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COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND CHARLIE DANIELS RECEIVES THE SILVER HELMET AWARD, AMVETS HIGHEST HONOR
International recording superstar recognized by veterans organization for four decades of service to American troops at home and abroad WASHINGTON, March 31, 2007 _ Charlie Daniels has done three tours of Iraq. He has served in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kuwait. He's done Bosnia, Kosovo and Korea. And make no mistake; Daniels always goes armed and ready - with a fiddle In recognition of his efforts, AMVETS presented Daniels with its prestigious Silver Helmet Award for Americanism during March 31awards banquet at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, Va. For the better part of four decades, the multi-award winning country music legend Charlie Daniels and his band have been there for American troops no matter “where” those troops were, performing many times each year on various sponsored tours in the states and overseas. Charlie Daniels even launched Operation Heartstrings in November 2005 with the goal to put musical instruments and other sources of portable entertainment into the hands of the men and women who serve our country in some of the most desolate parts of the world . . . And to aid in alleviating any feelings of loneliness and isolation. Once the instruments are in our troops' hands, he has been known find the benefactors in combat zones to play alongside them. Widely known as the “Veterans' Oscar,” the Silver Helmet Award has acquired a well-deserved reputation over the past 50 years as the most prestigious of all veterans organization awards. Silver Helmet honorees in two other categories of the annual competition also received their awards at the March 31 awards ceremony. They included the Congressman Michael H. Michaud of Maine (Congressional Category) and Mike Sapp, the founder of Paws with a Cause (Rehabilitation Category). Major general Gus Hargett, Tennessee's adjutant general, explained how the troops feel about Charlie Daniels: "It's amazing to watch Charlie communicate with the troops over here . . . Charlie is a performer that bridges the gap between generations of Americans. Some of these songs were hits before many of these men and women were born, but you see young and old alike, cheering and singing along with every song the band performs . . . No one does that better than Charlie Daniels." Even the enemy seems to realize how much Charlie and his band help the morale among the ranks. In 2005, while in the midst of a three-day, 16,000-mile tour across Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Germany, playing three shows a day, Charlie's helicopter came under fire while coming into Baghdad. And when a sand storm diverted him from reaching the Baghram air base just outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, he played an impromptu show at another nearby base. But, those dangers certainly have not deterred Mr. Daniels from returning to combat zones several times since. Daniels, who lives just outside Nashville, Tennessee, continues to play about nine months out of the year, much of that on the road. Recognized for excellence in various fields, prior Silver Helmet recipients include music legend Wayne Newton (Americanism), former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier (Rehabilitation), CEO Peter Coors (Americanism), Pope John Paul II (Peace) and former Secretary of State Colin Powell (Defense). Prior Silver Helmet Congressional Award recipients include Reps. Lane Evans (D-Ill.), Sam Johnson (R-Texas) and Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and the late Sen. Edmund Muskie. The award itself is a silver replica of a World War II soldier's helmet. A leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by America's Armed Forces, AMVETS provides support for veterans and the active military in procuring their earned entitlements as well as community services that enhance veterans' quality of life. More information on AMVETS can be found at www.amvets.org.
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