Patriotic at an early age

Neal McCoy has sold more than 6 million albums during his country music career. He’s also donated his time to assisting charities, including creating his own with his wife. And in the past 18 years, he’s been on 15 USO tours, including multiple visits to Iraq and Afghanistan.

And for the past 593 days, McCoy has started his day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, streaming it on Facebook Live. The master of ceremonies at this year’s American Legion National Convention in Reno, McCoy said his love for his country was developed at a young age by his mother, who was living in the Philippines when she met McCoy’s father – a U.S. Army engineer stationed in Manilla during the Korean War.

McCoy’s mother was the second-oldest of 18 children and was 13 years old when the Japanese occupied the Philippines during World War II.

“Mom was very tough and raised us kids to be tough: not always fighting, but to be tough-minded, tough-spirited,” McCoy said. “Coming from the Philippines and not having all the freedoms that all of us wonderful folk have had in the United States of America, she started teaching us at a young age, ‘You ought to be grateful and respectful and understand what is given you guys the rights to do what you do, the rights to say what you want to say when you want to say it.' She starting instilling in us as children how fortunate we were to be in this country.”

McCoy said it’s important to instill in today’s youth patriotic values. Referencing the Legion’s Spirit of Service Award winners and Youth Champions, McCoy said “It’s nice to see young people that get it early.”

McCoy invited Legionnaires to join him on Facebook every morning to say the Pledge. “It’s become a part of my life, and I’m honored that it has,” he said. “Because of my grandfather in (World War II) and my father serving … because of them stepping up and understanding what it’s going to take to protect the freedoms of this country … I’m fortunate enough to be here with a lot of other patriots in this room.”

Before he left the stage, McCoy was given a Sons of The American Legion application by American Legion National Commander Charles E. Schmidt. McCoy pledged to fill it out and join.