Sometimes, our travels take us somewhere for a reason that has nothing to do with sightseeing. Our trip to Nashville, Tennessee, was one of those times.
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We traveled to Nashville so Vince could do something he had never done before: work with a professional songwriter to turn his experiences in the military into an original song.
This wasn’t our first time exploring Music City. We had spent time sightseeing in Nashville the year before, discovering its music history, historic landmarks, and some of the stories that make this city so special. We even took a separate look at the life of the Man in Black, visiting Johnny Cash’s Nashville and Hideaway Farm.
If you’re planning a visit, you can also follow along with our earlier Nashville travel guide, where we share some of our favorite stops, experiences, and things to do around Music City.
This time, though, Nashville had a different purpose.
Through an organization called Operation Song, veterans have the opportunity to share their stories and work alongside professional songwriters to put those experiences into music. For Vince, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, this was an opportunity to reflect on a part of his life that will always be part of who he is.
And the result? A song called Fate Not Blood.
What Is Operation Song?
Before our trip, we wanted to learn more about the organization that made this experience possible.
Operation Song is a nonprofit organization that brings veterans, active-duty military members, and their families together with professional songwriters. Through collaborative songwriting sessions, participants turn their personal experiences into original songs.
The idea is pretty remarkable. You don’t have to be a musician, know how to write lyrics, or have any songwriting experience. You simply bring your story.
The professional songwriters help take those memories, experiences, and emotions and turn them into something that can be shared through music.
Military service creates experiences that can be difficult to explain to people who haven’t lived them. The relationships, the sacrifices, the challenges, and the connections made along the way don’t necessarily end when someone takes off the uniform.
Operation Song provides another way to tell those stories.
Why Vince Wanted to Write a Song About His Military Service
Vince is a retired United States Air Force veteran. Like so many who have served, his military years are an important part of his life story.
One of the things he wanted to capture wasn’t simply his time in uniform or the places he’d been. It was something much bigger: the brotherhood and sisterhood that develop among those who serve.
There is a unique connection between people who have shared the experience of military service. Those relationships aren’t necessarily defined by family ties or how long you’ve known someone. They’re built through shared experiences, trust, challenges, and the understanding that comes from serving alongside one another.
And those connections don’t disappear when military service ends.
That was the heart of the story Vince wanted to tell.
The Nashville Songwriting Experience
Nashville is known around the world for its music, songwriting, and recording industry. It’s a fitting place for an organization like Operation Song, where personal stories become original music.
For Vince, the experience meant sitting down with professional songwriter Kurt Stevens and working together to turn his ideas into lyrics and a song.
The process wasn’t about simply handing someone a story and asking them to write a song. It was collaborative. Vince brought the experiences and the meaning behind them, while Kurt brought his songwriting experience and helped translate those ideas into music.
The result was an original song titled Fate Not Blood, written by Vince and Kurt Stevens through Operation Song.
It’s a song about the bonds formed through military service and the idea that family isn’t always determined by blood. Sometimes, it’s the people who stand beside you through life’s most challenging experiences.
We won’t give away the entire story behind the song here. We think it’s worth experiencing for yourself.
More Than a Song
One of the things we appreciate about this experience is that it gives veterans another way to share their stories.
Not everyone wants to sit down and talk about their military experiences. Not every memory is easy to put into words. And sometimes, having someone help tell a story makes all the difference.
Music has a way of connecting people who might otherwise never understand each other’s experiences.
For Vince, Fate Not Blood is a way to recognize the relationships and connections that are such a lasting part of military service.
For us, it was also a reminder that travel isn’t always about the destinations we visit. Sometimes, it’s about the experiences we have and the stories we bring home.
We’re grateful to Operation Song and Kurt Stevens for making this experience possible and giving Vince the opportunity to share a piece of his story.
Learn More About Operation Song and Kurt Stevens
If you’re a veteran, active-duty service member, military family member, or someone who wants to support an organization helping military members share their stories, we encourage you to learn more.
Operation Song
Website: https://www.operationsong.org/
Kurt Stevens
Listen to Kurt Stevens on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hxWaqOFMEKfbdxs3O9Iwj
We also encourage you to watch our video as we introduce Operation Song and take you along for Vince’s Nashville songwriting experience.
A Note for Veterans Who May Need Support
We also want to recognize that military experiences can leave lasting effects, and not every veteran has an easy transition after service.
If you or someone you know is a veteran experiencing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide, help is available through the Veterans Crisis Line.
- Call 988, then press 1.
- Text 838255.
- Visit https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
You don’t have to face everything alone.
Vince DiLoreto spent 20 years in the United States Air Force seeing the world before deciding to see it properly — this time with a camera, an RV, and considerably better food. A trained photographer and the visual half of Fitting in Adventure, Vince captures the places, people, and moments that make every trip worth telling. When he’s not behind the lens, he’s behind the wheel, which means he’s seen every gas station between Florida and the Pacific Northwest.