Music festival honoring veterans held in Railyard

Posted By: Rachael Miner

rminer@klkntv.com

Singing of the Star Spangled Banner kicked off the 8th annual Veterans Freedom Music Festival.

The event provides veterans and their families a day of music, fun, and a chance to connect with others in the community who have also served, but its main purpose is to provide information about resources available to former service members.

"There are many veterans that are too proud to go to the VA and we want to reach out to every veteran and make sure they have the opportunity to receive the benefits they rightly deserve," said Dave Rusk, a chairman with the Veteran’s Freedom Music Festival. 

Vendors like the VA, health care providers, and organizations who provide job opportunities for vets all came out.

For many service members the transition back to civilian life is difficult.

"The military gives you a lot of reason for being and you lose that mission when you get out so a lot of service men and women lose that sense of purpose," said Daniel Kerr, a Marine veteran. 

Daniel Kerr, a former Marine now serves as a pastor and says he sees a lot of servicemen and woman struggle once their time in the military ends.

Events like this festival provides resources many veterans don’t know are available to them.

It also gives them an opportunity to get back out into the community.

"This is a great opportunity of veterans to come together to be able to remember why we served, what we were doing, and to get resources, resources to stay plugged into society in new and exciting ways and to reimagine some of that purpose," said Kerr.

For Rusk, this event is a small way to honor those who have served, "Well these guys and ladies laid down their lives for me so I don’t think we can thank them enough."