It was supposed to be the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen's 'thank you' to troops serving in Baghdad over the holidays. Fly in musician Kid Rock, comedian Robin Williams, beauty queen Miss USA and some others for a concert at Camp Liberty - one of the U.S. Army bases in Iraq’s combat zone.

When my producer, cameraman and I arrived at the military base field house more attune to a high school gymnasium than a concert hall, we could hardly believe the line of hundreds of soldiers snaking outside the building, along the concrete t-wall barriers intended to deflect incoming mortars. But that is the lure of the United Service Organization, better known as the USO. For generations, the charity organization has been bringing celebs from Bob Hope to Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong to conflict areas to entertain the troops.

"Kid Rock rocks!" and "It is great that [the celebrities] support us, that they'd come out to see us during the holidays!" - that’s pretty much the theme we heard from soldiers, some who had been waiting four or five hours in the winter cold for the night concert to begin.

But it wasn't meant to be.

Along with the winter chill came terribly strong winds – and eventually an announcement from the Joint Chief of Staff Chairman himself: the concert was off. Admiral Mullen, who had come to Camp Liberty before the bad weather set in, said the Blackhawk helicopters set to bring the entertainers from another gig in Tikrit, north of Baghdad, could not fly safely to Camp Liberty. At first, some of the troops cheered – thinking the Admiral on stage in front of them was joking. But then they realized the concert meant to bring Christmas cheer, was not going to take place. The disappointment was palpable.

Admiral Mullen, somewhat moved by being the bearer of bad news to hundreds of young soldiers, apologized and allowed service members to take pictures with him. Then the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff handed out much coveted challenge coins – considered in many military circles as an award for bravery, hard work or service.

I understand the sentimental value of these coins - I was there when U.S. military commanding officers gave coins to troops who took part in the capture of Saddam Hussein in December 2003. Some troops will spend 20 or 30 years in the military and never receive a coin. And here’s the military’s top brass handing out his coin - for standing in a line for USO concert? It almost seems over the top. But don’t tell that to a 20-something soldier spending his first Christmas away from home, in a war zone.

-- From Alphonso Van Marsh in Baghdad

It was inevitable that in a country in which the surnames Lee, Kim and Park constitute two-thirds of the population that that a Lee became a president.

But that doesn’t mean I didn’t dread the day.

The issue for a broadcaster is in the pronunciation.

The Lees of Korea have the same Chinese character as the Lees of China.

But while the Lees of China actually pronounce this Chinese character, Lee, Koreans pronounce this Chinese character, Yi.

So in Korean, while spelled, Lee Myung Bak, the president-elect is called Yi Myung Bak in Korean.

Now why the Lees simply didn’t spell their last names, Yi, is the question of the day.

Perhaps it was deference to their Chinese neighbors, who started the Chinese characters, after all.

Or they just didn’t bother.

So for generations, the Korean Lees allowed non-Koreans to spell their last names Lee, and call them Mr. Lee.

Some Lees tried to break free and actually spell their name Yi or Eee, but they were the exception, not the rule.

But now one of them has gone and become president.

So what now, does Lee Myung Bak go the route of most other Lees in the country and lead a double life? Or does he come out and declare himself a Yi?

We’ll see.

From CNN Correspondent Sohn Jie-ae