Tim McGraw Crashes Veterans Day Lunch to Thank Soldiers

Tim McGraw made a special appearance yesterday (Nov. 8) to thank nearly 30 American soldiers for their service. The "Truck Yeah" singer surprised attendees at a pre-Veterans Day lunch in Brentwood, Tenn., as part of Operation Homefront, which offers financial assistance to military families and wounded warriors.

"I want to say thank you, you guys are the best," Tim told the crowd (quote via Nashville newspaper, The Tennessean). "We get to do the things we do, because of y'all. We couldn't function without y'all."

In recent months, the father of three's involvement with the military support organization has been one of his top priorities. During his Brothers of the Sun tour with Kenny Chesney, Tim presented 25 military families with mortgage-free homes.

"Each family had touching stories and made an indelible mark on me," Tim said of the experience. "The need to take care of the men and women who fight and sacrifice so much for us is great, and this program is only making a dent. I definitely hope to do more down the road."

While the music man has his own family connection to the Armed Forces -- his sister served in the Gulf War, his uncle in Vietnam and his grandfather in World War II -- he explains that isn't his motivation for taking time to honor those who fight for our freedoms.

"It's in the family, but in the larger scope, we wouldn't be able to tick without [them], and do the things we do. We wouldn't be able travel like we travel," Tim tells The Tennessean. "Our military, in a lot of ways, makes [a large] part of the world a safer place."

Watch a video of Tim's visit with the uniformed soldiers here.