At 101, WWII veteran Irving Locker has become a songwriter

Irving Locker, a World War II veteran, has go a published songwriter astatine 101

NASHVILLE -- In a beingness filled with milestones, Irving Locker celebrated a new, unexpected 1 past week: He became a published songwriter.

One time earlier his 101st birthday, “If Freedom Was Free” was released by Big Machine Label Group and CreatiVets, the Nashville-based nonprofit that helps veterans enactment done their traumas by gathering thing caller done the arts.

CreatiVets teamed Locker, a World War II seasoned who landed astatine Utah Beach connected D-Day, with Texas singer-songwriter Bart Crow and duo Johnny and Heidi Bulford, who besides sing connected the track. The chorus – “If state was free, determination wouldn’t beryllium a upland of metallic and men nether Normandy” – includes the connection Locker has utilized successful lectures from classrooms to the White House. Freedom, helium says, is not free. People should beryllium thankful for it and for those who marque it possible.

“I person to speech astir things similar that,” helium says. “I got thing to gain. But radical person to cognize and admit the information that they’re surviving due to the fact that of men who died. It comes from the heart, not the lips.”

Locker, who present lives successful The Villages, Florida, said the accidental to constitute a opus was an “unbelievable” thrill, 1 that helium ne'er dreamed possible. It means adjacent much to him due to the fact that euphony is specified an important portion of his life.

He said helium and his woman of 77 years, Bernice, inactive spell retired dancing often – inactive doing the jitterbug and the cha-cha arsenic they person for decades.

“You should spot maine connected the level adjacent now,” said Locker, adding that helium knows however fortunate helium is to beryllium live and progressive erstwhile truthful galore different veterans are not.

“To beryllium precise honorable with you, I was ne'er conscious of God until the war,” helium said. “But I came truthful adjacent to dying that I learned however to convey God and usage the elemental operation ‘But for the grace of God spell I.’”

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