MUSIC CITY MINUTE

US veterans who became country music stars | Music City Minute

Nov 12, 2025, 4:08 PM

This week, America pauses to honor our veterans. Originally observed to commemorate the end of World War I, November 11 officially changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954 to recognize all American veterans. As you know, patriotism runs deep country music. Therefore, in a way, it is not surprising to hear that some of country’s biggest stars such as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, George Strait, James Otto and George Jones all served in the United States military before finding their way to Nashville. Now, I understand this list would not be complete without mentioning Craig Morgan, who is a 17-year vet of the US Army and US Army Reserve. Not only that, the “International Harvester” singer is the only artist with the distinct honor of active duty status. Morgan proudly reenlisted into the Army Reserve, in front of a packed house, at the Grand Ole Opry in 2023! To all our veterans everywhere, thank you for your service!
I’m Sheena, and that’s your Music City Minute.

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