Dierks Bentley: ‘My Dad And Grandpa Were In The Army’

Dierks Bentley, like many Americans, has a close tie to Memorial Day as his own father fought in World War II.

Back in 2017, Dierks told Parade, “My dad and grandpa were in the army and as a country singer you’re constantly playing at military bases all across the country and meeting soldiers and their families and hearing their stories. I think about it a lot and talk a lot about it onstage every night. I’m just so thankful to the 1% of the country that actually serves in the military.”

Today, he explains how he can understand being away from family for work, “On the most basic level, I think, for me on the road, I just think about being gone two, three days at a time, maybe a couple of weeks at a time, you know. That seems like a long time when you have kids and family, but these soldiers, they’re gone for months and years at a time – they’re doing 12 to 15 to 18 months — and they have family back home. That, in itself, is such a huge sacrifice, and that’s just the beginning of it."

He continued, "That’s just scratching the surface of what these guys [and gals] are doing every day – preparing for battle, actually being in battle, being wounded in battle, sometimes dying in battle. So, this country obviously, we would not exist without those courageous men and women, and our future depends upon them.”

Bentley gets back on the road next weekend for his "Burning Man 2019 Tour" with shows in Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, Dierks has been counting the days till his Seven Peaks Festival on Labor Day.

He posted this morning, "100 days left until #SEVENPEAKSFESTIVAL! Head over to @sevenpeaksfest to grab your passes today."

-Nancy Brooks