Andrew Leahey | Washington Times

Friday night marks the official launch of Kiss‘ summer tour, a mammoth cross-country jaunt in support of the band’s upcoming album, “Monster.”

Talk to a local veteran, however, and he’ll tell you that the real tour started on Thursday evening, when Kiss staged a private show for 1,600 members of the U.S. military.

“We owe so much to the brave men and women who voluntarily put on that uniform and go to places where people don’t like them,” Gene Simmons explained earlier this week, several hours before he and his three band mates — Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer — paid a visit to patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

“The vets that we’ve met never ask for praise, glory or money,” he added. “They just want to re-enter society and get a job. We do these all-vet shows to show our appreciation, because what they do for us is beyond comprehension.”

Kiss have a long history of paying tribute to vets on both sides of the Atlantic. Earlier this summer, the guys staged a small show in London to benefit the British troops, and their 2011 tour featured a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance during each concert.