New song honours veterans to raise funds for PTSD
This Flag Flies Free now available for download to mark Flag Day in United States
June 12, 2019 — As thousands of people gathered on the beaches of Normandy this month to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Canadian entrepreneur and patriot Joe Wilson launched a North American fundraising initiative to raise $1 million for veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Wilson, the founder of D-Day Wear®, the commemorative military clothing brand, will donate proceeds from a new song that he wrote called “This Flag Flies Free,” which is being released to coincide with Flag Day celebrations on June 14 in the United States. June is also PTSD Awareness Month in Canada and the United States, where PTSD Awareness Day will be observed on June 27.
Proceeds from downloads of the song will be donated to veterans charities including the National Veterans Foundation (NVF), which operates a toll-free helpline and provides crisis support, information and referral services for veterans and their families. Based in Los Angeles, Calif., the NVF was founded by Floyd “Shad” Meshad, a former U.S. army psychiatrist and renowned expert on PTSD who has been counselling veterans for over 40 years.
Wilson wrote the song based on conversations with veterans and hearing their stories over 14 years of travelling and selling his unique brand of clothing across Canada and the United States.
“I have met many soldiers from our great countries who served in the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Wilson. “It’s been an honour and a privilege to hear their stories of service and sacrifice. It is hard to fathom what they experienced and the painful baggage some of them continue to carry since returning home. It is time for us as a society to stand up and look after those who stood where we could not to protect our freedoms.”
“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, Miss. Chas is an accomplished songwriter for Musicformylyrics.com.
The video for the song was produced by U.S. Marines veteran Chris Nobles of Lexington, SC. Chris owns Semper Fi Design and he 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 conceptualized by Wilson and brought to life by illustrator Kevin Myers of Universe K in Kansas City, Mo.
It’s hoped that the long-term benefits of this endeavour will include creating job opportunities for veterans nationwide.
“This will assist them in healing while they are helping other veterans and assisting organizations who help our military personnel and first responders,” Wilson said.
Show your support by visiting www.thisflagfliesfree.com and downloading your copy of the song.
For more information, contact:
Joe Wilson
Founder, D-Day Wear®
ani@ody.ca
519-826-0529
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