When it comes to the Iraq war and veterans' issues, most musicians have remained pretty quiet. This week, that is about to change in a very loud way.
In what may seem like an unlikely alliance, hard rock band Drowning Pool, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and 15 year-old YouTube video producer Lizzie Palmer are teaming up to encourage young people to support veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. We are launching a campaign called "This Is For the Soldiers" and asking people to support legislation currently before congress which addresses the urgent need to improve mental health care for veterans.
"This Is For The Soldiers" centers around a website (www.ThisIsForTheSoldiers.org) featuring a powerful music video created by Palmer for Drowning Pool's intense new song, "Soldiers." The site also features a petition urging Congress to support critical mental health care reform legislation.
Although "This Is For the Soldiers" officially kicks off the week of July 4th, supporting the troops is nothing new for this band. The campaign's title, "This Is For the Soldiers," comes from the Drowning Pool song, "Soldiers," which the band wrote based on its experiences touring with the USO. In 2005 and 2006, Drowning Pool performed for troops in Iraq, Kuwait and South Korea. They are among the few popular American bands that have risked their lives traveling to Iraq to entertain our men and women in uniform.
When asked about their experiences in the Middle East, the guys in the band were sincere and thoughtful. Lead singer Ryan McCombs told me, "We have had the opportunity to meet the troops overseas, come back to the States and get invited to different bases in difference cities. We have spent countless hours with soldiers who do what they do without question and you can't help being touched by that."
And Bassist Stevie Benton added, "After returning from Baghdad, our priority was writing a song about our troops, for our troops. I hope they will accept the song as a show of our respect and thanks."
The song that arose from that sentiment has already made a mark in Washington. After a letter written by the band was read before the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala announced that she had downloaded "Soldiers" to her iPod. (You can do the same thing for free on the USO's MySpace page)
Drowning Pool is naming its upcoming summer concert tour after the "This Is For The Soldiers" campaign, and the band is putting its money where its mouth is. It will donate fifty cents from each ticket sale during its tour to IAVA and fifty cents to the USO.
But Drowning Pool is not alone. Ohio teenager Lizzie Palmer has also joined the fight. She plays piccolo and flute at her local high school in Grove City, Ohio, and is the young woman behind "Remember Me," a music video honoring U.S. troops, which has gotten over 13 million hits on YouTube. After the guys in Drowning Pool saw Lizzie's video, they reached out to her and asked her to create another one for them. And she agreed. Her latest video, for "Soldiers", was just released at www.ThisIsForTheSoldiers.org and is sure to spread like wildfire on the web. Check it out:
Now it's time to get other people involved. Whether for the war or against it, all Americans have have an obligation to support the men and women serving our country. "This Is For the Soldiers" gives everyone a chance to make a real difference in the lives of our country's newest generation of veterans.
"This Is For The Soldiers" encourages supporters to sign a petition to Representative Bob Filner, Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, asking him to take action on the Lane Evans Bill, H.R. 1354, currently pending in the House. This bipartisan legislation would require mandatory mental health counseling for combat veterans and ensure a better transition for troops leaving the military. At least one in three Iraq veterans will cope with a serious mental health issue, like depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Lane Evans bill will help to mitigate the trauma imposed on veterans by these prevalent mental health problems.
I hope you will support this campaign and join Drowning Pool in urging Congress to do more for our men and women coming home from war. As we celebrate America's independence this week, it is the least we can do.