Craig Morgan believes many Americans, especially those among younger generations, take for granted the liberties they have as United States citizens.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the country star, who recently released an updated edition of his 2022 memoir, “God, Family, Country,” reflected on what being an American means to him.
“Freedom — it’s that simple,” Morgan said.
However, the “That’s What I Love About Sunday” hitmaker expressed his disappointment that not all Americans today share his outlook. Morgan said he had witnessed behavior indicating a lack of appreciation for the fundamental rights that set America apart from many other countries.
“I see it on TV,” he noted. “I see things that people are doing that just make me shake my head in a lack of understanding how they can’t appreciate how fortunate we are. I think a lot of that is attributed to a lack of education.
“I’m not calling anybody stupid,” Morgan added. “I’m just saying there’s some ignorance in the world, in our society, in particular in the states where people don’t understand the importance of the freedoms that we celebrate.”
WATCH: Craig Morgan says military service is ‘more natural’ to him than country music stardom
Morgan told Fox News Digital he was particularly bewildered by actions that he has seen on college campuses, dozens of which were rocked by anti-Israel protests in recent months.
During some demonstrations, protesters espoused anti-American rhetoric and raised Palestinian flags in place of the Stars and Stripes.
“I see these young folks out there that are doing things, and I just don’t — I’m dumbfounded by it,” Morgan said. “I can’t understand. But, at the same time, I do. And I attribute it again to ignorance. I see these young folks out here in colleges doing things, and they don’t even know half of what they’re saying.
“If they would just slow down — educate themselves. And I don’t mean through the collegiate system, I mean in life. Go visit some of these other countries. And they would understand how free and how fortunate we are to be in this great nation.
“I’ve had that honor and that privilege, most of which I attribute to my time in service in the United States Army,” he said. “And now I can say honestly that things that I’ve got to do in the music industry have allowed me to have a different perspective on how fortunate we are in this country.”
In 1989, the singer-songwriter enlisted in the United States Army. That same year, he was deployed to Panama, where he took part in Operation Just Cause, the U.S. mission that led to the removal of the Central American country’s dictatorial de facto leader, Manual Noriega.
Morgan served almost 10 years of active duty in the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions before joining the Army Reserve as his music career began to take off. He continued to serve in the reserves for another 7½ years until he decided to commit himself entirely to music.
Last July, Morgan decided to re-enlist in the Army Reserve at the age of 59. That month, he was sworn in again to the Army Reserve on stage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in front of a sold-out audience.
While speaking with Fox News Digital, he described re-enlisting in the Army Reserve as a “very emotional experience.”
“I spent 17½ years in my early life in the Army,” Morgan said. “It is a big part of who I am, what my family is about, what we represent. The love that we have for our country. The passion we have for the freedoms that we celebrate in this nation.
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“So, to be able to go back and reignite that fire and be a part of what I believe are the greatest people in our nation — it was very emotional,” he continued.
“And I’m excited, honored, humbled and grateful to be able to do it again and hopefully encourage other folks in our country, to celebrate again and be a part of what I do believe and know to be the greatest nation in the world.”
Morgan chronicled his time in the military in his memoir “God, Family, Country,” which he co-authored with Jim DeFelice. He also shared other intimate details of his life’s journey, including his childhood years in Tennessee, his rise to fame in the world of country music and the tragic loss of his son Jerry.
In July 2016, Jerry died at the age of 19 in a drowning accident while tubing on Kentucky Lake. Jerry was the second oldest of the five children Morgan shares with wife Karen.
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WATCH: Country singer Craig Morgan explains how re-enlisting in the Army Reserve was an ‘emotional experience’
During his interview with Fox News Digital, Morgan explained why it was important to him to share memories of Jerry and honor his son’s legacy in his memoir.
“My son died in 2016, but he’s still very much a part of our lives,” Morgan said. “When people have someone that they loved die, it doesn’t change your emotions and your feelings and your love for that individual.
“The only difference between my love for him and my other children is that I don’t get to talk to him every day,” he continued. “But I actually do. I’m Catholic, so I do believe that we share mass together every time I’m in church.
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“I don’t know that he went to heaven immediately,” Morgan added with a laugh. “I’m sure he spent a little time in purgatory. But I do know that his heart was for God. He loved God.
“In fact, it wasn’t until after he passed that I learned how much impact he had on other people’s spiritual lives. So, I think it’s important that we share our love for those that are no longer with us. We should never let their memories fade. You know, my wife says it best. She talks about him all the time, and she wants to talk about him. We want to share his life and his legacy and his love and his passions and his aggravations and his whatever, you know, because I think it only impacts us and helps us all.”
In May, Morgan released the paperback version of “God, Family, Country,” which featured a new cover and an updated epilogue in which he wrote about his return to the Army Reserve.
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Morgan reflected on what had surprised him during the process of telling his life story.
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“I’ve said I didn’t realize how much living I had done until I started writing these things down,” Morgan said. “And, quite honestly, there was a lot of this stuff that I didn’t even remember.”
WATCH: Country star Craig Morgan talks about his memoir and how his life story can help others
Morgan recalled that he turned to his former military comrades for inspiration while writing parts of his book.
“I didn’t have it until we started talking about it — Panama in particular,” he said. “I brought my team together, a bunch of the non-commissioned officers that I worked with, down to Florida. And we spent a few days together talking.
“Some of the stories that they were telling … were pretty intense,” Morgan continued. “I didn’t even remember one in particular. I still to this day — I don’t recall it, but they have very vivid memories of it.
“So it was obviously more important to them than it was to me,” he added with a chuckle.
Morgan explained that there wasn’t one specific experience he wanted to cover in “God, Family, Country” because he wanted the memoir to encompass his entire life.
“The idea for me was to sum all of these things together, to show people that you can overcome adversities in your life, regardless of where it may be in your life,” Morgan said. “And, for me, to ensure that people know that through faith and family and love, you can overcome a lot of adversity, and you can aspire to do things that you might not even think you’re supposed to do.
“To this day — for a long time off and on — I thought the country music industry was not where I belong.
“I’m into law enforcement,” Morgan continued. “I want to save people’s lives. It’s just who I am. But every time I thought I was going to go do that in some way, God did something in this industry that ensured that I stayed here.
“And I realized that the impact that I may have in our society and on other people’s lives, my family and everything, is where God wants me to be, and that’s here. Share in music and, now with this book, stories that hopefully inspire other people to pursue their passions. “
