 | The Oak Ridge Boys
There For The Troops | |
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(left to right) - Joe Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee
Golden, and Richard Sterban | |
USA Patriotism! proudly recognizes . . .
stars and patriots
The Oak Ridge Boys for their ongoing support of our troops through their performances and other efforts.
Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban each
grew up with a sense of patriotism, all of their families in one way or
the other being touched by military service. But it was in 1976, during
a 21-day tour of the U.S.S.R., when that appreciation for the United
States of America became truly personal. |
The Oak Ridge Boys, with their longtime friend, Brig. Gen.
Chuck Yeager, USAF (Retired). Photo
by Jon Mir |
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“We spent several weeks behind the ‘Iron Curtain,’” says Duane
Allen. “It’s a trip we will never forget, and one that solidified
our appreciation for having grown up in a country where we have the
right to live and worship as we please.”
“What a way to begin 1976, the same year the USA would celebrate two
hundred years as ‘one nation under God,’” adds Joe Bonsall. “On a
rare day off during the tour, we visited Riga and the remains of a
former Nazi death camp, where little children had been housed. It
broke our hearts. But the experience touched each of us forever. It
was a grim reminder of why our soldiers had to win that war.”
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| The Oak Ridge Boys lead veterans, troops, loved
ones, and fellow patriots in the singing of the National
Anthem to start Branson Veterans Week in the Mansion
Theatre on November 5, 2009. Photo by USA
Patriotism! |
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Duane Allen with soldiers from Ft. Campbell, distributing food to the needy. All of The Oak Ridge Boys participated in the "feeding," which was sponsored by international hunger relief organization, Feed the Children. Photo
by Jon Mir | |
Through the years, The Oak Ridge Boys have kept that same
appreciation for servicemen and women, and they have put it to good
use...
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Performing at numerous U.S. military bases for the Spirit of
America tour
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Helping to feed families at Ft. Campbell in
Clarksville, Tennessee, and other places through their work with
Feed the Children
- Performing at events like the Walk of Freedom
at the Pentagon in 2008.
 In 2006, the group received the Fame Award for their work as Musical
Ambassadors of the three-year National Anthem Project. The project,
created by the National Association for Music Educators (MENC), was
designed to renew Americans’ knowledge of our national anthem.
In 2003, The Oak Ridge Boys released a patriotic CD, entitled
Colors, which continues to be a strong seller many years later.
The
music video for one of the songs on the album, G.I. Joe & Lillie,
recently became a YouTube phenomenon, with almost two million
hits through
November 20, 2009. |
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And please enjoy the following videos of the Oak Ridge Boys'
heartfelt patriotic songs listed at USA Patriotism! (Colors is
also on their Colors CD.)
American Beauty | Colors |
G.I. Joe and Lillie |
Mama's Table | This
Is America |
Write Your Name Across My Heart
Sacrifice For Me
(performed and written by Joe Bonsall) |
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The Oak Ridge Boys perform the national anthem in Washington D.C. at the closing ceremonies of the National Anthem Project, a three-year initiative created by the
National Association for Music Education (MENC) to promote familiarity of the Star Spangled Banner. Photo courtesy of MENC |
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Other Recognized Stars | More Tributes | Listen to Patriotic Songs / Music | |
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