Hits a little different now…
First and foremost, I want to say thank you to every single active duty and reserve member of every branch of the military who has valiantly served this country in any capacity.
Our thoughts and prayers are with every single family member and friend of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed by an ISIS-K suicide bomber outside of the Kabul airport last Thursday in Afghanistan.
We can never repay any of you for your sacrifice on behalf of all of us back home and our freedoms.
Since that tragic, horrific day, we’ve seen some heroic acts (that’s an understatement) and touching tributes as our service members continue to risk their lives in evacuating thousands of Americans and Afghan allies overseas.
And today, I have another video for you from Friday night in Phoenix, Arizona.
At a tour stop for Dierks Bentley’s “Beers On Me” tour, one of his openers, Riley Green, played his fan-favorite song “I Wish Grandpa’s Never Died” for a massive crowd.
It’s always a hit at any of his live shows, particularly for the line that says “I wish damn country music still got played on country radio”.
This time, though, the song took on a completely different meaning. I don’t think any of us will ever be able to hear it the same way again.
In a very somber, poignant moment at the show, he sang the line right before the one about country radio that goes, “I wish everybody overseas was gonna make it home,” and you can see him pause after he gets through it to reflect as the crowd erupts in the background.
Hearing that line after the massive loss of life of 13 American soldiers just strikes you to the core.
It gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes watching it on video, and I’m sure seeing it live was on another level. It’s moments like these that allows live music to bring people together and focus on what’s really important, especially considering everything going on overseas at the moment and the gravity of the situation.
Take a few moments to watch this today, and while it will never be enough no matter how many times we say it, thank you again to all of our troops for your incredible sacrifice to this great country:
And to the 13 U.S. military members who payed the ultimate sacrifice, you will never be forgotten:
Live from Phenix City Amphitheater in his home state of Alabama.
