-Live from our nation's capital, it's the "34th Annual National Memorial Day Concert."

[ Trace Adkins' "Empty Chair" playing ] And now, please welcome country music superstar Trace Adkins.

-♪ We commandeer a corner table ♪ ♪ At our small-town diner ♪ ♪ Just five or six old men ♪ ♪ Throwin' out corny ol' one-liners ♪ ♪ They pat the heads of children ♪ ♪ Give friendly nods to strangers ♪ ♪ They sure seem quick to laugh ♪ ♪ Makes you think they're slow to anger ♪ ♪ Those guys were front-line brothers ♪ ♪ Their lives depended on each other ♪ ♪ They were soldiers long before they were men ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Yeah, the ones that somehow survived ♪ ♪ Came home, went on to build their lives ♪ ♪ Never chargin' us a penny ♪ ♪ For the debt we owe to them ♪ ♪ But you can almost smell the gun smoke ♪ ♪ And the foxholes that they shared ♪ ♪ On the days they raise their coffees ♪ ♪ And toast the empty chair ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ They'll ask you where you're from ♪ ♪ What you do, what you've done ♪ ♪ But don't go thinkin' they're all talk ♪ ♪ 'Cause you wouldn't wanna tick them off ♪ ♪ Those guys were front-line brothers ♪ ♪ Their lives depended on each other ♪ ♪ They were soldiers long before they were men ♪ ♪ Yeah, the ones that somehow survived ♪ ♪ Came home, went on to build their lives ♪ ♪ Never chargin' us a penny ♪ ♪ For the debt we owe to them ♪ ♪ But you can almost smell the gun smoke ♪ ♪ And the foxholes that they shared ♪ ♪ On the days they raise their coffees ♪ ♪ And toast the empty chair ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ They'll tell you anything you wanna know ♪ ♪♪ ♪ But there's one place they just won't go ♪ ♪♪ ♪ 'Cause they don't wanna ruin our dreams ♪ ♪ By tellin' us the things they've seen ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Those guys were front-line brothers ♪ ♪ Their lives depended on each other ♪ ♪ They were soldiers long before they were men ♪ ♪ Yeah, the ones that somehow survived ♪ ♪ Came home, went on to build their lives ♪ ♪ Never chargin' us a penny ♪ ♪♪ ♪ For the debt we owe to them ♪ ♪ And you can almost smell the gun smoke ♪ ♪ And the foxholes that they shared ♪ ♪ On the days they raise their coffees ♪ ♪ And toast the empty chair ♪ ♪♪ To the brother who's not there, we salute you.

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause continue ] [ Trumpets playing fanfare ] -And now, welcome to the "34th Annual National Memorial Day Concert.

♪♪ Tonight's special guests are... country music superstar Trace Adkins...

Gospel legend Yolanda Adams... Screen Actors Guild winner John Slattery... Emmy Award winner S. Epatha Merkerson... multi-platinum recording artist Phillip Phillips... Tony award nominee, Mary McCormack... Screen Actors Guild winner, Dulé Hill... Country Music Association Award winner Jo Dee Messina... acclaimed television and film actor Chosen Jacobs... Academy of Country Music Award nominee The War and Treaty... and Tony Award nominee Megan Hilty, featuring the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Jack Everly... and General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff... the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets... the U.S. Army Chorus... the Soldiers' Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band...

The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters... the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants... the Armed Forces Color Guard and Service Color Teams... and Patrick Lundy & The Ministers of Music.

And now, here are tonight's co-hosts, Tony Award winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award winner Gary Sinise.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Thank you for joining us on the 2023 National Memorial Day Concert.

This is my 22nd year doing this concert and my 16th year co-hosting with my dear friend Gary.

And speaking for both of us, there is nothing we do that is more important and more meaningful.

-For 34 years this concert has served as the memorial service for the country, a way for all of us -- regardless of who we are, where we live, or what our background is -- to join together as one and to unite in tribute to all who gave their lives for our country.

-We reflect and remember the sacrifice of the fallen, of our Gold Star families, and we honor their resilience.

-We honor wounded, ill, and injured veterans here with us tonight from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Hospital.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ -And on this day, we pay tribute to all who serve and who have served in the long and proud history of our country, for whether our nation is at war or at peace, they always give so much.

Please join us in showing our appreciation for all these true American heroes.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ -And now please stand if you can -- or stand for those who can't -- with hand on heart or salute for our national anthem, performed by Grammy-winning gospel legend Yolanda Adams.

[ "The Star-Spangled Banner" plays ] ♪♪ -♪ O say can you see ♪ ♪ By the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪ ♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ Through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ O'er the ramparts we watched ♪ ♪ Were so gallantly streaming?

♪ ♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪ ♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ Gave proof through the night ♪ ♪ That our flag was still there ♪ ♪ O say does that star-spangled banner ♪ ♪ Yet wave ♪ ♪ O'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ And the home ♪ ♪ Of the ♪ ♪ Bra-a-a-a-a-ve ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you, Yolanda.

We are all aware that the scars of the Vietnam War run deep, and we remember and honor all those who served in Vietnam, those who came home and those who tragically did not.

Your courage will never be forgotten.

To all our Vietnam veterans, welcome home.

[ Cheers and applause ] The Vietnam War has been over for half a century.

But even now, the images from that era remain indelible.

♪♪ Vietnam was a never-ending nightmare.

♪♪ The war came at our troops from everywhere... ♪♪ ...impenetrable jungle valleys, forbidding hill country, cities consumed by destruction.

♪♪ From 1964 to 1973, more than 3 million deployed to Southeast Asia.

Amidst the horrors of battle, our troops forged lifelong bonds.

Over 150,000 Americans were wounded.

58,220 were killed.

♪♪ Their names are now engraved in our nation's memory.

♪♪ Sadly, many remain unaccounted for.

Families whose loved ones are still missing in action ache from uncertainty.

And for the prisoners of war who suffered unspeakable cruelty, coming home was only the first step in the journey to recovery.

♪♪ 50 years ago this past March, the last remaining U.S. troops left Vietnam and the final group of American prisoners of war were freed and left Hanoi.

Here to share the story of one of those former POWs, Air Force pilot Carlyle "Smitty" Harris, and his wife, Louise, are acclaimed actors John Slattery and Mary McCormack.

♪♪ -I loved flying.

During the Korean War, I enlisted in the Air Force and came back an instructor pilot.

You go out on a lot of dates as a young airman.

Then I met Louise.

I introduced her to some friends as "Jane" by mistake.

-I came right back and said, "Yeah, Tarzan, you'd better get my name right."

[ Laughter ] I knew Smitty was committed to Air Force life.

And I knew what I'd signed up for.

By the time we were sent to Okinawa, we had two beautiful girls and I was eight months pregnant.

-It was April of '65.

Our first big target was a bridge used by the North Vietnamese as part of the Ho Chi Minh trail.

I fired my missiles right at the center of the bridge.

Perfect sight, perfect angle, perfect air speed.

But I didn't get very far.

One of the enemy gunners scored a hit on my engine.

The whole plane was burning, so I ejected.

I went from fire and noise and chaos into absolute silence.

I passed from the known into the unknown.

I landed in a large Vietnamese village and was captured immediately.

They stripped off all my gear down to my shorts, and I was shoved onto the back seat of a truck with an armed guard next to me.

That was the last thing I saw before I was blindfolded.

-My phone rang about 5:00 in the morning.

It was my mother.

She said, "We've just heard Smitty's been shot down in Southeast Asia."

The next thing I knew, the casualty office was knocking on my door.

They told me Smitty was considered missing in action.

I said to myself, "He's still alive because if he weren't, I would know it."

The prison was called Hoa Lo.

It meant "hell hole."

Later, our POWs called it the Hanoi Hilton.

The cell was 7x7.

He stench took my breath away.

Every day and night there were interrogations.

I got knocked all over the place because I wouldn't answer their questions.

I remember the pain of iron shackles at the foot of the bunk.

Sometimes a heavy iron bar was added on top.

My hands were tied behind me.

I prayed for the pain to end.

The realization sank in that I wasn't going home to my family -- not today, not tomorrow, maybe never.

-Smitty had been missing for 38 days when I went into labor.

I drove myself to the hospital in Okinawa.

45 minutes later, Carlyle Smith Harris Jr. was born.

My tears of joy were tinged with sadness that Smitty wasn't there to greet his son.

But I refused to go to dark places.

I thought, "If Smitty can do what he's doing, I can handle this."

-After months in solitary, I was joined by four other POWs in this eight-cell unit.

The guards would punish us if we talked.

I remembered our instructor back in "Escape and Evasion School" telling us how English POWs during World War II exchanged messages by tapping on a water pipe.

By chance, I knew the Tap Code alphabet and taught it to the others.

We tapped all the time, for connection and humor, to share about our families.

It saved our sanity and helped us resist.

Through the Tap Code, we developed a brotherhood.

Guys would come back from a torture session, and the first thing they would hear is G-B-U on the cell wall -- "God bless you" -- to know they weren't alone.

I heard it myself.

I might be in the fetal position, but I heard it.

-I barely recognized Smitty when I finally saw his picture -- the one taken the Hanoi March.

Seeing him alive was such a relief.

But it was also terrifying.

-They handcuffed us together in twos and marched us through the main square of Hanoi.

The crowd had been whipped up into a frenzy of hate.

They wanted blood.

We were beat up as we went down the narrow streets.

It went on and on -- for two miles.

Things in the camps got worse after that.

Summer of 1969 became known as the Summer of Horror.

-We were told not to say anything about Smitty's situation outside immediate family or it might affect his treatment.

It was difficult.

But I didn't want anything I said or did to reflect on what was happening to Smitty.

-When I was shot down, I weighed 165.

Dysentery dropped me to less than 90 pounds.

My Tap Code brothers passed the word on to our senior ranking officer.

Because all my fellow POWs stood up for me and threatened a revolt, I was given medicine.

Every man who demanded help for me knew he might be tortured, but they did it anyway.

-Over the eight years Smitty was a POW I had one prayer -- "Let him come back home."

The only place I could allow my grief and fear and sadness to spill out was alone in the bathroom.

I would stand up and wipe away my tears.

I had to be strong for our children.

-The last day at Hanoi airport, after the Paris Peace Agreements were announced, we marched out to the ramp in military formation.

Our captors hated that.

None of us knew what we might face at home.

When we landed, there were 2,000 people cheering and waving American flags.

Our release was the only good news that had come out of Vietnam.

-The night before Smitty came home, I looked in the mirror and wondered, "Have I changed in the last eight years?"

Deep down, I knew I wasn't the same.

I was tougher, stronger.

As I waited for Smitty to call, I prayed, "Please make him say something that lets me know he feels the way I do."

-It just popped out of me.

I said, "Hi, Jane.

This is Tarzan."

[ Laughter ] -And it was perfect.

Just perfect.

-The first time I met my 8-year-old son was at Maxwell Air Force Base.

Hugging him and my two girls -- it was a taste of heaven.

-Not everyone was as lucky.

Other returning POWs found their wives had left them or they ended up divorced in the first year.

Too many of them didn't come back at all.

-Some died in captivity, some by suicide.

In my mind, they all died in action.

We've lost so many more in recent years, people like Bud Day.

The last time Louise and I saw him, he was in hospice care.

He grabbed my hand and tapped on the back "G-B-U."

I knew it was his way of saying we were brothers in arms and loved each other.

With these brothers, I don't have to put it into words.

I don't have to try or explain or describe or decipher.

They were there.

-They gave their all to keep the things we believe in alive.

♪♪ -God bless you.

-God bless you.

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Thank you, John and Mary.

Colonel Harris and Louise had planned to be here, but for health reasons were unable to travel.

They sent this message to share with everyone.

♪♪ -Thank you so much for honoring us on this day.

And a special thanks for honoring all the men and women of our armed forces who fought and did not come home from Vietnam.

And you honor their families, as well.

We wish we could be there with you, but unfortunately we cannot.

But we are with you there in spirit.

God bless you.

-And we do.

♪♪ [ Applause ] Please welcome back Yolanda Adams.

[ "Count On Me" plays ] -♪ Count on me through thick and thin ♪ ♪ A friendship that will never end ♪ ♪ When you are weak, I will be strong ♪ ♪ Helping you to carry on ♪ ♪ Call on me, I will be there ♪ ♪ Don't be afraid ♪ ♪ Please believe me when I say ♪ ♪ Count on ♪ ♪ I can see it's hurting you ♪ ♪ I can feel your pain ♪ ♪ It's hard to see the sunshine ♪ ♪ Through the rain, ohhhh ♪ ♪ I know sometimes it seems as if it's never gonna end ♪ ♪ But you'll get through it ♪ ♪ Just don't give in ♪ ♪ 'Cause you can count on me through thick and thin ♪ -♪ A friendship that will never end ♪ -♪ It will never end ♪ -♪ When you are weak, I will be strong ♪ -♪ I'll be strong ♪ -♪ Helping you to carry on ♪ -♪ Helping you to carry on ♪ -♪ Call on me, I will be there ♪ -♪ Don't be afraid ♪ -♪ Don't you be afraid ♪ ♪ Please believe me when I say ♪ -♪ Count on ♪ -♪ There's a place inside of all of us ♪ ♪ Where our faith in love begins ♪ ♪ You should reach inside to find the truth ♪ ♪ 'Cause the answers's there within, ohhhh ♪ ♪ I know life can make you feel ♪ ♪ It's much harder than it really is ♪ ♪ But we'll get through it ♪ ♪ Just don't give i-i-i-in ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ -♪ Count on me through thick and thin ♪ -♪ Count on me, yeah ♪ -♪ A friendship that will never end ♪ -♪ When you are weak ♪ -♪ When you are weak ♪ -♪ I promise I'll be strong ♪ -♪ I will be strong ♪ -♪ Helping you ♪ -♪ Helping you to carry on ♪ -♪ Call on me ♪ -♪ Call on me, I will be there ♪ -♪ Don't be afraid ♪ -♪ Don't be afraid ♪ -♪ Please believe me when I say ♪ ♪ Count on, count on ♪ -♪ Count on ♪ -♪ Count on ♪ -♪ Count on ♪ -♪ Count on ♪ -♪ Count on ♪ -♪ Count on me ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ -♪ Ooh ♪ -♪ You can count on me ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you, Yolanda, for that moving tribute to men like Smitty and all who served with him in Vietnam and to their families back here at home.

We are honored to have with us tonight 10 Vietnam veterans who, like Colonel Harris, suffered years of depravation in captivity as prisoners of war.

We celebrate their resilience and unwavering courage.

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause continue ] Americans of every generation have sacrificed for our nation.

And those who are members of the greatest generation served in World War II, the largest and most destructive conflict in the history of our planet.

-In the fight to end global tyranny, more than 80 million men, women, and children perished.

From December 1941 until the final surrender of Japan in September 1945, 16 million Americans served in uniform and more than 400,000 lost their lives.

The reality of war, for those heading to an uncertain fate and for those who stayed here at home, is full of the pain of separation.

Joining us to perform a song that symbolized what so many felt is a star of stage and screen, Megan Hilty.

[ "I'll Be Seeing You" plays ] ♪♪ -♪ Cathedral bells were tolling ♪ ♪ And our hearts sang on ♪ ♪ Was it the spell of Paris ♪ ♪ Or the April dawn?

♪ ♪ Who knows if we shall meet again ♪ ♪ But when the morning chimes ♪ Ring sweet again ♪ ♪ I'll be seeing you ♪ ♪ In all the old familiar places ♪ ♪ That this heart of mine embraces ♪ ♪ All day through ♪ ♪ In that small café ♪ ♪ The park across the way ♪ ♪ The children's carousel ♪ ♪ The chestnut trees ♪ ♪ The wishing well ♪ ♪ I'll be seeing you ♪ In every lovely summer's day ♪ ♪ In everything that's light and gay ♪ ♪ I'll always think of you that way ♪ ♪ I'll find you in the morning sun ♪ ♪ And when the night is new ♪ ♪ I'll be looking at the moon ♪ ♪♪ ♪ But I'll be seeing ♪ ♪ You-u-u-u ♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you, Megan.

Performing with Megan and joining us throughout our concert, as they do every year, is the National Symphony Orchestra, once again under the direction of Maestro Jack Everly.

[ Cheers and applause ] And now a tribute to all who served in World War II.

[ "Hymn To The Fallen" plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Our country had been attacked, and it was a time in your life when Uncle Sam was asking for volunteers.

-It was an unbelievable time.

You know, as as a kid, 18, going to war, we didn't know anything about war, didn't know how to play the game.

Learned fast.

Learned fast.

♪♪ -I think that you have to learn to be part of a team and to respect your buddy soldiers.

We learned to work as a unified force.

And you take people for what they are, not color or religion.

♪♪ -I think our motivation was to feel that we were making a contribution.

We wanted to show proof that we loved our country.

♪♪ -What would have happened had we not been able to make that landing and go into Normandy and capture Normandy?

What would this world be like if we hadn't done that?

-I just felt that I left a piece of me in Normandy when we came home.

Your life is different.

Your whole outlook is different.

It changes you.

♪♪ -World War II saved the world, freed the world, gave us freedom throughout the world, not just America.

And of course it saved democracy.

♪♪ -I almost cry when I think of those young men.

I think of them every day.

They were a part of my life then, and they'll always be a part of my life.

♪♪ -I just think about how much they could have been, how much they could have contributed to their community, their family, their country, if they had lived on.

♪♪ -So, I tell my story for those who can't speak for themselves.

-We gave up our yesterdays for your tomorrows.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] [ Applause continues ] -Tonight we also pay tribute to the 250,000 Merchant Marines who served in the Second World War.

They delivered critical supplies and personnel for allied operations in Europe and the Pacific.

During that conflict, 733 Merchant Marine ships were sunk due to enemy attacks, 609 Mariners were prisoners of war, and over 9,500 were killed.

-Their contribution to our cause cannot be overstated, for, as General Dwight Eisenhower said, no organization deserved more credit for our final victory than the Merchant Marines.

Their heroic efforts were formally recognized in 2020 when Congress passed the Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act.

With us tonight are Merchant Marine veterans of World War 2.

Please join me in thanking them all and all who served with them for their courage and dedication to our nation.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause continue ] [ Cheers and applause continue ] -2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

World War II's long shadow had barely lifted when U.S. troops joined those of 16 other nations in answering their country's call to fight on the Korean peninsula.

Since 1950, over 3 million Americans have served in South Korea.

28,000 are still there today, many at risk as a result of lasting tensions along the Demilitarized Zone.

[ Explosions ] The Korean War exploded in June 1950, when North Korea, with support from the Soviet Union and China, launched a surprise attack against South Korea.

♪♪ What became a three-year ordeal of brutal fighting would come to involve more than 1.7 million Americans.

♪♪ During the first months of combat, the enemy sought to push allied forces off the Korean Peninsula at the Pusan perimeter.

A daring U.S. amphibious landing at Inchon in September turned the tide of the war.

Within two weeks of Inchon, U.S. troops retook the capital of Seoul.

Soon, U.S. forces were marching across the 38th parallel, into North Korea, and advancing to within miles of the Chinese border along the frozen Yalu River and the Chosin Reservoir.

Victory seemed almost at hand.

Then 300,000 battle-ready Chinese troops struck hard and fast across the entire front.

Their unrelenting attacks inflicted massive casualties and instilled terror.

Nothing could prepare our troops for the incredible hardships that followed.

Conditions on the ground became apocalyptic.

Savage, unforgiving winter weather compounded the effects of the relentless onslaught.

Ill-equipped for the harsh conditions, as many men froze in foxholes as there were killed by enemy guns.

♪♪ Korean civilians endured unspeakable suffering from the ravages of war.

Three million people were left homeless.

A vicious, never-ending stalemate persisted along hundreds of contested miles.

7,000 were taken prisoners of war, and 3,000 died from deprivation and torture.

The wounded numbered nearly 100,000.

Invisible scars would plague others for the rest of their lives.

36,000 Americans gave their lives in the course of this fierce and brutal conflict.

After two long years of negotiations, an armistice -- not a peace treaty -- was signed on July 27, 1953.

Finally, our troops began to head for home.

♪♪ Tonight we honor those who fought and those who died in what was once called "The Forgotten War."

With us this evening are veterans representing all those who served and sacrificed in Korea.

Please join us in thanking these true American heroes.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause continue ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause continue ] ♪♪ ♪♪ As always, we want to take a moment to recognize America's first responders and make special mention of the United States Capitol Police and its members for their dedication and to thank them for keeping us safe.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Tonight, as we do every year, we recognize the families of the fallen and offer them our love, our support, and our thanks for their sacrifice.

They are America's Gold Star families, and they can never be honored enough.

-And as we remember and honor the fallen, it is of critical importance to stand by all our military families when they face difficult times.

It is up to all of us, members of our wonderful American family, to be there for them, giving our support and reassuring them they will never be left behind.

With a song that speaks to just that, please welcome, Phillip Phillips.

[ Cheers and applause ] [ "Gone, Gone, Gone" plays ] -♪ When life leaves you high and dry ♪ ♪ I'll be at your door tonight ♪ ♪ If you need help, if you need help ♪ ♪ I'll shut down the city lights ♪ ♪ I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe ♪ ♪ To make you well, to make you well ♪ ♪ When enemies are at your door ♪ ♪ I'll carry you away from war ♪ ♪ If you need help, if you need help ♪ ♪ Your hope dangling by a string ♪ ♪ I'll share in your suffering ♪ ♪ To make you well, to make you well ♪ ♪ Give me reasons to believe ♪ ♪ That you would do the same for me ♪ Come on.

Sing it.

♪ And I would do it for you ♪ -♪ For you ♪ -♪ Baby, I'm not moving on ♪ ♪ I'll love you long after you're gone ♪ -♪ For you ♪ -♪ For you ♪ -♪ You will never sleep alone ♪ ♪ I'll love you long after you're gone ♪ ♪ And long after you're gone, gone, gone ♪ ♪ You're my backbone ♪ ♪ My cornerstone ♪ ♪ You're my crutch when my legs stop moving ♪ ♪ You're my headstart ♪ ♪ You're my rugged heart ♪ ♪ You're the pulse that I've always needed ♪ ♪ Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating ♪ Sing it.

♪ Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating ♪ Come on.

♪ Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating ♪ Sing it out.

♪ Like a drum, my heart never stops beating ♪ -♪ For you ♪ -♪ For you ♪ -♪ Baby, I'm not moving on ♪ ♪ I'll love you long after you're gone ♪ -♪ For you ♪ Hey!

-♪ For you ♪ ♪ You will never sleep alone ♪ ♪ I'll love you long after you're gone ♪ -♪ For you ♪ Sing it!

-♪ For you ♪ ♪ Baby, I'm not movin' on ♪ ♪ I'll love you long after you're gone ♪ -♪ For you ♪ Alright, alright, alright.

-♪ For you ♪ -♪ You will never sleep alone ♪ ♪ I'll love you long, long after you're gone ♪ ♪ Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating ♪ Sing it.

♪ Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating ♪ ♪ Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating ♪ ♪ Like a drum, my heart never stops beating for you ♪ ♪ And long after you're gone, gone, gone ♪ ♪ I'll love you long after you're gone, gone, gone ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause continue ] -America's all-volunteer military force began 50 years ago.

For over a half a century, our country's bravest men and women have willingly put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe and secure.

Many heroically served multiple deployments in the longest war in our history -- Afghanistan -- and in Iraq.

♪♪ [ Explosion ] Operation Iraqi Freedom began 20 years ago.

What was an anticipated short-term action quickly grew into an ongoing maelstrom of bloody violence.

[ Rapid gunfire ] -Go!

Pick it up!

-Our servicemen and women were asked to carry out their missions while facing threats from unseen snipers, ceaseless guerrilla action, rocket and mortar attacks, and the crippling and often fatal blasts of IEDs.

♪♪ Injury or death came at any moment, in every town and on every road.

[ Indistinct shouting, rapid gunfire ] At the peak of the war over 170,000 U.S. forces were stationed in Iraq.

More than 32,000 American troops were wounded in action.

Countless more came home with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress.

♪♪ Over 4,000 American troops lost their lives.

[ Rapid gunfire ] Even as the war began to wind down, Iraq remained a very dangerous place.

The one constant -- our troops continued to volunteer and serve, knowing they might lose their lives.

They left behind parents, spouses, siblings, and children.

♪♪ U.S. Army Sergeant Anthony O'Neal Magee, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, served two tours of duty in Iraq.

Here to share the story of three generations of his family are acclaimed actors S. Epatha Merkerson, Dulé Hill, and Chosen Jacobs.

♪♪ -Anthony was the perfect child.

Everybody loved him.

I had him when I was 18.

My husband Tony and I didn't know a thing about raising kids, but we decided to stick together, no matter what, to raise our family like a family is supposed to be.

-My brother Anthony was the eldest, then Monica, LeRon, and me.

Anthony was that kid everybody wanted to be around.

He was a giver.

And he was a straight-A student.

Instead of college, I joined the Air Force.

Been in 19 years.

-I did not want Anthony to join the Army because he would be away from us.

And you can bet we had a good fight about that.

But he wanted to serve his country.

And he said he could afford to take care of his son, Kameron, better if he joined the military.

-It was hard having a dad who was always deploying somewhere.

I remember times he came home, we used to be happy and all that.

He was real good to me always.

-When the Army called about Anthony, it was the day before Tony's birthday.

We had planned a crawfish boil, but it started raining.

The phone rang.

LeRon answered and said, "Mom, somebody needs to speak to Dad."

Then I heard Tony say, "Anthony Magee?"

And when he said that, I hit the floor.

I said, "Lord, please don't let it be Anthony."

-Anthony had been talking to a friend outside his tent, helping him through a hard time.

When he turned to go inside, a rocket exploded, and a piece of shrapnel went right into the back of his head.

They medevacked him to Landstuhl in Germany, near where I was stationed.

When I walked in that room, I knew I'd never talk to my brother again.

My faith was so strong, I just thought, "When I get over there, I can just pray, and God will touch him and make him live."

When I saw Anthony, it -- it looked like he was just sleeping.

I fell on my knees, I held Anthony's hand, and Tony and I begged God for our son's life.

-By the time my mom finished praying, every doctor, every nurse, anybody who was within the sound of her voice was on their knees right there with us.

There had to be 30 people in Anthony's room.

Every one of them was crying.

They told us that he had been hit in his leg, his arms, and his side, but they hadn't told us right away about the shrapnel in his head.

We talked to the doctor.

Anthony was dead.

I knew in that moment, I had to let him go.

He was God's child now.

-It was hard going back to Hattiesburg after that.

But the whole town came out to pay their respects.

There were cars on both sides of the highway stopped with their blinkers on, people waving their flags as Anthony's coffin rolled past.

It's powerful seeing strangers standing there, sharing your grief for a person they've never known.

It hits them because people think, "That could have been my son or my daughter or my husband or my wife."

-I was 5 around the time my dad died.

Really... it's hard when you're young and you lose a parent.

You start asking questions like why?

You wish it all never happened.

You wish that your parent was there for you, was... And he isn't.

-We thought time would heal.

It hasn't.

Not a day goes by that we don't think of Anthony.

On holidays, when the family gathers, somebody mentions him, tells stories, but he's not there.

A piece of my heart just faded away.

The grief -- I can't really let it come out.

I just keep it balled up inside of me.

-My mom didn't get that moment of mourning for herself because she was trying to make sure everybody else was okay.

We're all broken from it.

My dad still wears Anthony's dog tags.

Kameron started having trouble in school, especially if somebody said something about his dad.

-I was angry for a long time.

But meeting up with other gold star families really helped me.

We share stories about our parents, their lives.

We understand each other's pain and loss.

So having someone to talk to, it means so much.

-When I think about it now, we would have been better off if we had talked to somebody -- a counselor.

My daughter Monica is the only one who did, and it really helped her.

-The healing is still going on.

It's just not the same.

It's a stinging, lasting, enduring hurt.

It's like a roller coaster.

Anthony had so much going for him.

It's hard to believe it's been 13 years.

-I'm not ever forgetting my son, but the little things -- you know, like a leaf falling off a tree -- are starting to go.

I understand, and I had to understand, that Anthony had done what he came to do on this Earth.

He had done so much for so many.

He lived a whole life by 29.

And when I see Kam, I see Anthony.

He's in his boy.

-They say my dad and I act alike.

[ Chuckles ] They tell me stories about him so I'll have more memories of him.

It makes me happy to know I'm just like him.

For my senior prom, I had my dad's photo printed on the back of my suit.

And I rocked it!

[ Laughs ] Yeah.

Everyone loved it.

[ Chuckles ] In a way, it felt like my dad was with me.

-We've always been a tight family.

We're gonna be that forever.

When Anthony passed, it hurt everybody.

It was a chain, and we lost one link in it, but it's still strong.

We just tighten it up a little more.

-[ Chuckles ] Sometimes I sit and think about how different life would be if he was still here.

It makes Monica, LeRon, and me all so sad that Anthony will never know our children and they will never know him.

We lost a big heart, the man he would have become.

-Kameron's turned into a fine young man, in his first year of college.

He'll always love and miss his daddy.

I don't want him to forget him.

Too many others already have.

-They give you Memorial Day, they give you Veterans Day, and they say, "Okay, these are the days when we recognize service and our loss," right?

Then it's over, like -- like that's enough.

But it's not enough.

-That first Memorial Day after Anthony passed, we probably got 100 calls from folks saying they were thinking of us.

But the next year, it dropped to maybe 75.

Then 25.

Pretty soon, Memorial Day would come and go and the phone wouldn't ring.

I have no words to tell you how that makes a parent feel.

-My grandma told me that my dad served his country to make things better not only for him, but for everyone.

I'd like people to know that my dad was a hero, and I hope I make him proud.

-It's important to remember those who gave their lives for something they believe in and honor their families.

That's why we're free -- Because of other people's sacrifice.

-Memorial Day used to be just a holiday for us.

I never really thought about what the day meant until we lost Anthony.

We have a whole new perspective now.

Our lives have been changed forever.

And in our house, every day is Memorial Day.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause continue ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -With a special tribute to all our gold star families, here is Iraq war veteran Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War and Treaty.

[ Intro to "When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder" plays ] -This is for all my brothers and sisters who gave their lives in the war.

-God bless you all.

-♪ Ahhh ♪ -♪ I've held the hands of an angel before ♪ ♪ And it was hard to let it go ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I've heard the sound of Heaven ♪ ♪ Knocking at the door ♪ ♪ When it was time to claim a soul ♪ -♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ I'll look for you ♪ -♪ And I'll be there ♪ -♪ I'll be there ♪ -♪ I've always wondered when the rain pours ♪ ♪ Is it the Son having a cry?

♪ ♪ I reckon it must be hard on Jesus still ♪ ♪ When teardrops fall from our eyes ♪ -Yes.

-♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ I'll look for you ♪ -♪ You look for me ♪ -♪ And I'll be there ♪ -♪ I'll be there ♪ -♪ Lord, have mercy, now, yeah ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Mmmm ♪ -♪ Mm, mm ♪ ♪♪ -♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ When the roll... ♪ -♪ When the roll ♪ -♪ ...is called up yonder ♪ -♪ I'll look for you ♪ -♪ You look for me ♪ -♪ And I'll be there ♪ -♪ I'll be there ♪ -♪ I'll look for you ♪ -♪ You look for me ♪ -♪ And I'll be there ♪ -♪ I'll be right there ♪ -♪ Mm, mm ♪ ♪ I'll be right there ♪ -♪ I got your station, now ♪ -♪ Mmmm ♪ -♪ Yeah ♪ -♪ Oh ♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] -At this concert tonight and tomorrow on Memorial Day, we remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

-From 1776 until today, over 1 million Americans paid the supreme price for our peace and for our freedom.

-It is for them that we have Memorial Day.

-It is for them that we now play "Taps."

[ "Taps" plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Please welcome Jo Dee Messina.

[ Intro to "Heaven Was Needing a Hero" plays ] ♪♪ -♪ I came by today to see you ♪ ♪ Though I had to let you know ♪ ♪ If I knew the last time ♪ ♪ That I held you was the last time ♪ ♪ I'd have held you and never let go ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oh, it keeps me awake nights, wonderin' ♪ ♪ I lie in the dark, just asking why ♪ ♪ I've always been told ♪ ♪ You won't be called home until it's your time ♪ ♪ Well, I guess Heaven was needing a hero ♪ ♪ Somebody just like you ♪ ♪ Brave enough to stand up ♪ ♪ For what you believe ♪ ♪ And follow it through ♪ ♪ When I try to make it make sense in my mind ♪ ♪ The only conclusion I come to ♪ ♪ Is that Heaven was needing a hero ♪ ♪ Like you ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I remember the last time I saw you ♪ ♪ Oh, you held your head up proud ♪ ♪ I laughed inside when I saw how ♪ ♪ You were standing out in the crowd ♪ ♪ You're such a part of who I am ♪ ♪ And now that part will just be void ♪ ♪ No matter how much I need you now ♪ ♪ Heaven needed you more ♪ ♪ Heaven was needing a hero ♪ ♪ Somebody just like you ♪ ♪ Brave enough to stand up ♪ ♪ For what you believe ♪ ♪ And follow it through ♪ ♪ When I try to make it make sense in my mind ♪ ♪ The only conclusion I come to ♪ ♪ Is Heaven was needing a hero ♪ ♪ Like you ♪ ♪ Heaven was needing a hero ♪ ♪ That's yo-o-o-o-o-o-u ♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] -Thank you, Jo Dee.

As we remember those we lost, we must always make sure to stand by our brothers and sisters in need.

-If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of emotional distress, mental illness, or having thoughts of suicide, help is available at the number on our screen.

Don't suffer in silence.

Please reach out.

-With us tonight is someone who knows firsthand how important this is.

We're joined by Michael Trotter Jr. and his wife Tanya from The War and Treaty.

Michael as a veteran of two tours of duty in Iraq.

You faced some difficult times when you came home.

Do you have a message for our veterans or service members who are struggling?

-Yes.

Thank you, Joe.

I'm a living testament that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Several years ago, I was despondent, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after my service, contemplating suicide.

But then the love and support of everyone overwhelmed me, especially the love of my wife Tanya, and I'm able to be here tonight standing on this stage.

-Every single day since then, I see the joy and fire in Michael, and I thank God he made it out of the wrenching situation and that his passion for music, people, and love is still there and always will be.

♪♪ [ Applause ] -Thank you, Tanya and Michael.

All of our military and their families need our support.

On our website, you'll find links to organizations dedicated to helping veterans, gold star families, active-duty military, and their families.

And if you are a wounded, ill, or injured veteran in need of help, please reach out.

-It's been a tradition from the beginning of the National Memorial Day concert to salute all the men and women from every branch of our armed services.

Please welcome the chiefs of the military services.

[ Bagley's "National Emblem March" plays ] [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -And now Maestro Jack Everly, our orchestra and military choruses, perform the "Armed Forces Medley."

Whether here or watching at home, if you are able, please stand when your service is presented.

[ "Armed Forces Medley" plays ] ♪♪ The United States Coast Guard.

-♪ We place our trust in thee ♪ [ Applause ] ♪ Through surf and storm and howling gale ♪ ♪ High shall our purpose be ♪ ♪ Semper paratus is our guide ♪ ♪ Our fame, our glory, too ♪ ♪ To fight to save or fight and die ♪ ♪ Aye Coast Guard, we are for you ♪ -United States Space Force.

-♪ We're the mighty watchful eye ♪ ♪ Guardians beyond the blue ♪ ♪ The invisible front line ♪ ♪ Warfighters brave and true ♪ ♪ Boldly reaching into space ♪ ♪ There's no limit to our sky ♪ ♪ Standing guard both night and day ♪ ♪ We're the Space Force from on high ♪ -United States Air Force.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ -♪ Off we go into the wild blue yonder ♪ ♪ Climbing high into the sun ♪ ♪ Zooming up to meet our thunder ♪ ♪ At 'em, boys, give 'er the gun ♪ ♪ Give 'er the gun!

♪ ♪ Down we dive ♪ ♪ Spouting our flame from under ♪ ♪ Off with one helluva roar ♪ ♪ We live in fame or go down in flame ♪ ♪ Hey, nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force ♪ -United States Navy.

[ Cheers and applause ] -♪ Anchors aweigh, my boys ♪ ♪ Anchors aweigh ♪ ♪ Farewell to foreign shores ♪ ♪ We sail at break of day ♪ ♪ Through our last night ashore ♪ ♪ Drink to the foam ♪ ♪ Until we meet once more ♪ ♪ Here's wishing you a happy voyage home ♪ -United States Marines.

[ Cheers and applause ] -♪ From the hall of Monte Zuma to the shores of Tripoli ♪ ♪ We fight our country's battles ♪ ♪ In the air, on land, and sea ♪ ♪ First to fight for right and freedom ♪ ♪ And to keep our honor clean ♪ ♪ We are proud to claim the title ♪ ♪ Of United States Marine ♪ -United States Army.

[ Cheers and applause ] -♪ First to fight for the right ♪ ♪ And to build our nation's might ♪ ♪ And the Army goes rolling along ♪ ♪ Proud of all we have done ♪ ♪ Fighting till the battle's won ♪ ♪ And the Army comes rolling along ♪ ♪ Then it's hi, hi, hey ♪ ♪ The Army's on its way ♪ ♪ Count off the cadence loud and strong ♪ ♪ For where e'er we go ♪ ♪ You will always know ♪ ♪ That the Army goes rolling along ♪ ♪ Rolling along ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -I am privileged to introduce the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Christopher W. Grady.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ -It is our honor to introduce the distinguished Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

-Please welcome General Mark A. Milley.

[ Cheers and applause ] -Good evening, everyone.

In this 155th Memorial Day, we honor the more than 1 million Americans who gave their last full measure of devotion in service to our great nation.

Behind every one of these men and women is a family, many of whom are here tonight -- a husband or a wife, a mother or father, a brother or sister, son or daughter.

For these families, every single day is Memorial Day.

The soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, guardians, and Coast Guardsmen represent the highest ideals of America.

Each of them paid in blood for the freedoms that we enjoy every day.

And their families carry on the dreams that our fallen never realized.

These brave men and women willingly entered the crucible of combat knowing the price they may be asked to pay.

Their blood spilled on the slopes of Bunker Hill, the fields of Gettysburg, the forests of the Meuse-Argonne, the sands of Normandy and Iwo Jima, the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir, the jungles of the Ia Drang Valley, and the sands and mountains of Iraq and Afghanistan.

They fought.

They fought thousands of miles from their homes and their birthplaces.

In these moments of carnage, death, and destruction, ordinary Americans displayed extraordinary character and uncommon valor.

In these moments, the courage of a few inspired a nation of many.

They fought for humanity, and they laid down their lives on the altar of freedom.

So we pause -- we pause here and now -- on this Memorial Day to remember.

No matter the cost, America's brave men and women will always answer our nation's call.

Now it is up to us -- we, the living -- to stand watch to ensure that our fallen did not die in vain, to ensure that this experiment in liberty continues so each generation to come can enjoy the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

On behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thank you all.

Thanks to all of those who have made sacrifices so much to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

We in uniform, we swear to you, the American people, that we will never turn our back on the Constitution and we will never turn our back on our fallen.

We must always honor them, and we must forever cherish the idea that is America and the cause for which they died.

May God bless the United States of America.

And we of the Joint Chiefs salute each and every one of you.

[ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause continue ] -Thank you for joining us tonight.

-The concert will repeat immediately following this live broadcast on most PBS stations.

And now, please take out your phones, turn the flashlight on, hold them high, keep them shining, and wave them to a song that speaks to the unity that is so important to all of us.

Once again, The War and Treaty.

[ Intro to "We Are One" plays ] ♪♪ -♪ We have lost so much ♪ ♪ It's hard to hold on without touch ♪ ♪ But we can't let each other fall ♪ ♪ So remember, I'm just a call away ♪ ♪ We are one ♪ ♪ We are one, we are one ♪ ♪ We are one, we are o-o-o-one ♪ ♪ And the world is still so beautiful ♪ ♪ Together, we'll stand and not lose hope ♪ ♪ 'Cause we are one ♪ ♪ We are one, we are one ♪ ♪ Can't you see it all around?

♪ ♪ In every heart, love can be found ♪ ♪ We are one, we are one ♪ ♪ We are o-o-o-one ♪ -♪ When you're afraid ♪ ♪ Together, we will fight here ♪ ♪ You're not invisible ♪ ♪ I see you holding back tears, but I'm here ♪ -♪ We are one, we are one ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ Yeah ♪ -♪ We are one, we are one ♪ -♪ Ohhh ♪ -♪ And the world is still so beautiful ♪ ♪ Together, we'll stand and not lose hope ♪ ♪ 'Cause we are one ♪ ♪ We are one, we are one ♪ ♪ Can't you see it all around?

♪ -♪ In every heart ♪ -♪ Love can be found ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ We are one, we are one ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ The world is still so beautiful ♪ -♪ Together, we'll stand and not lose hope ♪ -♪ 'Cause we are one ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ Ohhh, yeah ♪ -♪ Can't you see it all around?

♪ -♪ In every heart ♪ -♪ Love can be found ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ ♪ We are one, we are one ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ -♪ Ohhhhh ♪ -♪ We are one ♪ ♪ We are one, we are one ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, ohhhhh ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Intro to "God Bless America" plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ God bless America ♪ ♪ Land that I love ♪ ♪ Stand beside her ♪ -To learn more about the National Memorial Day Concert and find links to organizations dedicated to helping veterans and military families, please visit our website at... Or join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

-♪ To the ocean ♪ -You're watching PBS.