Veterans Empowered Together (VET) has spent the past year writing and releasing a song each month with a different veteran. They kicked off 2025 by writing one with Navy veteran Vincent Craig Benoit, releasing it just days after he died.
VET is a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans through music and other forms of therapy.
Benoit, a 64-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who served during Desert Storm and Desert Shield as a diver, died on January 28, 2025. The project was spearheaded by Brian Basham of VET and Randy Lanham of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The duo worked directly with Benoit to craft a song reflecting his service and life experiences.
Basham said they were contacted to write the song when Benoit was already in poor health. The songwriting process took place in Benoit’s home, where he shared stories from his time in the Navy. Basham and Lanham composed the lyrics and melody in real-time by Benoit’s side.
“He was a super nice guy, but he was already tired,” Basham said. “We knew we might not have a lot of time. After about an hour and a half, we could tell he was exhausted, so we wrapped it up. But he got to be part of the process — this wasn’t just a song about him, it was a song with him.”
The song, titled The Helmet, focuses on Benoit’s experiences as a deep-sea diver retrieving wreckage from the ocean floor. Lanham recalled how Benoit spoke about the countless hours spent in his diving suit, witnessing the mysteries of the deep through the narrow view of his helmet.
“We take their stories, and organically, the music starts forming,” Lanham said. “And for veterans like Vince, there’s this moment where they realize, ‘This is really happening. This song is about me.’”
Basham and Lanham recorded the song and brought it to Benoit’s nursing home the day before he passed away.
Brian Benoit, Vince’s son, said hearing the song for the first time was emotional but fulfilling.
“It made me think about my dad heading off to the Navy, finding himself, starting his journey,” he said. “It was sad because of where we are now, but also fulfilling to know that his life meant something. He did so much in his time. Listening to the song made me feel honored to be his son.”
Benoit’s legacy extends beyond his military service. He was deeply involved in the Owensboro community, serving as a Scoutmaster, a young men’s church leader, a PTO president, and an emergency response team member. He also spent years as a commercial diver and underwater welder, a passion he passed down to his son.
“After he passed, I had so many childhood friends reach out and tell me how much my dad meant to them,” Brian Benoit said. “He was a father figure for a lot of them. He never talked about it or wanted acknowledgment, but he made a real difference.”
The Enlisted: Songs from a Veteran initiative began in January 2024, and over the past year, VET has helped share the stories of 12 veterans through songwriting. Each month, a veteran collaborates with local musicians to turn their experiences into a song, which is then recorded and released on streaming platforms.
Lanham, who helps facilitate the sessions, said the program is about more than just music — it’s a way for veterans to heal and connect.
“Some of them are nervous at first, but once they start sharing their story, it becomes something special,” Lanham said. “We’re all given gifts, and mine is music. To be able to use that to give something back to those who served — it’s a blessing.”
For Brian Benoit, the song serves as a tribute to his father’s adventurous life and unwavering spirit.
“The song really captured a big part of who he was,” he said. “His identity as a diver, his love for the ocean, his bravery. It’s something I’ll cherish forever.”
VET plans to continue the songwriting project into its second year, sharing the voices and experiences of more veterans. The Helmet and other songs from the initiative can be found on all streaming platforms.
