Menomonee Falls veteran debuts single 'Soldier Coming Home' with message of hope, resiliency

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- With the microphone on and guitar in hand, it's clear that Jesse Frewerd is a natural as he effortlessly croons on the makeshift stage set up inside of Milwaukee's Urbal Tea Cafe on Saturday night. 

It's the Menomonee Falls veteran's first time performing his debut single "Soldier Coming Home" now that it's officially been released -- and it's been a long time coming.

The lyrics touch on his experiences in the military and his struggles to transition back into civilian life after he served in the Army from 2002 to 2005, "a little over a year which was in Iraq."

“We had a couple close calls while I was there, one being an IED going off right under my vehicle," Frewerd told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White. "I’m just extremely thankful that everyone in the Humvee got to walk away from that completely unharmed physically.”

Frewerd originally wrote the song in 2017 after he received an opportunity to travel to Nashville and work with CreatiVets, a nonprofit organization that pairs veterans with professional songwriters. 

“The IED incident, the difficult post-military transition, just weaving all that together, the good and the bad into Soldier Coming Home," Frewerd said, noting he used music as a kind of therapy to cope and process. 

But it wasn't until recently that Frewerd got the chance to record it professionally, leading to the song debuting on this Veteran's Day.

"It really captures the difficulty that I was experiencing," Frewerd said. “It felt like I was playing an actor in my own life at times, so I might have a bad episode and then coming back to my friends and family who I love was just kind of with shame and embarrassment because I just wasn’t myself.”

All of the verses are impactful, but Frewerd said he hopes listeners pay special attention to the tagline.

"It's 'I'm just playing a part of a soldier coming home,'" Frewerd said. “Those difficult moments made me who I am today and just... letting other veterans know that even though things may be hard, you can have a fulfilling life and you can be just better.”

"Soldier Coming Home" is now available for streaming on digital platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.

And as for what's next?

Frewerd is planning to debut his next single sometime after the new year, which will feature a vocal performance by his wife, Katie. 

To stay up to date on his music and other announcements, click here.