Autumn Letendre Raises a Flag for Late Husband & U.S. Troops

Today is a bittersweet day for rising country star Autumn Letendre, as she remembers her late husband on Independence Day. In 2006, U.S. Marine Corps Captain Brian Scott Letendre was killed in a combat operation in Iraq.

"That moment is hard to describe, but if you can imagine a room that falls silent but everyone is still talking, that's what happened with me," Autumn recalls of the moment she heard of her husband's death. "I saw mouths moving but it was so silent, because you're just trying to comprehend what's being told to you."

Autumn pays tribute to her heroic husband and his fellow troops on her debut country album, 'Raise Your Flag,' which she fittingly released on Flag Day last month. The Indiana native wrote eight of the CD's ten tracks, including one song penned back in 2003, the day after her son, Dillon, was born. She was still in the hospital when she heard the news that the war had officially begun and troops had crossed into Iraq. Brian, having been deployed earlier that year, was there and had to miss his son's birth, so Autumn was inspired to write a song for her newborn called 'Daddy Loves You.' It became her signature lullaby that she would sing to Dillon while they awaited Brian's return.

Another self-penned track, 'Raise Your Flag,' is the project's first official single. Watch the video for the song below.

"My debut album is a dream come true," says Autumn. "I never in my wildest dreams could have dreamt that life's circumstances would have inspired me to write 'Raise Your Flag.' ... [It's] a sincere tribute to all of our troops and their families."