EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE: The Song of a Soldier

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can affect anyone. In the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports upwards of 20% of Veterans suffer from it. A local band wrote a song about a soldier who lives that life.
In part two of a special Extraordinary Person of the Week, the Song of a Soldier and how that music is helping those in need.

“He used to be so confident, now, he’s grown weak from the pain,” David Fair sings.

The song was born the day musician David Fair met now retired Lieutenant Colonel Cody Roberson while on touring with a former band in Texas.

David and his bandmate, Madonna Nash, singing duet: “As he walks into the local bar, drowned his pain and broken heart, until he can’t find his way back home.”

“Cody’s story inspired me and we wrote it,” Fair told Daniel Seamans.

Cody’s story is one of a decorated soldier who battles life after many years of service in the military. One who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

Nash and Fair’s new song, ‘Welcome home’, is a tale of a troubled journey so emotional that the song itself had challenges.

“My dad wasn’t happy with the way it ended because I had a soldier in the story killing himself because I wanted to drive home what ptsd can really do.” Fair said. “My dad said it glorifies the devil’s doing because it leaves you in the negative, so then I was thinking what can I do to rewrite. Madonna popped in my head and I asked her to rewrite the story and she did.”

Madonna Nash, a Wilmington native and musician, is the other half of the band ‘Nash and Fair’.

“The song turned out great,” Nash said. “100% of the proceeds of the song go to men, women, and children suffering from PTSD. We’re really happy and excited about that. The Army Bass Anglers picked it up and they are going to help promote the song and make sure the right people get the funding for it.”

As for Cody Roberson…the soldier behind the song?

“It feels really neat to have someone kinda take what you’re feeling and put it into words, especially into a song because song can reach that many more people,” Roberson said via phone from Texas.

A song with a goal of turning a negative into a positive. “The only positive thing about it is you can get the help and there is help you should be proud and able to ask for help,” Fair said as he spoke of the respect he has for the men and women in the military.

It’s ‘Extraodinary’ music to our ears.

“Welcome home his daughter said with her arms wrapped around his neck….” Fair sang.

The band is currently filming an official video of the song which will feature Cody Roberson.
The Army Bass Anglers, which Roberson created, can then use the video as a tool to raise money and awareness of PTSD in the military.

For more information on the Army Bass Anglers, click here:

To purchase the song, ‘Welcome Home’ on iTunes, click here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/welcome-home-single/id913642909

For more information on the band Nash and Fair, click here:
http://nashandfair.weebly.com/

And to see Wilmington native Madonna Nash’s feature, click here:
http:wway.wcbi.com/2014/11/26/extraordinary-people-the-port-citys-pretty-little-secret

If you’d like to nominate an ‘Extraordinary Person’, email me at dseamans@wwaytv3.com
-Daniel