The Grand Ole Opry, celebrating its 100th anniversary, is scheduled to salute and honor the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary with a return of the red carpet parade and what has become a highlight of the year, the special Salute the Troops Opry performance Tuesday, May 20. Among the artists scheduled to perform are Opry member Craig Morgan, who serves as an Army Reserve Warrant Officer; Opry members Steven Curtis Chapman and Rhonda Vincent; as well as Tony Jackson, Scotty Hasting, Sal Gonzalez, the 100th Army Band, and more.
Additionally, the Opry will welcome the 101st Airborne Division Commanding General, Major General Brett Sylvia as its special guest. Major General Sylvia’s military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, five Legions of Merit, six Bronze Star Medals including one for Valor, a Purple Heart, and four Army Commendation Medals, including one for Valor. He also served as a member of units that earned the Presidential Unit Citation, three Joint Meritorious Unit Awards, three Meritorious Unit Citations, and an Army Superior Unit Award. MG Sylvia’s decorations include the Combat Action Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge. His foreign awards include the Polish Army Medal – Bronze, the Romanian Land Forces Award, and Uruguayan and Chilean jump wings.
Major General Sylvia will preside over a future soldier swearing-in ceremony live on stage.
The Opry will invite honored active and veteran military guests attending the show, to join a red carpet parade into the Opry House for the evening’s show. Leading the red-carpet walk will be 101st Airborne Division Commanding General, Major General Brett Sylvia, retired Army Lt. Gen Keith Huber, with Middle Tennessee State University’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center and VFW representatives, Al Lipphardt, National Commander in Chief, Hal Roesch, Executive Director of VFW Foundation and Mike Figlioli, Director of VFW, National Veterans Service.
The Opry and its presenting sponsor Humana are partnering with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), whose mission for more than 125 years has been to support, serve, advocate for and foster camaraderie among U.S. veterans through events like its annual VFW Day of Service.
The public is invited to arrive at 5:00 pm to see the 100th U.S. Army Band perform in the Opry Plaza before they lead the honored red carpet parade guests beginning at 5:45 pm. Opry House doors will open after the honored guests have entered the building for the 7 p.m. show. Tickets are available at 615-871-OPRY and opry.com.
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