Giving Voice to Our Soldiers: The Music of Jimmy Flynn

Local Songwriter Puts Soldiers and Veterans In the Spotlight

Jimmy Flynn is a local songwriter with a unique focus: He writes songs that pay tribute to America’s men and women in uniform. “My first song was about Christmas time,” he shared. “I realized how difficult Christmas time—the holiday season—can be on people who have recently lost loved ones, so I wrote a song from the perspective of a loved one in heaven. … Then I dovetailed that into another concept that I had as far as a recent soldier dying and going to heaven and writing and singing how he still loves and cherishes his beloved America. That song became My America, I Love You.”

From there, Flynn felt inspired to give further voice to American soldiers and those who love them. He imagined different scenarios and let his creative process unfold. “I started writing patriotic songs from different perspectives, i.e., a mother and a father sending their son off to war, [and another] from the perspective of people welcoming soldiers back home, that sort of thing. I think to date I’ve written over 40 patriotic songs.” Of those 40, Flynn included 13 songs on his new album, My America, Vol. 1.

While Flynn did not serve in the armed forces himself (he was never called during the Vietnam War due to having a high draft number), he has always felt a strong support for our troops. “I’ve always been patriotic, and the longer I live, the more patriotic I become. … I had a number of uncles who were [in the second World War]. … As you know, that generation is known as the greatest generation. All they did was save the world for us, certainly when you think of Hitler and Stalin, the fact that France had already fallen and Great Britain was about to fall. Some may feel that this is an exaggeration but I don’t feel that way at all. The Americans literally saved the world. … Because of the American involvement and that generation, we are here today enjoying our freedoms.”

“My generation, the generation of Baby Boomers, our war was the Vietnam War. It’s such a tragic issue as far as how the veterans returned from the Vietnam War and how they were not treated well, at best, and mistreated at worst when they did come home. It was a very controversial war and very confusing times, but we need to honor our Vietnam veterans to a great degree. … My newest song is called, Soldiers of Vietnam, Welcome Home.”

Helping Soldiers Heal

One of the most unique and touching aspects of Flynn’s work is the impact it is having on veterans. During a recent performance, no less than six different Vietnam veterans came up to him after the show to express how his music had affected them. “There was a family,” said Flynn, “the father of which had just found out about the tribute [performance] an hour before. He was a Vietnam veteran. … [After the show] via Facebook, they sent me a message saying that 46 years later, this gentleman finally feels welcomed home, that he had never been welcomed home. Pretty touching.”

The way music can touch people’s hearts and heal old wounds is truly incredible, and Jimmy Flynn is making this possible for active soldiers and veterans everywhere through his songwriting.

If you would like to hear some of Jimmy’s songs or attend an upcoming performance, you can find him on the web at www.JimmyFlynn.net.

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Here at Stay At Home Modifications, we make your well-being our priority. Our interview series goes hand in hand with that effort, and we hope you find it helpful! For more information on how we can help you make your home a home for life, visit us at www.StayAtHomeModificationsINC.com or call me (Brian Pritchard) at 216-212-7531.