Desperate Times AI Music
Maynard James Keenan recently took to Instagram on Veteran’s Day and posted a picture from the time he served US Army.
He revealed that with the help of his fans, he got meet his roommate from the days in Army after 40 long years. He wrote:
“For my Birthday this past April, I asked for assistance in tracking down my roommate from the Army. You all came through. Finally got to see him face to face 40 years later. Thank you for your service, Jeffrey. #JeffParks #usarmysoldier #veteransday #rockout @jas_minedelores”
It has been noted that the Tool singer was so inspired by Bill Murray’s performance in the 1981 film Stripes that he enrolled in the Army with the hope that his art school education would be funded by the G.I. Bill.
Maynard served as a forward observer before studying at the United States Military Academy Prep School. Although he was distinguished in both basic and advanced training, he turned down an appointment to West Point, instead choosing to pursue music.
Keenan enlisted in 1982, did his basic training in Oklahoma, and was initially stationed in North Kansas. He went to military preparatory school in New Jersey and finished his term in Texas. In a 2011 interview he said,
“At basic training, I received the distinguished graduate award for my battery, overall,” he says. “I got a big trophy and got to shake the colonel’s hand. And then for advanced training, same thing.”
Tool and A Perfect Circle’s future frontman was an excellent shot and a strong team leader. After he finished advanced training, he was invited to join the class at West Point, a highly selective school that has bred top-brass military leaders. It was then that he realized he didn’t belong.
“In that moment, when you’re staring at this thing going, OK, is this what I want to do? Is there something else? I had an overwhelming feeling that this wasn’t what I was supposed to do,” he says. “I’m pretty in touch with my intuition, and in that moment, I had to listen to it and decline the appointment.”
