Toby Keith has long been renowned for his fervent support of American military serving abroad and his strong sense of patriotism. He told his admirers, “My father was a soldier,” demonstrating the inculcation of this in him from a young age. He modeled for his children respect for veterans. Throughout his career, he wrote several songs in support of the military and performed eleven times for US military personnel stationed abroad.
Fans were made aware of the suffering endured by the spouses of service men in September 2012 when Keith asked a military wife to join him on stage for a rendition of “American Soldier.” While performing a song with Keith in honor of her spouse, who was stationed in Afghanistan, the woman refrained from crying on stage. Then, in an unexpected turn of events, her spouse, Major Pete Cruz, who was no longer in Afghanistan, appeared on stage alongside her.
As they shared a kiss on stage, the couple sobbed with joy at being reunited after such a long time apart. Following that, they were asked to remain on stage for one more song. They stood with their arms encircling each other as Keith began his next song, the contentious “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American).” He brought Major Pete up to the microphone to join in, letting him sing the line, “We’ll put a boot in your ass; it’s the American way.”
At one of his shows, Toby Keith had previously invited someone to represent the US troops on stage. In 2011, Keith asked Corporal Matthew Bradford, an injured marine, to join him in singing “American Soldier” on Virginia Beach. As Matthew hobbled onto the stage to accompany the vocalist, the audience chanted “USA!” Touched fans responded to the remarks, with one saying that she had seen Keith perform at a military event abroad and that “even if it was just for a short while, he helped us forget our reality.”
Toby Keith’s songs are known for being epic tales of patriotism, but he also invited veterans, active duty personnel, and their families to attend events, which highlighted the people and situations that inspire his lyrics. It is understandable why so many attendees and internet watchers were affected by the events that happened during Toby Keith’s concerts—living examples of love, hope, and survival were displayed for everyone to see.
