Rocker Duff McKagan Fights on for the TroopsMar 1, 2011
Seattle native Duff McKagan, the legendary bassist who helped form Guns N' Roses in 1985 and now performs in Velvet Revolver while also fronting his own band, Loaded, recently started donating proceeds from two new songs to help U.S. soldiers.
"I got inspired by my friend Tim Medvetz," McKagan told AOL News.
Medvetz is the Hollywood motorcycle customizer who, after a serious accident, managed to climb Mount Everest after his rehabilitation. He was then featured on the Discovery Channel program "Everest: Beyond the Limit" and made it his mission to help returning war veterans scale summits with him.
"Tim really opened my eyes to how important it was to help the soldiers, no matter how I might feel about the war. So I visited some military hospitals, including the [Veterans Affairs] Puget Sound Healthcare System near Seattle," McKagan said.
"I was really struck by these young men and women. What they had been through, their stories -- it affected me deeply, and it's something I can imagine being a part of for a long time. We've had some really amazing visits."
McKagan, who also works as a journalist today, wrote this in a column soon after one of his local visits:
"A sobering thing to think about is that with all the new-technology armor and immediate and high-caliber medical attention that our soldiers are getting on the battlefield, we are seeing a much higher survival rate than ever before. In other words, and to put it bluntly, guys and gals who would have certainly died in Vietnam from terminal wounds and injuries are now not dying. But we have now more and more kids coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with missing limbs, disfigured bodies, and spinal-cord injuries. Also, with all this armor, more kids are surviving as witnesses to their buddies' deaths. Post-traumatic stress disorder is almost rampant now among our returning soldiers. Think about that."
McKagan did more than just think about it. He decided to share the proceeds from two of Loaded's new songs, "Fight On" and "We Win," to benefit the general patient fund at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System he visited.
"It's the least we can do," McKagan told AOL News. "These men and woman do so much for us that many of us will never see or be aware of. The song 'Fight On' was actually inspired by the soldiers coming home. So if it can help in any way, I'm proud to contribute the proceeds."
Last fall, Loaded performed the song at a Seattle Seahawks football game when the teams sponsored its Military and Veterans Appreciation Day.
Loaded's new album, "The Taking" will be released April 19.
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/01/rocker-duff-mckagan-fights-on-for-the-troops/
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