Our Story
Songs4Soldiers is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization established May 31, 2013.
My name is Dustin Row. I am a father, musician (Dazed n Confused STL), and veteran of the Iraq War 2004-2005. While in Iraq I was with the 724th Transportation Unit of Bartonville, IL. Our mission in Iraq was to es**rt fuel convoys primarily to Baghdad and the Anbar province in Western Iraq. During our tour we experienced many fire fights, IED's, land mines etc. None worse than the attack on our convoy April 9th 2004. After a failed email, we drove a support convoy directly into an ongoing offensive between the 3rd Calvary Armored Division of the U.S. Army and Shiite militiamen of the Mahdi Army. Enemy fighters were estimated to be in the numbers of three to four hundred. Our convoy consisted of eight armed support vehicles along with eighteen American civilian driven fuel trucks. Needles to say we were completely picked apart and destroyed. My 50 cal gun truck was one out of six trucks to even make it through the three mile long kill zone. My truck was also the only truck out of the entire convoy that didn't have any dead or wounded in it. In the end, two of my fellow soldiers, PFC Gregory Goodrich and SGT Elmer Krause, were killed in action. SSG Matt Maupin was captured by insurgents - his remains were not discovered until several years later. Five civilian drivers were killed and one is still missing. Fourteen soldiers and civilians were also wounded in the attack.
I, like most combat veterans, often struggle with “why?” - Why am I still alive? Why did my friends die? Why do I have all of my fingers and toes? Why did I fire into that building during that firefight? Who else was in there? Why didn't I do more during that firefight? Ultimately it comes back to, “Why am I still alive?”
With the benefit of a great family and time, some things have surfaced as to maybe why I am still here: the birth of my children, the unrelenting desire to live everyday to the fullest, the second chance to life that most people never get to experience, and the skill to play and share music with people. All of these things have led me to channel my dispositions from past experiences into one great cause: Songs4Soldiers!
Every September, concert will be held at Bolm-Schuhkraft park in Columbia IL. All profits benefit combat veterans who are either wounded, disabled, suffering from PTSD, or possibly just veterans who are down on their luck. The money raised will be used to pay for specific needs these individuals may have such as bills, home improvements, provisions for their family, etc. To date (1/12/2020) we have spent over $600,000 on over 500 combat veterans. Please visit our website to see who S4S has helped thus far! http://songs4soldiersstl.org/thosehonored/
I still struggle with “why?” but I am here and very grateful. The least I can do is help the living, by honoring the dead, and use my gift of music to help others. So please join us in a fun-filled night of music on September 11th and 12th, 2020 by raising money for an excellent cause! Any veteran past or present gets free admission. See you there!
If you or your company would like to help support the event in the form of a donation or sponsorship please contact Dustin Row personally. Your support would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Dustin Row
Songs4Soldiers President and Event Producer
[email protected]
(618) 7719-2333
