Fundraising efforts continue for local Army Specialist Kyle Hockenberry, the soldier who lost both legs and an arm in an Improvised Explosive Device in Afghanistan in June of 2011.
The benefit concert to build Kyle a smart home is coming up in two weeks. The organization putting on the concert, Tunnel to Towers, was in town yesterday to skype with musician Justin Brannan – the man who wrote the lyrics “For those I love, I will sacrifice” – a phrase tattooed on Kyle’s rib cage and seen by the world in that iconic photo of him in a medevac helicopter following the explosion.
Brannan first saw the picture of Kyle and his tattoo in a U.S. Time Magazine article in September of 2011 and knew he had to meet him. They recently got the opportunity on July 4th in New York City.
Brannan says he’s selling t-shirts with the tattoo’s slogan to help raise money for Hockenberry’s new home. T-shirts can be purchased online for $20 at www.forkyle.merchnow.com.