I've been asked many times how I began playing for the troops and I thought I'd share the moment that sparked the passion.
It was 2004 and the band I was with was touring through Europe. One of the concert promoters asked if we would visit a hospital near Ramstein Air Force base called Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. I would later find out that this hospital was the first stop for anyone wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq. It was April and just weeks after the devastating Battle of Fallujah which meant the hospital was packed. As we went room to room performing for the troops we were able to hear their stories and gain a new understanding of their heart and commitment. Each soldier we met spoke of wanting to get back to their "brothers" still in harms way. Their spirits were high even though their bodies were broken.
It was then and there that I realized for the first time that when we as civilians hear on a news report that a ONE soldier has been killed in a fire fight or bombing it means many more have been wounded. Some of those wounded will return soon to the battle front, some will go home, some will be never walk again but all of them will be scared forever by what they've seen and endured to keep us secure.
It was a day I'll never forget. So many light bulbs went off in my head and I made it my duty to bring awareness to civilians of the troops' sacrifice and to support and encouragement to our men and women in uniform.
Since 2004 my band Willy Pete has been overseas many times and each time a new level of sacrifice and commitment has surfaced. I'll be sharing more of those sacrifices in blogs to come.
It was 2004 and the band I was with was touring through Europe. One of the concert promoters asked if we would visit a hospital near Ramstein Air Force base called Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. I would later find out that this hospital was the first stop for anyone wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq. It was April and just weeks after the devastating Battle of Fallujah which meant the hospital was packed. As we went room to room performing for the troops we were able to hear their stories and gain a new understanding of their heart and commitment. Each soldier we met spoke of wanting to get back to their "brothers" still in harms way. Their spirits were high even though their bodies were broken.
It was then and there that I realized for the first time that when we as civilians hear on a news report that a ONE soldier has been killed in a fire fight or bombing it means many more have been wounded. Some of those wounded will return soon to the battle front, some will go home, some will be never walk again but all of them will be scared forever by what they've seen and endured to keep us secure.
It was a day I'll never forget. So many light bulbs went off in my head and I made it my duty to bring awareness to civilians of the troops' sacrifice and to support and encouragement to our men and women in uniform.
Since 2004 my band Willy Pete has been overseas many times and each time a new level of sacrifice and commitment has surfaced. I'll be sharing more of those sacrifices in blogs to come.