Images by Alan Look Photography  There is an old saying that music heals the parts of the soul that medicine cannot reach. Yesterday, at the 2026 Freedom Sings USA Veterans’ Songwriting Retreat in Heyworth, Illinois, that truth was on full display as local Marine Corps veteran Sean Tibbs of El Paso paired up with hit Nashville songwriter Bobby Tomberlin to turn a heavy military journey into a powerful piece of musical art. Tibbs, known locally as a dedicated Teledata electrician with IBEW Local 197, originally stepped away from his civilian life and apprenticeship around 2009 to answer the call of duty. Deploying to Afghanistan for a grueling nine-month tour, Tibbs served with honor, returning home in 2010 to present his union with a U.S. flag flown during a combat mission over enemy territory. While Tibbs successfully transitioned back into civilian life—graduating his apprenticeship in 2016 and continuing his trade—the invisible weight of deployment never truly disappears. That i...

  Two Veterans, Two Wars, One Album: Freedom Sings USA Releases “Heyworth IL Sessions Vol. 1” Photo by Alan Look Photography HEYWORTH, Ill. — The newest Freedom Sings USA album, Heyworth IL Sessions Vol. 1, released March 14, 2026, brings together the voices of Illinois veterans whose stories span more than eight decades of American military history. Among them are two men whose service could not be more different in era or battlefield, yet whose songs now stand side by side: World War II veteran Paul Petry and Vietnam War helicopter pilot Cpt. David E. Henard. Freedom Sings USA, a national nonprofit that pairs veterans with professional songwriters to turn their life stories into original music. Each track on the album is written with the veteran, drawn directly from their own spoken memories, and performed by either the veteran or a collaborating artist. --- A 99‑Year‑Old WWII Veteran Tells His Story in “Since the Beginning” At 99 years old, Paul Petry is one of the last living m...

    Freedom Sings USA Retreat Brings Healing Through Song in Heyworth, Illinois On June 17 and 18, 2025, the small town of  Heyworth, Illinois  became a stage for healing, connection, and patriotism as  Freedom Sings USA  hosted a moving two-day retreat. The event brought together U.S. military veterans and accomplished Nashville songwriters to collaborate on powerful original songs inspired by each veteran’s personal story of service, sacrifice, and resilience. Veterans  Austin Whiskers, Gary Simpkins, Del Saam, Cherish Masters, Mark Buchholz , and  Carl Johnston  opened their hearts and memories to the songwriting team, allowing deeply emotional and authentic music to emerge. These stories were then turned into songs by a lineup of renowned hitmakers including  Don Goodman, Bill DiLuigi, Bill Whyte, Steve Dean , and  Bobby Tomberlin —artists with credits spanning country music charts and decades of storytelling excellence. Joe Her...