kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and KilleenCountry Music Festival to Raise Money for Veterans to be Held in Meridian

"I'm a two time veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina."

Caleb Duty introduces himself to a small crowd at the Bosque Bottoms campgrounds. The young veteran is on a mission to help his fellow vets struggling to transition back into civilian life.

"If we can make VFW posts and American Legion posts more enticing to younger people, they might actually go, they might actually see and speak to Vietnam veterans and get the advice and help that they didn't get whenever they got out," says Caleb.

The plan is to raise money for the posts to purchase recreational equipment that young vets could rent out. To raise the money, Caleb planned to host the Moonlight Music Festival, a two-day country music festival at his property in Robinson. But the city council voted the idea down.

Caleb was at a loss until Bosque County Judge Cole Word stepped in.

"One of our veterans, Ronnie Ogel, called me and of course he asked me if I had been watching, reading in the Waco Trib about what was going on down with the Robinson folks and I told him I had. And he encouraged me to get up and do something," Judge Word remembers.

So he word turned to Facebook. Word found Caleb's mother Mary Duty. After a few messages and a meeting to check out the Bosque Bottoms grounds, the Moonlight Music Festival had a new home.

"Thank God for Facebook," laughs Caleb, "I'm ecstatic."

"You get a young man like this that wants to reach out and do something and give back, already has served his country two tours, and I don't know, it just stirs something up in you," Word says.

The festival won't only help veterans, but also Meridian business owners. Business is good now, but it's better when Bosque Bottoms is full. Especially when a music festival is in town.

"Yes. I think the music festivals go over quite well around here. And they usually have one in October also and we get quite a few customers from the music festivals," says Morgan Street Burgers owner Jessie Ridgel.

"It does have its perks," agrees Zapata's Tortillas and More co-manager, Rosie Zapata. "You know, we're always glad to have business and to see different people come down and try our food."

Now to make sure that Bosque Bottoms is full come May 25th and 26th, Caleb is working to find corporate sponsors for the event. He is hoping to make the country music festival an annual event.

For more information on the music festival, click here.

Reporter: Ashley Goudeau / Photographer: Rocky Bridges