Scotty Hasting Reflects on Trip to France for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day: 'Changed My Life' (Exclusive)

Former Army infantryman turned singer/songwriter Scotty Hasting still has trouble finding the words to describe the pain he found himself in on April 21, 2011.

“It’s like taking a fire lighter, putting it on fire until it’s bright red, and then slowly pushing it through your skin,” Hasting, 36, tells PEOPLE in an interview revealing the terrifying moment he was shot 10 times while fighting in Afghanistan “The pain was terrible. But the hardest part was smelling it when you feel your own skin burning. That’s the part that still bugs me.”

I first met Colonel Keith Nightingale (RET) at Countess Dorothea de la Houssaye’s Normandy Institute at her Chateau Bernaville for the Big Red One dinner. He is an absolute legend in military circles, not only as a soldier but also as a person. He is without a doubt the most knowledgeable person in Normandy about the history of our soldiers, what they did and how they did it. He is a wealth of information. It’s amazing to listen to him talk.

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This is me hanging out with some of the active military members who attended the D-Day events that week. Having them around made me realize that what we do means something. It meant a lot that they came up to me and said it’s so inspiring to see one of us veterans up there doing what I’m doing. In a way, it reignited the flame in me to keep moving forward and pushing to do it not only for me but for them.

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It’s a mess Hasting still faces 13 years later, wrapped in a mix of post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and anxiety and depression, which he says the “I’m America” ​​hitmaker continues to struggle with every day. But it’s a battle the military veteran found a way to temporarily win last month when he was invited to represent the United States in Normandy, France, during a weeklong celebration commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

“The importance of what we were doing outweighed the PTSD, depression and anxiety I was feeling,” explains the Purple Heart recipient. “You were overwhelmed with emotion wherever you went. And so, it was in the back of my mind, but I didn’t really think I was too busy trying to be in every moment.”

This is the first time I met Dennis Boldt. The funny part about meeting him was when I first walked up to Dennis, I shook his hand, and he said, “Okay, okay, who are you?” We bonded so deeply after that.

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It was a very intimate performance that we weren’t sure would even happen. I was able to perform a few songs for World War II veteran Dennis Boldt by the fire. At one point during this performance, I sang “Whiskey in the Bottle” and Dennis kind of laughed at the lyrics. It made me laugh because it completely surprised me and made me fumble for words, but it was such a great moment with Dennis.

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Veterans return to Normandy on 78th anniversary of D-Day and recall life-changing World War II moments

This picture was taken from the stairs looking left down the street from the mayor’s office. I have never seen so many people in such a small space. When I looked down the street in that direction, it was almost overwhelming to see how many people had turned up to commemorate what happened that day 80 years ago.

Brett Boyett

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And there were plenty of moments to savor during the 10-day, life-changing journey made possible by the Walk Among Heroes organization, including moments Hasting says he was blessed to spend with World War II veteran Dennis Bolt. This trip served as Bolt’s first return to the same ground he fought on when he was just 19 years old.

“I played [Trace Adkins’] the song ‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired’ and there’s a part in it about being on the beach in June 1944, and as soon as I said it, [Bolt]His eyes just glazed over,” Hasting recalls tearfully. “At that moment he was transported to another world and I could see it. And it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my entire life.”

The moment was even more special as Hasting then had the opportunity to walk on the same sand as Bolt and the same sand where so many lost their lives on that fateful day in 1944.

This was Utah Beach. I never felt so small at one time as when I walked to the water at low tide and then looked back to see how far those soldiers would have to run, dodge or crawl to safety. It was amazing and it humbled you right away.

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This is another photo from Utah Beach. The most amazing thing about this picture is that the kids are just running around and playing on the beach. To think that 80 years ago this was the site of one of the most horrific events ever to happen in the world, let alone our country, and now it is filled with children’s laughter because of what our veterans have done.

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“I’ve never felt so small as I did in that moment, walking on Utah Beach,” recalls Hasting, who performed his rousing songs “Red White and Blue” and “I’m America” ​​all week for countless veterans and members of the military. . .

“We got out at low tide, and just the amount of space between safety and the water was so great that I couldn’t just stand there and look at it. I had to get out and go see. And then you turn around and look at the distance from the water to the place on which they would surely run, it’s simply unbelievable that these people went through hell.”

This event was amazing. The American Cemetery in Normandy is breathtaking. It’s so beautiful, but then you go out among the rows of crosses and it really breaks your heart when you see how many people we lost then. The ceremony was the first time we saw all 165 World War II veterans in one place. It was amazing to see them all and to realize that over 100 WWII veterans are still with us today. It was a beautiful ceremony.

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This picture was not supposed to happen. We were at another event when we heard that Dennis wanted to see me again and was looking for me. After receiving that text, we immediately left the event to be with Dennis. When I got there, I walked up to Dennis and after saying hello, he said, “Will you sing for me?” And I said, “Well, Dennis, if you want, I will.” And he said, “Well, I have new batteries in my hearing aids, and I got them, so let’s go.” Then I sang him some songs and gave him his personal concert. It was such a great moment.

Jacquelynn Henderson/TSP Creative

Dozens of World War II veterans fly to France to mark 80th anniversary of D-Day: ‘Our Duty and Honor’

Multiple performances and memorable experiences later, Hasting returned to the United States with the hope that more Americans could make a similar journey.

I think it would be very important for anyone who lives in this country to go there during that celebration and see what America means to someone else, says Hasting, who even got the honor of performing on the main stage at the Square. Sainte-Mère-Église for more than 20,000 people.

This is Sainte-Mère-Église Square. It was the first time I was on stage and saw a sea of ​​people where you couldn’t see the ground – it’s just people, thousands of people. The atmosphere was incredible. It was great to go on stage and see all those people, especially those who didn’t know who I was. They were from a completely different country than me, but they were so incredibly supportive and interested in what we were doing at the time, and it was infectious.

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This picture is so cool because we are sitting in the Normandy Institute of Countess Dorothea de la Houssaye in her Chateau Bernaville, which was once occupied by German forces and then retaken by the United States. WWII veteran Dennis Boldt and I did an interview there and played a couple of songs, which was one of my favorite memories from the trip. This picture represents the history we were surrounded by.

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“Being here in this country, we get caught up every day and all the crap that life throws at you, and you kind of lose the ability to see what we have. And then you go there, and you just see this mass of gratitude and this overwhelming feeling that I just love America.”

And it is a love that will forever burn in Hasting’s heart.

“This trip changed my life,” concludes Hasting. “It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, and it was truly one of the greatest things I’ve ever done and probably will ever do.”

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Source: HIS Education