What does a famous drummer have in common with war heroes?

There are days when I think the only issue to cover is what's wrong. One bad story after another and too many nights I go to bed wondering if there is still hope out there. Sure, we read about one good story but that one is usually followed by nine bad ones.

Well, here's a good story about hope and it is being offered by a drummer to the wounded coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Right now they have no clue what their tomorrows will look like and some of them wonder if they even want to face them at all. Each day is another alive day but each day comes with another set of challenges for them. So out comes a rocker/one arm drummer telling them point blank their futures are not carved in stone and are not limited to what other people take for granted everyday but they no longer have. It is about what they still have inside of them. Really a great story!

Wounded Soldiers Learn to Rock On
What does a famous drummer have in common with war heroes? More than you might think.

By Rick Allen, Los Angeles, California


In this article:
Celebrities Change Change Your Life Faith Hope Inspirational Stories Inspirational Story Inspiring Story Military Stories Real Life Stories Soldiers Stories Of Hope Success True Inspirational Stories Veterans


I walked into the hospital with one thought continually racing through my mind: What would I say to them?

I’d gotten a call just a few weeks before from a representative for the USO (United Service Organizations). “We’ve heard about your inspiring story,” the man said. “We’d like you to come to Walter Reed Hospital and visit with some of the soldiers who’ve been injured in combat. Maybe you could help them get through it.”

My “inspiring story” hadn’t felt so inspiring back in 1984 when I’d made headlines: DEF LEPPARD DRUMMER LOSES ARM IN AUTOMOBILE CRASH.

I hadn’t lost my arm in any act of bravery. I’d been driving too fast on a winding road, thinking—like most 21-year-olds—that I was invincible. I’d eventually learned to drum again with only one arm, and our band had gone on to even greater success than before the accident.

And while a lot of fans and critics had thought my continuing to “rock on” in spite of missing an arm had been cool, I’d never met a war hero before. They were so out of my league—they’d risked their lives for their country. Maybe these guys who’d been injured in combat would resent my coming in and telling them everything would be OK. After all, who did I think I was?
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Wounded Soldiers Learn to Rock On