When country singer Matt Rogers learned that his childhood friend retired Sgt. Maj. Cory Moore had died by suicide, he mourned the way he knew best: through music.
A Georgia native, Moore was a Georgia Military College graduate and a veteran of both the Marine Corps and the Army. The dedicated father and stepfather loved fishing with his children, a favorite pastime carried over from his childhood. As a boy, Moore had a close circle of friends, including Rogers’ brother, and they enjoyed fishing and the outdoors.
‘Camouflage’
Rogers left Georgia for Nashville a decade ago and was on tour when he heard the news of Moore’s death. His guitarist, Nick Reed — a veteran himself and all too familiar with loss — sat in grief with him, sharing his own experiences. The conversation was sorrowful and personal, but out of the sadness came music.
“We talked about it that night in the hotel room and swapped stories, and the song just kind of happened. We weren’t really planning on writing a song or anything like that, and it wasn’t really one that we thought we’d let anybody hear,” Rogers said. “It was more or less for us like a therapy thing to kind of bitch about a broken system and to talk about the epidemic of the veterans that are taking their own [lives] in this country.”
The song would become “Camouflage,” with lyrics detailing the oft-overlooked battles that service members face after they come home from war.
“My goal is to raise that awareness,” he explained. “Those numbers [of veteran suicide] are staggering. I want people to understand the magnitude of this problem, and if it saves one life, you know, all of this was worth it.”
Brothers Keeper
After writing the song, Rogers wanted to partner with a military nonprofit as a fundraiser, donating every dollar to support veterans. He was introduced to Brothers Keeper Veteran Foundation, a nonprofit committed to supporting veterans process the traumatic experience of war without judgment. He was immediately impressed.
“I’ve seen this organization firsthand and how they operate,” Rogers said. “I know their heart is in the right place, and [they] want to make a difference. And one thing I really like about them, too, is there’s no red tape. When they see a problem, they just try to fix it. They hop right in and get their hands dirty. And that’s what this kind of problem needs.”
Brothers Keeper’s mission is to not only provide initial support during crisis, but also to be a reliable partner throughout the process of care. For veterans navigating mental health concerns, Brothers Keeper offers an assessment before connecting veterans to appropriate providers, programs, tools and/or the crisis hotline. Throughout the journey, though, Brothers Keeper continues to offer reliable and unwavering support.
In a fateful twist, Rogers later realized that Brothers Keeper was the same organization that had given Moore’s family support after his death.
‘We’re here to help’
As the song emerged through tragedy, Rogers was careful to receive the family’s blessing before telling Moore’s story publicly.
“I wanted to honor him, and I wanted to use it to hopefully shine a light on this [crisis] and make a difference,” he said. “So it’s been very receptive from their end … They were very gracious to allow me to do this as well.”
Rogers hopes that by openly talking about the crisis of veteran suicide and supporting organizations like Brothers Keeper, veterans will feel comfortable reaching out for help.
“I want you to know there’s people out here that have your back and understand these things that you are going through. And even if we don’t understand those things that you’re going through, we’re here to help,” he said.
“We’re gonna keep swinging the ax at this thing and make sure that you guys have what you need and feel supported so you don’t feel left alone or abandoned or without purpose.”
“Camouflage” was released on May 30 to honor the anniversary of Moore’s death. A release party will be held in Nashville on May 31; visit the Matt Rogers website for details. All proceeds from “Camouflage” and its merchandise will benefit Brothers Keeper Veteran Foundation.
