JBL Recalls Origin Story Of WWE Tribute To The Troops, Wartime Visits With Troops

On the latest episode of Something To Wrestle With, JBL talked about the origin of the WWE Tribute to the Troops event and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On the origin of the Tribute to the Troops event coming from 9/11: “The origin was 9/11, obviously. It started all of the mechanisms that caused the domino cascade to happen with the wars, and the invasions and things like that. But we were in Houston when 9/11 happened. It’s one of those events — you talk to older people, you know, about where they were for Pearl Harbor or for the assassination of JFK, they can take exactly where they were. Most people can do the same thing with 9/11. They can tell you exactly where they were, how it unfolded, and how they realized it was a terror event. How you realized America was under attack, and it was the same obviously for us. We were in Houston, and we see that morning that the buildings were being attacked, America is being attacked on 9/11. And of course, the show got canceled. You know, the world got canceled at that point. The world changed that day. And being in Houston, most of the guys couldn’t go home. I could because I was living in Athens, Texas about three or four hours north. So I drove home that, Later that day, we found out the show was canceled. We had nothing to do but be around the hotel, and I kind wonted to be home, many more things available to you. ’cause we didn’t know when the world would open back up.

“9/13, I believe it was Thursday. I believe it was, we had the first mass gathering in the United States. And so I got word from it when I was at home. So I drove back down to Houston. Vince had a meeting with us and told us that no one had to appear at the show. It was your own free will if you wanted to. But we were going to send a message that they weren’t going to stop us. And talking about “they,” talking about the terrorists. We couldn’t do anything else. This is kind of what Vince had in the message, you know. We can’t go fight him with a gun, we can’t go defend what happened because it’s already happened. We have a chance to put on a show and get people’s thoughts off of what happened and show that America is going to continue. And that literally was the thought behind that show. And we didn’t know if anybody would show up, Conrad. We had no idea what was going to happen. Security was not been seamless like it is now. And so when you had people being searched for bombs and you didn’t know, you didn’t know if there were more terror attacks coming. Remember 9/11, we didn’t know what was going to happen next. We didn’t know if it was the first wave of several waves. You know, we had never had this happen in our life, where we were actually under attack, our country. And not just under attack, they attacked two buildings. You know, there are kids in daycare in the building. I mean, there were no rules anymore, and we didn’t know what would happen. So when we had this show come together, we’re sitting there and we don’t know if anybody’s going to show up or not. You know, people had tickets but we didn’t know if anybody would come. And that day when we walked out there — man, it was just one of the most emotional moments of my life to see 20,000 people, or whatever that building held, all holding American flags. It was just remarkable.”

On how many trips he took to see the wartime soldiers for the special: “I believe two because — so we started, the first trip was the next year. Now right after 9/11, it kind of sets up this whole story. WWE was the first group to go down to Ground Zero. So right after 9/11, and then 9/13 when the show was, I was watching this stuff on the news and I thought, ‘Man, I just want to go help.’ You know, I’m too old to enroll in the military, but I want to do something. So I called the WE office in Stanford and said, ‘Hey, can I go down to Ground Zero? All I want to do is help.’ Vince and WWE, like everybody else in New York, was helping any way they could. You know, Vince was with the restaurant and the merchandise so the guys, because they weren’t — guys are just staying there. I mean, when we saw them, it was unbelievable what we saw. I’m talking about the first responders.

“And so Vince got word that I wanted to go to Ground Zero. And when he did, he said, ‘If you’re going, the whole company’s going with you.’ And so we planned a whole company trip off of that. And we went down there — I believe it was the Philadelphia 76ers. I’m not sure, it was an NBA team was going to go with us. We’re the first group to go down there. And they had some anthrax scare or something, you know. And of course, wrestlers have never been scared of white powder. So it went like we were going to cancel. [laughs] And so we all went. And I can’t remember who it was.

“And so we all went. Another — I think it was at Philadelphia 76ers, they canceled. It was an NBA team, and we went down there. It was just remarkable to see these firefighters, these EMTs, these first responders. They hadn’t slept in days. We’re watching them going in and out of the buildings, what’s left of them, the rubble. They’re still burning, you know, they’re still trying to find bodies. It was an absolutely incredible experience to be down there. And then you fast forward this to the next year, when they started taking the first civilian tour to Afghanistan. I believe it was the next Christmas. The 12the Sergeant Major of the Army, Jack Tilly, was putting a group together to go. And Vince called me. Naybe because of 9/11, maybe because of Ground Zero, I’m not sure. Vince knew I had a passion for this, and they asked me if I would go on a trip to Afghanistan. Then I went to Afghanistan the next Christmas. We were the first group I was with, and I think it was the first civilian group to go into Afghanistan.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Something To Wrestle With an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.