From left, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, and Zac Brown, sing on the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014, during the Concert for Valor.WASHINGTON – Military veterans and active-duty service members packed Washington’s National Mall on Tuesday for a free concert featuring Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna and Eminem, among other performers.
The first-of-its-kind Concert for Valor, spearheaded by Starbucks president Howard Schultz, was intended to raise awareness for issues affecting veterans. Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to attend, making it one of the biggest events of the year on the Mall.
While tickets were free, organizers were hoping to direct fans to ways they can volunteer or donate money to causes helping war veterans. Some in the audience said the gesture had symbolic importance.
“This is the first time since I’ve been back that I’ve felt honored to be back home, and I’m 65 years old,” said Bobby Monk, a disabled Vietnam Veteran from Washington who wore a gray Army T-shirt. “They treated us like criminals when we came back home. They didn’t give us a parade.”
Jerrod Knight of the Navy Ceremonial Guard, right, cheers with the crowd on the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014, during the Concert for Valor.Also scheduled to perform were Metallica, Carrie Underwood, Dave Grohl, the Black Keys, Jessie J and the Zac Brown Band. Onstage hosts included Jack Black, Bryan Cranston and Jamie Foxx. Video tributes to veterans from Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, among others, were interspersed between the performances.