Grand Ole Opry To ‘Salute The Troops’ On May 21
The Grand Ole Opry will honor the U.S. Military with its “Salute The Troops” show on May 21.
Opry member Craig Morgan, who serves as an Army Reserve Warrant Officer, will perform with the 313th U.S. Army Band in addition to Opry member Lauren Alaina, Lee Brice, HunterGirl, Austin Snell and more.
The Opry will also welcome Lieutenant General Jody Daniels, Chief of the Army Reserve & Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, as its special guest for the evening. She marks the first female to command the Reserve component, and commands more than 200,000 soldiers and civilian employees who live and work in communities across the country.
The Opry and its presenting sponsor Humana are partnering with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), whose mission is to support, serve, advocate for and foster camaraderie among U.S. veterans. Special VFW guests attending the show include Jr. Vice Commander-in-Chief Carol Whitmore, also the first female to hold such a position, and interim VFW Foundation Director Brian Walker.
“The VFW is honored to be a part of the Grand Ole Opry’s ‘Salute The Troops’ event along with our great friends at Humana,” says VFW National Commander Duane Sarmiento. “We’re honored to be included in a historic night dedicated to celebrating the brave service and continued sacrifices of America’s best and brightest.”
The Opry will invite active duty and veteran service members attending the show as well as their spouses, children and parents to join a red carpet parade into the Opry House for the evening. Leading the parade will be Lieutenant General Daniels, Whitmore and retired Army Lieutenant General Keith Huber, Founder of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center & Senior Advisor for MTSU’s Veterans & Leadership Initiatives.
The public is invited to arrive at 5 p.m. to see the 313th U.S. Army Band perform in the Opry Plaza before they lead the red carpet parade guests at 5:45 p.m. Doors will open after the guests have entered the building for the 7 p.m. show. Tickets are available at 615-871-OPRY and opry.com.
This year’s “Salute The Troops” will be filmed to air as a special “Opry Live” during Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 25 on the Opry’s Facebook and YouTube platforms, with free streaming on the Circle Now app. The show will be accessible through Circle Country at 8 p.m. CT, and will air live on WSM Radio. It can also be heard on SiriusXM, Channel 59 Willie’s Roadhouse.
