production manager
Richard Guerra Lighting tech
Darrel Gonzales Stage tech
Rene Gonzalez Stage tech

we want to thank all the brave soldiers we made freinds with in Kosovo (Camp Bondsteel) and Bosnia (Camp Eagle base) for their hospitality. You guys are the best . We will continue to support you in any way we can. We will keep doing these USO tours until all of you are home safe.

Armando (Mando) Lichtenberger Jr