Veterans recently completed an electric guitar building class with the Wounded Warrior Project®. (PRNewsfoto/Wounded Warrior Project)
Injured veterans may have walked in empty-handed, but by the end of a recent series of classes with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), they left with electric guitars they built on their own.
These WWP gatherings empowered veterans to explore the unique hobby of building an electric guitar while sharing their everyday experiences with one another.
During each six-hour course, warriors received kits with all the supplies and materials needed to build their very own Stratocaster-style electric guitar. In addition to learning how to make the instrument, they reviewed basic care and maintenance and gained an understanding of the different parts and functions of the instrument.
Dionisios Nicholas, a Marine Corps veteran, said this event happened at the perfect time since he is also learning to play guitar.
“This is not a skill I could have learned on my own,” Dionisios said. “It helps being able to see the components and assembling all its parts into a beautiful ivory electric guitar. Now I am better equipped for potential repairs, and I also gained confidence with the guitar. Just like a weapon, we must master it.”
Events like this get wounded veterans out of the house and connected with fellow warriors in comfortable settings, limiting the common struggle of isolation faced by many returning from war.
“It is clear to me that Wounded Warrior Project is more than just words. They provide me with tailored programs to facilitate my reintegration into society without feeling angry, guilty, and depressed. The highlight of this event for me was meeting new veterans, gaining trust in others, and having fun while doing something very sophisticated. It was the perfect balance.”
Thanks to generous donors, WWP programs are offered free of charge, and they are designed to ease the burdens on warriors, their caregivers, and families by aiding in the recovery process and smoothing the transition into civilian life. The programs support both immediate and long-term recovery and healing for those who have given so much during their service.
To learn and see more about how WWP’s programs and services connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org, and click on multimedia.
About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.