A soldier, Sal Gonzalez was a singer and guitarist act from Season 9 of Americas Got Talent. He was eliminated during Judgment Week :( A wounded warrior uses music to make peace with the guilt he carries after surviving a deadly military mission Having music as a tool for my recovery, I was able to put down and let go of a lot of pain, he said. It kept me going. Its life. Its who I am … I want to show other warriors that its possible to follow your dreams and be normal. “Heroes” is the first and only song that Sal currently plays about his experience as a Marine at war. The beauty and the message of this song have touched many and opened many song-writing doors for Sal. In more recent times, Sal has used his skills to pen many more songs about the struggles and trials of the common man. Sal’s perspective on country music comes not from the farm or the fields, but from the life experiences. Shortly after completing boot camp at Camp Pendleton, Sal found himself on the front lines in Iraq. As a gunner behind a .50 caliber machine gun, Sal’s job quickly became protecting the welfare of his squad. During his short time on the front lines Sal’s Humvee was hit seven times by roadside bombs. Unfortunately for Sal and his squad, the seventh time was a direct hit. During the explosion, Sal suffered a wound that resulted in an amputation of his lower left leg. Equally as difficult, Sal lost his good friend and Lieutenant, Matt Lynch. In a coma for three weeks, Sal regained consciousness stateside at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. After a total of 12 months of recovery Sal received his medical discharge, but was unsure what the next phase of his life might look like. It was then that the family of a fellow Marine invited Sal to come rehabilitate and acclimate to society in Nashville while enjoying the sights and sounds of the CMA Country Music Fest. This experience quickly reunited Sal with his musical roots and reignited his goal of pursuing a career in the music industry. Since that time, Sal has resided in Nashville while honing his singing chops, writing songs and assisting fellow veterans on their personal roads to recovery. As part of his personal responsibility to his fellow Marines, Sal has attended several services for fallen comrades. It was at one of these services that Sal was approached by an elderly lady who tried to impart to Sal that he was a “hero.” Unflinching, Sal quickly responded to the lady, “Ma’am I thank you. But the heroes are the ones that don’t come home.” In that short sentence Sal summarized his personal experience and with his writing buddy, Arlos Smith he sat down to pen his first hit “Heroes.” POSTED TO INSPIRE OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS @ AFP Medical Center #salute
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 08:52:27 +0000
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