American singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood, based in Nashville, has supported the U.S. military and veteran communities for many decades — and this week he spoke with Fox News Digital about the war in the Middle East and how Americans can share their support for our troops and our country during this time.
Israel is currently in its third week of war against Hamas after the group attacked Gaza on Oct. 7.
President Biden told the world in a press conference soon after that the United States stands with Israel and would ensure Israel had what it needed "to take care of its citizens, defend itself and respond" to the attack.
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The deployment of troops to Israel is a step many are expecting any day now.
Said Greenwood in an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, "Israel is fighting for its life and fighting for its right to exist. We, as a country, have always supported other countries that have fought for the same thing we fought for."
Greenwood said it’s justified to send carriers of defense missiles to help defend Israel — while also hoping this doesn’t turn into a "boots on the ground" Vietnam situation, which would put American soldiers at risk.
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"We do have the capabilities to stay at a distance to kind of protect our ally [Israel]," he said.
The singer, best known for his world-famous song, "God Bless the USA," said that although he supports people taking a stand on social media, he hopes that people keep America at the forefront of their interest.
"You really have to talk about our interest first and our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guard, Marines," he said.
"We have to talk about what is right for us as well, so it’s kind of a balancing act."
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Greenwood said he does not condone the recent attack by Hamas and the "unthinkable things that they have done."
He said that if the time should come, American soldiers are up to the task.
"Our soldiers are trained better than [those in] any other country," he said.
Even so, Greenwood stressed that the responsibility for any choice about movement is on the federal government.
"We have the best-equipped military in the world and the responsibility generally falls on those who are in charge — but in this case, the responsibility goes to the White House."
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Greenwood, a husband and father, said he hopes that this international conflict will remind Americans to thank a veteran or active service member in their community for all that these individuals have done.
"Just say, ‘Thanks for your service.’ That’s all it takes," he said.
Greenwood recalled his own father joining the U.S. Navy the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, when Greenwood was nearly a year old.
He said he didn’t really know his father until he was a teenager — something not uncommon in those days.
Although Greenwood himself was not called to join the military, he said he continues to support veterans.
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The singer-songwriter has completed 15 USO tours — and has traveled from Panama to the Middle East to Afghanistan and beyond.
Now, he's focused on helping veterans as they come back from war or deployment by partnering to build homes for veterans and by releasing a movie with other big-name singers around Veterans Day.
Greenwood and three dozen other country music artists performed a concert tribute for U.S. troops — and the film of tha tribute will be released on Nov. 12, 2023, for one night only in theaters.
The movie features artists such as Big & Rich, Dustin Lynch, Gavin DeGraw, Lee Brice, The Oak Ridge Boys and more.
Those who can’t go but who want to donate can "Adopt a Vet" by donating a pair of tickets to a veteran or first responder and their caregiver or guest to see the one-night-only showing.
Those interested can visit adoptavet.com for more details.
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