A tremendously important story has gone virtually untold by the media, ignored by our political leaders, and unknown to the American public. Despite the extraordinarily high price they have paid, America’s severely wounded veterans are enduring humiliating financial hardships of epic proportions. Home evictions, utility shutoffs, car repossessions, and foreclosures are commonplace.
“The Armed Forces Family Aid Concert” seeks to benefit those families suffering severe financial hardship.
The concert is scheduled to take place April 29th through May 1st on a 40 acre farm outside of Dayton, Ohio. Bands from across America and of all music backgrounds (rock, country, rap, blues, etc) will be performing, including Congressman Thad McCotter (R-MI) and his band, The Flying Squirrels!
Yours Truly will act as one of the Emcee’s.
Rep. McCotter
A Congress that thinks nothing of spending trillions on bailouts and stimulus packages has mostly turned a deaf ear on our severely disabled vets. Often times spouses of returning veterans have to give up their jobs to become caregivers, cutting family incomes in half. Most disabled vets receive much less in compensation and benefits than they did while on active duty, reducing family incomes even further. Many are too dysfunctional to hold a meaningful job, if any, because of the devastating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Some time ago I interviewed one such vet and his spouse, Mr. and Mrs. Kim Tanner. Mr. Tanner worked as a truck driver while serving with the Army, often driving 12 to 14 hours a day delivering weapons and supplies throughout Iraq. The effects of numerous blasts from exploding roadside bombs has left him suffering from severe PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. Today he lives with memory loss, speech impairment, and hearing loss. He is unable to work long periods of time at his part-time post office job.
His wife has given up her job as a bus driver to be his full-time caregiver. Before his injury, they earned $7,000 a month together. At the time of our interview their combined monthly income was a paltry $800.
“We rely on charities and the kindness of others to get by,” Mrs. Tanner told me. “We would have lost our home and our car by now if it weren’t for charities.” Many others are not so “lucky.” She continued, “It’s embarrassing to ask others for help. It doesn’t seem right after Kim sacrificed so much. It is really tough.”
Tickets for the weekend concert are only $12.50 per person! If you live within a day’s drive of Dayton, make plans to join us. It promises to be an enjoyable family atmosphere, great entertainment, and you will definitely be supporting a worthy patriotic cause. Feel free to email for more details Rick@AmatoTalk.com.
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