SALUTE THE TROOPS: GRAND OLE OPRY SALUTES UNITED STATES MILITARY AND CREATIVETS WITH RED CARPET ARRIVALS, SPECIAL PERFORMANCES

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 23, 2023) – The show that made country music famous saluted the U.S. Military with a red carpet parade and a special Tuesday Night Opry Salute The Troops performance. The red carpet was led by a drumline and special guests including Richard Casper, a United States Marine Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, artist, and CreatiVets co-founder/Executive Director and Retired Army General Keith Huber who served 38 years as an Infantryman and Green Beret with tours in Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Haiti, Honduras, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Huber is a senior advisor for the veterans and leadership initiatives at MTSU and tonight was a guest announcer representing The Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at MTSU.

Among the artists who performed and greeted members of the United States military and their families included (l to r:) LOCASH’s Chris Lucas, William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys, Michael Trotter Jr.  of The War And Treaty, John Conlee, Tanya Trotter of The War And Treaty, Rhonda Vincent, Duane Allen of The Oak Ridge Boys, Jason Crabb and LOCASH’s Preston Brust. 

Duane Allen and William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys greet veterans at the Opry Salutes The Troops red carpet arrivals

The Oak Ridge Boys, Jason Crabb and LOCASH greet veterans at the Opry Salutes The Troops red carpet arrivals

The Opry Salutes The Troops red carpet was led by a drumline from Nashville’s McGavock High School and special guests including Richard Casper, a United States Marine Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, artist, and CreatiVets co-founder/Executive Director and Retired Army General Keith Huber,

John Conlee and The War And Treaty greet veterans at the Opry Salutes The Troops red carpet arrivals

The Opry and its presenting sponsor Humana, partnering with CreatiVets, whose mission is to empower wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music, invited men and women of the U.S. military and CreatiVets members, as well as spouses, children, and parents of service members to walk the red carpet into the Opry House for the evening’s show, dedicated to saluting the troops and their families for their service to the nation.

Among the artists who performed were Opry members John Conlee, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Rhonda Vincent as well as Craig Campbell, Jason Crabb, LOCASH and The War And Treaty, the husband-and-wife duo of U.S. Army veteran Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter.

Highlights of this year’s Opry Salute the Troops will air as a special Opry Live on Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 27) on the Opry’s television broadcast home, Circle Network, Circle All Access Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 

The Opry’s Salute The Troops celebration is presented by Humana. Participating sponsors include Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical, Transition to Trades; the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at Middle Tennessee State University; and Hoist. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, MTSU’s senior advisor for veterans and leadership initiatives, will be a guest announcer representing the Daniels Center.