Willie Nelson Gives Free Concert for Wounded Vets

For the second time in a year, Willie Nelson gave a free concert for wounded soldiers at a San Antonio military hospital.

Willie Nelson warmed up for his Friday night concert for paying customers by playing a long freebie gig for soldiers injured in Iraq. It was the second straight year that Nelson squeezed in a show at Brooke Army Medical Center while he and his band were in San Antonio to play at the city’s annual rodeo. “I have a lot of respect for the military,” said Nelson, himself an Air Force veteran. “I like to show them that I support them every chance I get. … We get as much out of it as (the soldiers).”

Last February the 72-year-old singer wore out his voice singing 11 songs at the Army hospital, and he had to cancel his performance at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. He said part of the reason he came back was that he felt bad his soldier concert was so short, never mind that it was also at no charge to listeners. “I didn’t feel that I gave them a very good show,” said Nelson, who was coming down with laryngitis at the time. “I figured one year later, my throat was back and I’d give it another shot.”

Mighty nice of him. A friend of mine spent quite a bit of time at Brooke after an IED explosion.

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