The definition of “resilient” might be a rock band by the same name, which includes three combat-wounded veterans playing for patriotic crowds all over America and preparing to release their first album in September.
That’s what decorated Marine and drummer Juan Dominguez and his band of brothers are, thanks to a music therapy program called MusiCorps and Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters, who brought the musicians together.
“We want our songs to help people get through things,” Dominguez, 39, of San Diego, California, told Fox News Digital.
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“We want you to understand that everyone is resilient. Everyone has the ability to get knocked down and pick themselves up.”
At age 26, Dominguez became a triple amputee when he was struck by an IED while serving in the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines in Afghanistan in 2010.
Music has been a passion since Juan Dominguez was just 13 years old. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
“We were on a routine patrol, checking a compound of interest that we believed was making IEDs,” Dominguez said.
The air felt tense as they pushed through enemy territory, Dominguez recalled. In an instant, his life changed.
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“I just remember feeling like somebody hit me with a baseball bat,” Dominguez said.
“And then, dirt kind of just browned out everything. I couldn’t see anything. I don’t remember being thrown up in the air. I don’t remember that feeling, but I do remember slamming down into the ground.”
Juan Dominguez is photographed while serving in Afghanistan in 2010. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
Dominguez was hit by an IED and chaos ensued as his comrades worked to save him.
“I don’t even remember the rescue,” Dominguez said. “I just remember the last thing: My buddy Gonzo making the sign of the cross. I remember being on my back and kind of just looking up at the sky. The pain was crazy. I was screaming to God, ‘If you’re going to keep me, please numb me up. Or if you’re going to take me, please take me’ because I never felt pain like that ever.”
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The blast resulted in the loss of his right arm above the elbow and both of his legs above the knees.
Dominguez is fitted with prosthetics after losing two legs and an arm to an IED in Afghanistan in 2010. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
While he was recovering at a hospital in Germany, Dominguez was connected with Semper Fi & America’s Fund, a veteran nonprofit that stepped in to provide support on many fronts.
June Cartmill, senior case manager at The Fund, has been with Dominguez since the early days of his recovery.
“My job is to visit with the guys and their families to make sure they have everything they need,” Cartmill told Fox News Digital.
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“Many are away from home taking care of their service member. Some have to just walk away from work — and if you can’t work, you can’t pay your mortgage. So, we take care of them so they can take care of their service member,” he added.
General James Mattis visits Dominguez during his recovery in Germany’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in 2010. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
Cartmill said wounded soldiers, including Dominguez, face many challenges as they try to regain control of their lives.
“One day you are whole,” she said, “and the next day you are mourning the loss of your limbs and fighting to learn to walk again. There’s sadness because their careers are over and they are trying to find out where they fit in now.”
“I was just happy to be alive at that point. I knew I’d figure it out.”
A guitarist for much of his life, Dominguez said he often quipped that if he were wounded in combat, he hoped that he would not lose his arms so that he could continue playing music.
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“So when I lost my arm, everyone freaked out because they thought I was going to be very suicidal,” Dominguez said.
Dominguez is photographed before he was wounded in Afghanistan. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
“And for some reason, whatever reason, I really wasn’t. I was just happy to be alive at that point. I knew I’d figure it out. I felt like God gave me a life for a reason.”
Music turned out to be a source of healing in Dominguez’s recovery.
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When Cartmill discovered his passion for music, The Fund set him up with an adaptive drum set, and he began learning to play an instrument in a whole new way.
They also helped Dominguez get back into photography by providing him with an adaptive strap that holds the camera in place so he can adjust and snap with his one hand.
Juan before performing at the Columbus, Ohio, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2023. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
“We highly support music and art as a form of therapy,” Cartmill said.
“Now Juan is working on a patent for an adaptive foot pedal for drums to help others. He’s making lemonade from his lemons.”
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Meanwhile, lead vocalist Tim Donley and guitarist Nate Kalwicki were rehabilitating at Walter Reed Military Hospital after suffering their own devastating injuries in Afghanistan.
They joined MusiCorps, a music program for wounded warriors, and that’s where they met professional musician and teacher Greg Loman.
The Resilient pose ahead of a performance in the Hamptons, New York, on July 4, 2022. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
As part of the MusiCorps Band, they had the chance to perform at The Beacon Theater, Constitution Hall and Madison Square Garden with legendary rocker Roger Waters of Pink Floyd — who had a chance meeting with Dominguez and brought him on board when he realized his talent.
“He couldn’t believe I played guitar or even drums,” Dominguez recalled about when he first met Waters at the “Stand Up For Heroes” event in 2011.
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“It all kind of spiraled from there. He wanted to start a band of wounded warriors. In 2013, we got to play Madison Square Garden and I played drums. After two gigs with Roger, we gelled and we decided to start a band.”
Nate Kalwicki’s brother Erik Kalwicki joined the group as bassist, which completed the band.
Members reside all over the country — California, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida — and rehearse on their own.
The Resilient musical group is photographed in Sag Harbor, New York, for the 2022 Sag Harbor American Music Festival. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
They meet up for various gigs throughout the year, often performing at events that support veterans.
Most recently, The Resilient headlined a “Salute Our Troops” show at The Villages Polo Club and played another gala event in Boca Raton, Florida.
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The band has performed with musical greats like Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow, Aaron Neville, G.E. Smith, Ricky Scaggs, the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, and appeared on some television shows.
The Resilient have released three original tracks with seven new songs and an album scheduled to drop in September.
Juan Dominguez and his wife, Alexis Dominguez, are photographed on their wedding day. (Juan Dominguez)
The band is also set to play the Sag Harbor Music Festival in New York for a third year that month.
Dominguez married his wife Alexis in 2016 and they have one child. He credits The Fund with helping him get back on his feet, so to speak.
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“They were there from the beginning even when I was unconscious and I had no clue what The Fund was,” Dominguez said.
“They were helping my mom with support and guidance and actual physical things, whether it be a backpack full of stuff or food. They even helped me buy a car when I was able to drive.”
A band of brothers who are also wounded warriors go by the name of The Resilient to prove that they are the true definition of their band’s name. (Semper Fi & America’s Fund )
The Fund turned 20 years old last month. It has provided more than $330 million in support to more than 32,000 combat-wounded service members and their families.
“Juan is the picture of resiliency,” Cartmill said.
“Look at how he’s bounced back and all that he’s accomplished. He’s making music, and he’s trying to get into producing music. If that’s not resilient, I don’t know what is. He’s living life to the fullest.”
Whether he’s making music or just living, Dominguez hopes to inspire others, he said.
“We’re not trying to be on a pedestal,” Dominguez said. “It’s more in hopes that if they see us rolling around with a smile on our face or doing something that we love, that it might infect someone with a good vibe that they can get through their day, and they can tackle anything.”
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