Trace Adkins Honored by DAR and Buddy Blake Shelton
Trace Adkins was presented with the DAR Medal of Honor by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution at a private ceremony in Nashville on Saturday.
The singer, who memorialized the servicemen and women who gave their lives for the nation in his song 'Arlington,' received the honor in recognition of his outstanding service and leadership to his state and nation for his patriotism and humanitarian works. "It's a little embarrassing, actually," a humbled Trace tells The Boot. "When I think of the sacrifices that the men and women of the military make in comparison to what I do, it is a little embarrassing, I have to say."
In receiving the Medal of Honor for his dedication and patriotism to the country, Trace explains, "Patriotism is putting country ahead of self, in its simplest definition. I think a lot of people espouse to be patriotic, but I think if you put them in a corner, they would sell their grandmother just to save themselves." As far as honor, Trace defines it as "conducting yourself always as if some omnipotent being is watching you. I don't know how else to put it. If I'm going to be honorable, I have to act like my granddaddy is watching."
While the award was given by the Daughters of the American Revolution (the Revolutionary War giving the United States freedom and Independence from England), Trace, a Louisiana native, is a Civil War buff and a member of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans. He explains the similarities between the two wars. "A lot of people talk about the war between the states as the second revolution because you had a group of states that felt their rights were being infringed upon by the federal government, so they took up arms. It was basically a second revolution, not as successful as the first one, but a revolution of sorts."
During the ceremony, several luminaries discussed Trace's outstanding contributions, including DAR National and State Representatives, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, Greg Baker (Trace's friend and band leader), General John Pray and close friend Blake Shelton. When Blake speaks about someone, it is often in irreverent terms to elicit laughter, but he spoke quite elegantly about his friend prior to the event. "Normally people, when they want me to come and speak at something, it's more like a roast," Blake tells The Boot. "But there's one guy that it's not hard to think of something cool to say about him is Trace Adkins. He's not one of those guys that does good things and in some ways heroic things, he doesn't do them because of what it may do for his image or his career. You know the things he does for the military and [other] stuff that I'm probably going to find out about today, He does them because it comes from a real place in him. It means something to him."
Trace has traveled overseas for a pair of USO tours, performing for troops stationed in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan, and in 2007, he was honored with the USO Merit Award. His 2009 ACM performance with the West Point Cadet Glee Club was made available to iTunes, raising more than $100,000 to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization providing support to those members if the military who have been severely wounded in combat.
Trace, who is hitting the airwaves with his new single 'This Ain't No Love Song,' is set to perform at this week's CMA Music Festival in Nashville on Sunday, June13.
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