Brantley Gilbert is probably one of the biggest supporters of the military in country music. He supports multiple veterans’ organizations and he even led a motorcycle ride to Arlington National Cemetery to honor our fallen soldiers. Most recently, Brantley built a deer hunting farm on his property down in Georgia, where he can invite veterans to come down and hunt. “The farm’s finally done and we’re extremely proud of it,” says Brantley. “It’s absolutely gorgeous. The past two years we’ve been able to do our vet hunts, and they’ve gone off without a hitch and it’s working exactly the way I dreamed it would, I prayed it would.”
Brantley’s song “One Hell of an Amen” was inspired by the story of a friend who lost one of his buddies in combat. And for those soldiers who are lucky enough to make it home, Brantley knows that they often return with either physical or emotional trauma, which is why he wanted to build the special deer farm. “We built that farm for veterans, period, whatever it is they struggle with. Whether it’s just everyday things we all deal with or if it is PTSD, or whatever, that farm for me, once you pull in the gate, everything else is outside. And it’s just like a sanctuary and you know, to be able to share that with folks, it’s been amazing.”
Brantley will be on tour this summer promoting his latest song, “What Happens in a Small Town,” but the first couple of hunts that he has hosted out of his farm for veterans have gone so well that he will definitely be making plans for more veterans to visit. And don’t miss Brantley participating in the Grand Ole Opry‘s Salute to the Troops, Tuesday night, May 21st. You’ll be able to hear the special show on SiriusXM on Willie’s Roadhouse or on Opry.com beginning at 7pm CT.
Brantley Gilbert – veterans hunting camp :44
“You know, the farm’s finally done and we’re extremely proud of it. It’s absolutely gorgeous. The past two years we’ve been able to do our vet hunts, and they’ve gone off without a hitch and it’s working exactly the way I dreamed it would, I prayed it would. More than anything, one of the reasons I built it was to be able to do something I enjoy doing and share a farm that special with somebody that deserves it. We built that farm for veterans, period, whatever it is they struggle with. Whether it’s just everyday things we all deal with or if it is PTSD, or whatever, that farm for me, once you pull in the gate, everything else is outside. And it’s just like a sanctuary and you know, to be able to share that with folks, it’s been amazing.”