Today is Veterans Day, the one day of the year where we collectively honor, celebrate and thank all the brave men and women that have served our country.
And while their sacrifice warrants more than just one day of the year and a handful of Instagram posts, it is import to remember that freedom doesn’t come free.
With that being said, there’s been plenty of country songs of artists paying their respects to those who were, and are currently in the military.
And one of the best ones?
John Michael Montgomery’s 2004 hit, “Letters From Home.”
The song is about a variety of letters a soldier’s family has sent him while serving overseas, from his mama, to his significant other, to his father, who finally told him how proud he was of him.
In the chorus, the soldier forgets where he’s at while reading the letters, and after he shows his buddies, he realizes there’s still a job left to do, and he gets back to it:
“I hold it up and show my buddies
Like we ain’t scared
And our boots ain’t muddy
And they all laugh
‘Cause she calls me honey,
But they take it hard
‘Cause I don’t read the good parts
I fold it up and put it in my shirt
Pick up my gun and get back to work
And it keeps me drivin’ on
Waitin’ on letters from home.”
The song really puts things in perspective, giving us a chance to put ourselves in a soldier’s shoes, even if only for a second.
17 years later, the song still hits different.
