SHeDAISY honors amputee vets of Iraq (7/20/2004)

SHeDAISY honors amputee vets of Iraq


By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, July 20, 2004
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=&article=22441&archive=true


Sandra Jontz / S&S
From left, SHeDAISY’s Kelsi, Kassidy and Kristyn Osborn sign autographs for 15 soldiers wounded in Iraq, who were unable to attend the country rock group’s Sunday concert in Alexandria, Va. At the last minute, the soldiers, all amputees, could not get a medical release to attend the concert, hosted by a Washington country radio station. So instead, Lt. Col. Mike Bills, deputy chief for the Army’s DS3 program, or Disabled Soldier Support System, got the sister trio to sign photographs for the soldiers, recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The show went on — even if the guests of honor weren’t there.

At the last moment, 15 soldiers, all amputees wounded in Iraq, didn’t get the medical release to attend a benefit concert by country-rock band SHeDAISY, held, in part, in their honor.

But the sister trio went on.

Originally a free show for loyal listeners of a Washington, D.C., country station, Sunday’s event turned into a concert to honor amputees recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with a free show and backstage time with SHeDAISY’s Kelsi, Kassidy and Kristyn Osborn.

Then word came the troops didn’t get the medical nod of approval.

[partial text only; follow link for full article]