Chris Young Celebrates His Sister on Veterans Day: ‘I Want to Be Able to Say Thank You’ (Exclusive)

Chris Young knows firsthand the hard work and sacrifices United States military members make in their service to our country, as his sister, Dot, is a Marine veteran. While he appreciates his sister every day, the singer is using Veterans Day as another reason to go the extra mile, though Dot might not be the biggest fan of that spotlight.

“I know she doesn’t like being the center of attention all the time, but this is a moment where I kind of step out of that and say, ‘I don’t care.’ I want to be able to say thank you to her,” Young told PopCulture.com, adding that his brother-in-law also served in the Marine Corps. To encourage others to support the military veterans in their own lives, Young has partnered with the USAA on their Veterans Day #HonorThroughAction Challenge, which invites people to share a photo with a “V” drawn on their hand.

“Me and my sister were really, really close and always have been since we were kids and being able to say thank you to her for her service on Veteran’s Day with USAA and bring more awareness to everybody else being able to have a chance to do that for the people in their life that they’re close to, I think that’s just an awesome thing,” Young shared. “And it’s incredibly special that they’re making this possible.”

Along with his sister, the Tennessee native has been able to express his gratitude to a number of veterans over the years while on tour.

“Some of the veterans that I’ve met have actually been through them with my tour, being able to get them tickets, to bring them there, going to visit bases and meeting people,” he said. “I did that last summer while I was out. It’s not just Veterans Day, it’s every day, but this is a way to really get that message out and say thank you to our veterans. And I love the idea.”

Young added that while he had met several military members through his career before his sister joined the Marines, seeing her dedication allowed him to get a better understanding of what the country’s service members put into their jobs.

“It was interesting seeing that on a first-person level with her and seeing the amount of time that she gave up and that sacrifice that she made with her time, because it was something she really wanted to do,” he recalled. “And I think that that’s one of the most valuable things that you can give in your life is your time and the fact that so many people give up that amount of time to serve.”