Tribute to US armed forces

2 Comments / 2 Comments

1. Thanks yamit. That’s nice to know.

2. Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American rock bassist, vocalist, actor, and businessman. He is well known as “The Demon”, the blood-spitting, fire-breathing, and tongue-wagging bassist and co-frontman and backup vocalist in the hard rock band Kiss, a group he co-founded in the early 1970s. Simmons was placed twenty-ninth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers

   While a self-described modern liberal on social policy issues such as gay rights and abortion, Simmons has also described himself as a supporter of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration. He supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, writing on his website: “I’m ashamed to be surrounded by people calling themselves liberal who are, in my opinion, spitting on the graves of brave American soldiers who gave their life to fight a war that wasn’t theirs…in a country they’ve never been to… simply to liberate the people therein”. In a follow-up, Simmons explained his position and wrote about his love and support for the United States: “I wasn’t born here. But I have a love for this country and its people that knows no bounds. I will forever be grateful to America for going into World War II, when it had nothing to gain, in a country that was far away… and rescued my mother from the Nazi German concentration camps. She is alive and I am alive because of America. And, if you have a problem with America, you have a problem with me”.

   During the 2006 Lebanon War between Israel and Lebanon, Simmons sent a televised message of support (in both English and Hebrew) to an Israeli soldier seriously wounded in fighting in Lebanon, calling him his “hero”

   Gene Simmons Hails Israeli Soldier

   The Associated Press

   JERUSALEM — The flamboyant, Israeli-born rocker Gene Simmons has sent a televised message of support to an Israeli soldier seriously wounded in fighting in Lebanon, calling him his ‘hero.’

   Simmons, 57, founded the heavy metal band Kiss in the 1970s and became famous for wearing white and black face makeup, spitting fire and sticking his tongue out at sold-out elaborate performances.

   Simmons, the band’s bass player, was born Chaim Witz in the northern Israeli city of Haifa before emigrating to New York as a child.

   Simmons sent a video message this week to Ron Weinreich, an Israeli soldier and die-hard Kiss fan, who was seriously wounded in Israel’s 34-day fight with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Weinreich remains hospitalized and is paralyzed from the chest down. Above his hospital bed, a Kiss poster is spread across the wall.

   Weinreich’s brother had his wedding relocated this week to the hospital, so his brother could attend. At the wedding, the surprise recording was played.

   “Hi Ron, this is Gene Simmons. I’m talking to you from my home. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, and how much the world and Israel owes you a debt of gratitude,” he said. “From the bottom of my heart, you are a real hero, you are everybody’s hero, you are my hero and I wish I could be there with you.”

   Suddenly switching to confident Hebrew, Simmons added: “My name is Chaim, I was born in Haifa.”

   He concluded by saying in English: “I wish you my best, a happy life and I hope the wedding comes off and everybody should honor you because you are a real hero.”