Nonprofit Teams Veterans with Songwriters to Share Emotional Stories

Military veterans have some of the best stories. Pair them with music and you have something truly powerful.

Through Operation Song, a national program based out of Nashville, Tenn., veterans team with songwriters to illuminate their stories through music.

Operation Song held a benefit concert on Saturday in Awendaw, South Carolina and for some veterans, hearing their story in the beauty of a song felt like therapy.

That was certainly the case for Cody McGinnis. As a combat veteran, McGinnis was involved in 137 missions. After a while, war takes its toll.

“It felt like maybe I was talking about something that I hadn’t been able to talk about until I partnered up with a natural songwriter,” said McGinnis, who now works as a psychologist and author.

McGinnis struggled with civilian life after returning home from war.

“You come back from war, and it’s like, you know, it’s like there’s life before war and there’s life after war, and all of a sudden you’re like, who am I and what is this world around me?” McGinnis told WCIV in South Carolina.

Sharing Experiences Through Song

McGinnis wanted to get his feelings out. He longed to share his story. But it was difficult. How could he convey such deep emotions?

Enter Operation Song.

“A lot of veterans have a hard time putting those emotions into words, and to partner up with a professional songwriter, I just thought that’s an experience I couldn’t pass up,” McGinnis said.

Saturday’s concert was held in a barn at Bedaw Farms, a Low Country business. Kelli Johnson, a songwriter affiliated with Operation Song, has seen veterans break down emotionally upon hearing their song.

“It’s always a very emotional experience when they hear that song back for the first time,” Johnson said.

Johnson, a prolific songwriter, has crafted more than 700 songs.

“Yeah, but the Operation Song ones are always the special ones,” Johnson said, noting about 50 tunes she’s written for the program.

For veterans who have tried other forms of therapy and struck out, music has been a breath of fresh air.

“Some of them aren’t as open to going into traditional therapy, but I don’t know, something about music just breaks down all barriers,” Johnson said.

Operation Song has helped some veterans avoid suicide, she said, showing the impact music can make on someone fighting severe mental anguish.

“And these songs are life-changing. We’ve had a few that were suicidal that come through the program. They’re at their worst moment, their lowest moment,” she said. “And over and over they say, ‘This gave me hope. You know, I listen to this song all the time.”

McGinnis said hearing the song he worked on with a professional songwriter performed live was a bit surreal.

“I sat down and I heard the song live for the first time, those emotions just came out, you know? So, it hit me pretty hard, but in the best way possible, I felt like it was powerful,” he said.

Operation Song is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that accepts donations through its website.