Hi, my name is Joe Wilson and for the past 15 years, I have been honouring the Military with a Commemorative Military Clothing Brand called D-Day Wear®. You can see what I do and have done at www.ddaywear.com . Or check out the D-Day Wear.com Facebook page. I have dealt with the past, now it is time to deal with the present, so our Military personnel and First Responders have a future. With this in mind, it is time for us as a society to stand up and look after those who stood where we could not to protect us and our freedoms.
I have met many soldiers from our great countries who served in conflicts from the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, right up to Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s been an honour and a privilege to hear their stories of service and sacrifice. It seems that they share a common need to tell me their stories. Stories, I could never have imagined, things I have never seen on T.V. or in a movie. Their combat experience carries a very visceral tone, which I now understand needs to be shared. After listening to their stories, I noticed, they seem less burdened, almost like a “sense of closure” came over them to a certain extent. It is astounding how these soldiers carry that baggage around with them over the years. I now know that these stories continually need to be told and honoured.
From their service experiences, an idea took shape. I undertook the process to produce a song and video called “This Flag Flies Free”, with the intention of honouring their service, dedication, and life experiences. After some research, I’ve come to understand a little about P.T.S.D. (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and T.B.I. (Traumatic Brain Injury).
This Flag Flies Free, emerged as a P.T.S.D. awareness song to help people understand the suffering of those with P.T.S.D. and T.B.I. It will be used to generate funds to assist the organizations that assist our Veterans and First Responders that live with P.T.S.D.
One of the statistics which really stuck with me was, that in the United States alone, there are 22 soldiers taking their life daily because they suffer with aspects of P.T.S.D. or T.B.I. That number is on the rise in Canada as well. We are losing more soldiers to suicide than we have in the war against ISIS.
I have been working on this project for nearly five years. I have reached out to numerous people and organizations to oversee this project to keep it transparent to no avail. With the 22 a day on the rise, I could not wait any longer, so here it is.
In the United States of America, initial proceeds from the song will be assisting the efforts of National Veterans Foundation located in Los Angeles, California. The founder of N.V.F. is Floyd 'Shad' Meshad. Shad has been working with Veterans since 1970 and was a Medical Service Officer during the Vietnam War, where he counseled soldiers in the field who were suffering from a multitude of psychological and emotional problems resulting from their experiences in combat, including what would later become known as 'Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,' or P.T.S.D.
In Canada, we will start by assisting National Service Dogs, one of the first organizations in Canada that has certified dogs for people with P.T.S.D.
“This Flag Flies Free” was recorded by Iraq war veteran, Chas Evans, an award-winning guitarist and music instructor at East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi. Chas is an accomplished songwriter for Musicformylyrics.com.
The video for the song was produced by Marine veteran, Chris Nobles of ‘Semper Fi Design’ from Lexington, SC. Chris did two tours of duty in Iraq and he depicts the reality and trauma of PTSD from a soldier’s point of view.
There is an all-American made product line to accompany the song. It features an original design I conceptualized and it was brought to life by illustrator Kevin Myers of Universe K in Kansas City, Mo.
Depending on the success of the project, we will see how many people we can help. It’s hoped that the long-term benefits of this endeavour will include creating job opportunities for Veterans nationwide.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, if you have any questions, just ask and I will answer them to the best of my ability.
Kindest regards,
Joe Wilson