Guardian angel Platoon Album

HISTORY BEHIND THE ALBUM

In 2004, at the age of twenty, Dennis left his friends, family, and home in Prince Edward Island for Saint-Jean Sur Richelieu, Quebec. There, with many other young men and women, he entered basic training and began a career in the Canadian Armed Forces. In 2005 Denn is joined the infantry and became a member of the Royal Canadian Regiment, stationed in Gagetown, New Brunswick. In 2007, Dennis deployed to Afghanistan. During 2006 - 2007 the Canadian Military experienced one of its heaviest years of combat since the Korean war (1950 - 1953). Dennis lost many friends to the war in Afghanistan, including 6 to the same blast of an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) on Easter Sunday, 2007. Dennis returned home safely to the love of his friends and family, but the war did not stop for him. Like many other soldiers, the traumatic experiences of Afghanistan created a new battle to be fought internally. Dennis was diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Sadly, this condition is misunderstood by the Canadian Military and dismissed as weakness, creating
yet another layer of guilt and shame for soldiers to manage. Dennis was losing friends to suicide at an alarming rate while at the same time battling the same demons as his comrades. In 2013, Dennis was medically released from the Canadian Armed Forces, and he returned home to Prince Edward Island, resulting in further isolation. Being separated from his brothers and sisters, the few who understood what he had been through, he was now alone. In the years since his service, Dennis has committed to a journey of healing. Not only for himself but for all those who have served our country. In 2015 Dennis opened PEI’s first Medicinal Cannabis clinic for island Veterans, a medicine making paramount shifts for those living with PTSD. This clinic led to the creation of peer support groups, like Brave and Broken, for Veterans and first responders. Groups that battled the darkness of isolation by creating community with
those who share the same aloneness, bringing together people who truly understand.
Dennis discovered a love for music and found healing through playing guitar and songwriting. In addition to completing work on his first album, Dennis recently created and participated in a music therapy program to share this powerful tool with other Veterans. Ready to share his experiences of war and PTSD through music, Dennis has teamed up with local, to PEI, songwriter and producer Dennis Ellsworth to create a collection of songs that bring the listener on an emotional musical journey. Beginning in the mind of a young man, trained and deployed into a war worlds away, then returning home to reassemble the fractured pieces. This collection highlights the tragedies of war and the lingering effects of traumatic experiences that relate not just to soldier but also to anyone experiencing their own internal battles with mental
health, trauma, and the tragic loss of loved ones. A portion of all ticket and album sales will help fund music therapy programs for veterans and first responders.