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Today GTL is taking Anna to see EV at B&B.
He Was Pretty Spectacular.
Full Story - https://www.facebook.com/giventolive/posts/1912534918763057
He Was Pretty Spectacular.
When a loved one is in the military and is deployed into a war zone there is always the chance they might not make it back and if they do that there will be scars that aren't visible. A wife, husband, parents, children, family, friends count the days until the return. With luck, a safe return.
Home is safe.
Home is where our loved ones are meant to be; home, loved and being the one loving back.
Home is where Marine Gunnery Sergeant Brendan Johnson was when the aircraft he was riding in crashed in Mississippi on the 10th of July. Having enlisted in '94 Brendan was due to retire next year. On the 28th of July. A date etched on both his and his wife Anna's minds. A date when the two of them would be able to live the next part of their lives together, without moving, the anxiety of wondering whether he'd return safely no longer a part of their lives. Just a year.
When Given To Live was contacted to see if we could do something for Anna we started to talk with her close friend to work something out. A plan was coming together to take Anna to the Bourbon And Beyond festival but then flights down from New York became very expensive, very expensive. But we wanted to take Anna, especially as having spoken to Anna we discovered how important music was to her and Brendan that they had a special spot they'd dance in, that 'music was our thing'. And Seattle sports was a big part of their lives, and in '14 they'd made it to see their Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl, but GTL doesn't do sports. Does it?
Phone calls, messages, route planning from those who know, chats with Nicole and it turns out that by making it a musical road trip starting in Cincinnati we can take Anna to see the Cincinnati Reds play ball before heading to Louisville and then Franklin for Sunday's Pilgrimage festival line-up where Eddie Vedder is headlining. Eddie will be poignant because Brendan was also a huge Pearl Jam fan with the radio often tuned to PJ Radio for his favourite tunes.
Anna will be there for her and for Brendan. Memories like fingerprints will stain her weekend, love songs will pinch her ache yet also bring Brendan closer to her. She wants people to know him, those who knew him to not forget. And as a bourbon lover, with one cube of ice, no doubt a glass or two will be raised.
To lose the one you love and who loved you so young is cruel, to lose a serving soldier in a plane crash at home unforgivably unfair. In battle a heart would break, like this a broken heart is also confused with the futility of it all.
We will do our best to take care of Anna. To take her on a trip doing things she and Brendan loved, knowing where there's music there's often magic and perhaps they'll dance to a favourite song together.
After everything we've heard from Anna and others about Brendan as a human, a husband and a Marine we'd have to agree with her own words,
'He was pretty spectacular.'
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Again GTL sends the biggest thank you to everyone at Better Than Nothing Videos for the fundraising and love they put into making their videos that has made this trip possible. Thank you. Thank you all.
Given To Live -
Latest story - Declan at Slipknot is up on the website now at www.giventolive.com along with Kayleigh at Foo Fighters, Tony at Stereophonics and more.
Inspired by Pearl Jam, making live music dreams come true.
Latest story - Declan at Slipknot is up on the website now at www.giventolive.com along with Kayleigh at Foo Fighters, Tony at Stereophonics and more.
Inspired by Pearl Jam, making live music dreams come true.
Post edited by IamTom on
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Bravo, Tom. I hope Anna and all going have a beautiful, light and freeing time.
RED ROCKS 6-19-95
AUGUSTA 9-26-96
MANSFIELD 9-15-98
BOSTON 9-29-04
BOSTON 5-25-06
MANSFIELD 6-30-08
EV SOLO BOSTON 8-01-08
BOSTON 5-17-10
EV SOLO BOSTON 6-16-11
PJ20 9-3-11
PJ20 9-4-11
WRIGLEY 7-19-13
WORCESTER 10-15-13
WORCESTER 10-16-13
HARTFORD 10-25-13
1993-9-4 Vancouver
1996-9-16 Seattle
1998-7-19 Vancouver, 7-21 Seattle, Memorial Stadium
2000-11-6 Seattle
2001-10-22 Seattle
2002 -12-09 Seattle
2009-8-17 Manchester, 9-25 Vancouver
2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
2013-11-29 Portland, 12-4 Vancouver, 12-6 Seattle
2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
2014 - USA - Memphis, Detroit, MOLINE, St. Paul, MILWAUKEE, Denver, 25/26 Bridge School
2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2
2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2
And keep on going anna. Love from rob. F
astoria 06
albany 06
hartford 06
reading 06
barcelona 06
paris 06
wembley 07
dusseldorf 07
nijmegen 07
this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
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