Veterans Day is a time to reflect on the sacrifices that the men and women in the armed forces make in order to protect the country's freedom, and music has long celebrated those selfless heroes with song lyrics that salute them and their service.
In honor of all who have served for the United States, here is a list of some of the most iconic songs that pay tribute to American soldiers, and the battle hymns that represent each branch of the armed forces.
1) Trace Adkins "'Til the Last Shot's Fired"
Country star Trace Adkins penned a tribute to war veterans titled "'Til the Last Shot's Fired," which was released on his 2008 album "X." The singer, who also serves as volunteer for the Wounded Warriors project, the organization that helps veterans, performed the song during the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards, according to Taste of Country.
2) Toby Keith "American Soldier"
Keith wrote the lyrics to this song in the point of view of a soldier who trying to juggle his role as a father and a husband while he's away at war. The song portrays the sacrifice that soldiers make as they fight to protect the country. "American Soldier" was released as the second single off of Keith's 2003 album "Shock'n Y'all," according to The Boot.
3) Darius Rucker and Radney Foster "Angel Flight"
Singer-songwriter Radney Foster asked former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman-turned-country singer Darius Rucker to sing on his 2009 track "Angel Flight," named after the Texas Air National Guard C-130 airlift wing that brings fallen soldiers back home to the states, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"He texted me back and said 'I'll do it if I can just figure out how to stop crying,'" Foster said about Rucker's reaction to the song, according to a video interview.
4) Tim McGraw "If You're Reading This"
Tim McGraw's 2007 single placed at number 29 on Rolling Stone magazine's "40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time" list due to its lyrics, which are written in the form of a letter that soldiers write to their family members in the event that they are killed overseas. McGraw debuted the song at the 2007 ACM Awards, which brought out emotional reactions from Martina McBride and others in the audience, according to WKRN Nashville.
"Not only is it a human being and a soldier who has died, but the ripple effect from that... The families that are affected, the children, the wives, the parents, the cousins, the friends," McGraw told WKRN.
5) Sammy Hagar "Remember the Heroes"
The former Van Halen lead singer showed off his more serious side with "Remember the Heroes," which was released on his 1982 album "Three Lock Box." Hagar's lyrics serve as a reminder for listeners to support the troops, no matter what political views they may have, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
6) “The Army Goes Rolling Along” (Army)
The official song of the United States Army was written by First Lieutenant Edmund L. Gruber in 1908 while he was stationed in the Philippines, according to the official United States Army website. It was officially adopted in 1956 and is still played at the end of every U.S. Army ceremony.
7) “The Marine’s Hymn” (Marines)
The song’s author is still unknown, but it didn’t stop the Marine Corps from using it as early as the 1800s, according to an excerpt from Marion F. Sturkey’s “Warrior Culture of the U.S. Marines,” obtained by USMC Press. The song became the official hymn in 1929 and serves as an icon of the Marines.
8) "Anchors Aweigh" (Navy)
Lieutenant Charles A. Zimmerman, the bandmaster for the Naval Academy Band, was asked in 1906 to write a new march for the U.S. Navy, according to the Navy's official website. He sat down with Midshipman First Class Alfred Hart Miles, and together they penned “Anchors Aweigh,” and it was adopted as the official song for the U.S. Navy the following year.
8) "Official U.S. Air Force Song" or "The Wild Blue Yonder" (Air Force)
Robert MacArthur Crawford’s composition was selected as the winner of Liberty magazine’s 1938 contest to find the official Army Air Force song, according to the official Air Force website. Chosen by a committee of Air Force Wives, the song was official introduced in 1939 at the Cleveland Air races.
9) "Semper Paratus" (Coast Guard)
The song is named after the United States Coast Guard motto, which translates to “always ready,” according to the official USCG website. Captain Francis Saltus Van Bosker wrote the lyrics to the song in 1922 while he was in the cabin of the cutter (coastal patrol boat) Yamacraw, which was stationed in Savannah, Ga., at the time. Five years later, he paired the lyrics to music.
