Tour rehearsals boosted by our wounded warriors
Sunday, June 22, 2008
God, I love this country. Before my 50th year of professional garage band rock 'n roll even kicked off, our Rolling Thunder Texas rehearsals alone were a major celebration of all things America and freedom.
My music has a life of its own, as ferociously propelled by my master musicians Greg Smith on bass and Mick Brown on drums. But there has always been something beyond sheer musical inspiration when me and the boys kick out the jams. A SpiritFire, if you will.
As always, scrumptious venison barbecue flows nonstop for band, crew and friends. Some nice bass are caught on our little China Spring pond, and between the machine gun competition and the appearance of magnificent wildlife melting onto the hayfields at dusk each day, our rock 'n roll naturally has more soul than anybody else's, dare I say.
If killer music is measured in smiles and laughter, I take home the gold every time.
All of that would drive us adequately wild for high-energy R&B jams galore. But there's more.
At rehearsals, we reach out to heroes of the U.S. military from San Antonio's Brooks Army Medical Hospital.
We invite the wounded warriors up for a rabble- rousing gitdown of intensely patriotic "thank-you" music.
Our BloodBrother Daniel Vargas from the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes (saluteheroes.org) organizes a special road trip for some severely wounded GIs who are in the throes of rehabilitation for some downright nasty battle injuries.
Doing our very best to honor their strength and sacrifices, many Americans give what they can to show our sincere appreciation for those willing to fight for our American Dream.
No greater gift exists than for a man to be willing to lay down his life for his fellow man.
It fortifies the soul to meet these special people. My music grows horns and gets louder.
Some of the wounded warriors who have come had no faces, sealed eyes from melted skin. Some had severely burned and mutilated bodies and limbs.
Some others had no limbs, while others were discovering how to walk, run, dance and manipulate their latest technological replacement limbs.
If I ever again hear anyone complain about a bad hair day, I think I will simply punch him/her in the nose.
From these the men and women, nary a complaint is heard.
Even when Shemane, Rocco and I visited those too injured to leave the hospital, we witnessed the miracle of mind over matter and sheer warrior willpower.
We saw determination to overcome what appeared to be insurmountable odds and pain.
More than one lad was stretched out on oversized beds, arms and legs akimbo so that burned flesh wouldn't melt to their torsos.
Wearing face masks so as to not contaminate the wounds, we noticed that their positions appeared much like Jesus on the cross. Much.
For these heroes in need, Shemane's Freedom's Angels charity put out the battle cry to caring America. Donations flooded in so we could build a beautiful covered patio at Brooks, and for one reason:
You see, most of the heroes are the rugged outdoors types, hunters and fishers, and with the hot Texas sun broiling down, they were not allowed to be outdoors exposed to the scorch where they wanted to be.
So now under the protection of the Freedom's Angels patio, they can breathe in the great Texas Spirit of the Wild, and I predict they will heal faster and better. Just a hunch.
At our rehearsals, we proved once and for all that you don't need a face to laugh and rock-n-roll, and the over-the-top emotional brotherhood in the air was palpable.
By being the best that we can be, my family, friends and bandmates show respect for the heroes' dedication and sacrifices, and the positive energy cannot be stopped. God bless them all.
To help our wounded warriors, visit saluteheroes.org and tednugent.com. Show them we appreciate their sacrifices.
Ted Nugent is a Waco-based musician and television show host. Contact him directly at tednugent.com.
