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Two Veterans, Two Wars, One Album: Freedom Sings USA Releases “Heyworth IL Sessions Vol. 1”

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  Two Veterans, Two Wars, One Album: Freedom Sings USA Releases “Heyworth IL Sessions Vol. 1” Photo by Alan Look Photography HEY WORTH, 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 Petri 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 Petri is one of the last living ...