5 country stars who are military veterans and should be thanked on Veterans Day

On Sunday, Americans celebrated Veterans Day to mark the beginning of the Armistice that ended World War I. As of 2014, 21.8 million veterans have joined the Armed Forces.

Some of the special men and women who’ve served in the military include some well-known country singer. We’ve covered five of them in this article.

Some country stars that deserve to be thanked on Veterans Day are Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Elvis Presley, and Kris Kristofferson. When they became celebrities, these singers also made time to perform for the servicemen and women.

Other country singers who also served are Jamey Johnson, James Otto, Josh Gracin, and Craig Morgan. Nelson opened up about his time in the army at one point.

For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. He said:

"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."

1. Willie Nelson

After leaving high school, Nelson served in the Air Force enlisting in 1950. However, he was only a member for nine months and was medically discharged because of back problems.

2. Johnny Cash

Cash wasn’t only a musical genius but he also served in the US Air Force from 1950 until 1954. He was honorably discharged but before then he was also able to serve his country overseas in Germany.

In a 2001 interview, the singer revealed:

"It was like imprisonment. I was locked there on that base, three years without a furlough to come home. The only way they would have let me come home was if there had been a death in my immediate family. I was not only isolated from my loved ones, but there was nowhere to go, no one to reach out to."

3. George Strait

The country singer might not have had a country music career were it not for his time in the military in the early 1970s. Strait served in the US Army from 1971 to 1975.

His last two years were spent in Hawaii. The star was a member of the band called the Rambling Country which was sponsored by the Army.

4. Jamey Johnson

From 1993 to 2003, Johnson served in the US Marine Corps. The honorable event was also mentioned on his first album.

In 2010, he spoke to CMT saying:

“I’m very proud to have served in the Marines. I respect the Marines. They gave me guidance and stability. I’d wake up every day and have a purpose.”

5. George Jones

In 1951, the singer enlisted in the US Marine Corps and served for three years before he was discharged. The year after that, Jones began his recording career and had his first big hit in the 1966's with "Why Baby Why."

Veterans Day honors everyone who has served the country in war or peace whether they’re dead or alive. However, it’s largely meant for thanking living veterans for their sacrifices.

The day was originally called Armistice Day and it commemorated World War I ending when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919.