This last Saturday evening the sounds of WAR filled Tim's Toyota Arena. As hundreds of Veterans and civilians joined together honoring our veterans, "WAR the Band," presented two hours of song, dance, and remembrance.

WAR is an American funk band from California, known for songs such as "Low Rider," "Spill the Wine," "The Cisco Kid," "Why Can't We Be Friends," and "Slippin into Darkness." War has sold over 50 million records in it's forty-one year history. WAR as a musical crossover band, fuses elements of rock, funk, jass, Latin, rhythm, blues, and reggae.

Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan, leader of the WAR Band since 1969, shouted out at the beginning, "This will be a blast to the past, or for some of you a "Flashback." Jordan who co-wrote every song WAR is known for in their four-decade history, shared the stories behind many of their hit-list songs, starting from the Vietnam War era.

The current seven members of the WAR band include:

• Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan - Leader, Vocals, keyboards
• Sal Rodriguez - drums, percussion, vocals
• Stuart Ziff - guitar, vocals
• Francisco "Pancho" Tomaselli - bass, vocals
• Marcos J. Reyes - percussion
• Stanley Behrens - harmonica
• Fernando Harkles - saxophone

In a moving gesture by many of the local businesses, more than 300 tickets were donated, which made it possible for Veterans to attend the WAR concert. This concert thus became one more way to thank the Veterans, some of whom participated earlier in the Northern AZ Stand Down.

Alfonso Santillan, the Prescott Commander for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, explained it this way, "What we're doing tonight, at Tim's Toyota, what they've done is they've put a program together to get some businesses that would purchase tickets so we could invite our community veterans to this concert. And that's what we're doing here, today. We've raised about 300 tickets worth, and we gave out 300 tickets, so every seat should be taken up. This is a day where the veteran and his spouse can just lay back and enjoy themselves. Again, most of these veterans in our community know each other, so it's a big gathering. This is what we're doing this evening."

When Santillan was thanked for his service to his Country, he responded simply, "I was proud to serve."

The event also allowed Iraq veteran Timothy Ramos to set up a table to raise funds for one of his favorite projects - wheelchair games.

Ramos, who represents Arizona's disabled wheelchair veterans in national competitions, said the donations were for, "wheelchair games in Virginia this year, to help us pay for our flight there, our hotel stay and entry into the games. We're both war veterans and we're on the Arizona teams."

Before WAR came on stage, Tim's Toyota Center and sponsors took the time to offer a tribute to the veterans, playing a video put together by the Arizona Music Show.

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After playing all their well-known hits, WAR concluded with the song "Why Can't We Be Friends?" and a musical medley which allowed the individual band members to showcase their amazing talents. It also allowed the entire arena to rock and rattle Tim's Toyota Center with enthusiastic, irrepressible dancing and singing - in the aisles, at their seats, in front of the stage.

What an incredible sight to see every area of service represented, men and women from all over our country, color, age, gender, singing and swaying in unity.

It was an evening meant to thank the veterans. It did that, and much more. Just as Alfonso promised, it was certainly a big gathering allowing one and all to enjoy themselves.

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