Jamey Johnson is releasing a song inspired by attending the funerals of fellow Marines.
The veteran-turned-country singer is honoring those who lost their lives serving America by debuting his new single, "21 Guns," on PBS' National Memorial Day Concert. While the concert airs on national television on May 26, it will also stream for troops serving around the world on American Forces Network.
"I wrote it because I have gone to too many funerals of Marines I served with that were just too young," Johnson says. "When they die young, you always remember them that way, which is unfair. Guys that heroic that die that young deserve the right to grow old and they didn't get to."
The Grammy nominee has been a longtime supporter of veterans and those currently serving, frequently receiving messages from soldiers and their families who had also dealt with the difficulty of losing someone they loved so much.
"But it is also being at those funerals and seeing their parents who seem much too young to have a child die in that way and wondering what must be going through their minds. This song is the answer to that question."
The "Lead Me Home" singer attended Jacksonville State University for several years before he joined the U.S. Marines, where he served from 1994 until 2002.
As Johnson continues his work honoring veterans, look back on other musicians who have served the country.
Zach Bryan
Zach Bryan served in the Navy for eight years. Inspired by his family's legacy of military service, the "I Remember Everything" singer signed his first recording contract while still in active duty, writing songs in his downtime, Smart Her News says.
"I always wrote songs being in the Navy, I would come home ... off a shift and I would just play the songs ... and for them to turn into something is more than I could ever ask for."
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash served in the U.S. Air Force during the 1950s for four years. He was mainly stationed in West Germany, where he worked as a radio intercept officer. The "Ring of Fire" singer -- who passed away in 2003 -- said that his experience "taught me the things every military service imparts to its enlisted men," while also revealing an "unusual" skill.
"If you ever need to know what one Russian is signaling to another in Morse code, I'm your man."
Ice-T
Ice-T served for four years in the U.S. Army with the 25th infantry division in Hawaii, the Selective Service System says. The rapper and Law & Order star says that his training in service helps him throughout his life and career to this day.
"Don't forget... I'm a US Army Ranger. I've been trained by the best on how to conduct myself in combat.. That training helps everyday," he posted on X, formerly Twitter, in 2013.
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson joined the U.S. Air Force in 1950, just after his high school graduation. However, back problems led to a medical discharge nine months into his time. While his active-duty time was cut short, it seems to have left a lasting impact on the "Highwayman" singer, Military.com reveals.
"I was in the Air Force a while and they had what they call 'policing the area.' That's where you looked around and if there's anything wrong here, there, anywhere, you took care of your own area. And I think that's a pretty good thing to go by. If everyone just takes care of their own area then we won't have any problems. Be here. Be present. Wherever you are, be there. And look around you and see what needs to be changed."
Shaggy
Shaggy joined the Marine Corps' 5th Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment in 1988 as a way to escape his New York neighborhood. While his time serving taught him valuable lessons in discipline, it also largely shaped his vocal technique and musical capabilities.
"I got this voice by mocking drill instructors in the military," he has stated in the past. "'Cause in the Marines, the drill instructors would go, 'Yeah, boy, drop and give it 20; let's go, boy' and I would mock him as a form of joking ... I just sang that song in that voice because it sounded cool, and all of a sudden, 'Oh Carolina' blew up."
Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan served seventeen years in the Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions as an E-6 Staff Sergeant and Fire Support Specialist. His work included certifications as an Airborne, Air Assault Jumpmaster and Rappel Master, his website reveals.
He now serves as a soldier in the Army Reserve. While he still tours and releases music, he is simultaneously acting as a Staff Sergeant and Warrant Officer candidate.
John Fogerty
John Fogerty spent several years in the Army Reserve. In July of 1967, he finished his active duty for training, before serving as a part-time reservist. He was discharged in 1968. He joins the chorus of musicians who share that their time serving positively contributed to their discipline skills throughout their career.
"Life is what it is so you can't change it, but I certainly am proud of that time," he shared with Army.mil. "There's a lot of insight that you learn about getting along with people and what is the mindset inside the military, and I'm not talking about people who make policy. I mean grunts like who I was who are cogs in the wheel."
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