Terry: WELL, BEFORE

KENNY THOMAS STRUMMED HIS

GUITAR FOR A LIVING, HE

CARRIED A RIFLE, AND HE

FOUGHT IN ONE OF THE

BEST-KNOWN BATTLES OF MODERN

WARFARE, TAKE A LOOK.

Reporter: KENNY THOMAS

IS AN UP-AND-COMING COUNTRY

MUSIC STAR WHO HAS SHARED

THE STAGE WITH THE LIKES OF

VINCE GILL, BRAD PAISLEY,

AND KEITH URBAN BUT HE IS A

FORMER U.S. ARMY RANGER, AND

HE SERVED IN THE MISSION

KNOWN AS BLACK HAWK DOWN.

WE RAIDED INTO A DOWNTOWN

PART OF MOGADISHU.

WE KNOW GOING IN IT WAS A

BAD PART OF TOWN.

BUT WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN

WE CAME OUT WE WOULD LOSE 18

GUYS.

Reporter: TODAY KENNY

SHARES A MESSAGE OF HOPE

WITH A GUITAR, NOT A RIFLE.

AND IN HIS BOOK "GET IT ON,"

HE SHARES LESSONS OF COURAGE

AND FAITH FROM THAT FATEFUL

DAY IN SOMALIA.

Terry: PLEASE WELCOME

TO "THE 700 CLUB," KENNY

THOMAS.

IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU

HERE.

THANK YOU.

Terry: QUITE A STORY.

YOU SAY THE THREE WORDS YOU

HEARD IN SOMALIA CHANGED

YOUR LIFE FOREVER.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

"GET IT ON," THAT WAS THE

CALL TO ACTION.

I WAS WRITING A LETTER HOME

TO MY MOM.

A GUY WALKS OUT OF THE

AIRPLANE HANGAR, AND IT WAS

"GET IT ON," AND JUST LIKE

THAT EVERYTHING CHANGES.

Terry: CREED IS

SOMETHING YOU TOOK A LOT IN

YOUR BOOK, NIGHT GET IT

ON."

THE POINT IS YOU'RE ONLY

GOING TO BE AS GOOD AS YOU

PREPAREARE PREPARED TO BE.

YOU CAN CALL TRAINING WHAT

YOU WANT.

WE CAN CALL IT PRACTICE, YOU

CAN CALL IT BIBLE STUDY, YOU

CAN CALL IT

SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

BUT YOU ARE ONLY GOING TO BE

AS GOOD AS YOU MAKE YOURSELF

BE.

Terry: SO YOU HAVE TO

INVEST YOURSELF FULLY IN

WHAT YOU'RE DRIVING FOR.

ABSOLUTELY.

IT DOESN'T MIRACULOUSLY

COME.

HAVE YOU TO REALLY PRACTICE

HARD.

Terry: YOU'VE BEEN

THROUGH SOME AMAZING THINGS

IN YOUR LIFE, SOME

CHALLENGES, SOME STRUGGLES,

AND SOME TIMES WHEN IT

LOOKED LIKE YOUR DREAM

WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAITH AND

HOW THAT SUSTAINED YOU?

I'LL TELL YOU -- HERE IS

MY OPINION ON FAITH: I THINK

THAT THE STRONGER YOUR FAITH

IS, THE MORE AT PEACE YOU

CAN BE WITH LIFE AND WHAT IT

BRINGS TO YOU.

AND WHAT YOU START LEARNING

IS THAT IF YOU GET OFF THE

PATH, HE WILL LET YOU KNOW

PRETTY QUICK.

HE'LL START SLAPPING YOU

AROUND.

AND THAT'S CALLED PAIN.

AND YOU REALIZE YOU NEED TO

GET BACK TO WHERE YOU'RE

SUPPOSED TO BE.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT LIFE

GETS EASIER, BUT I JUST KNOW

THAT THE CHOICES GET SIMPLER

WHEN YOU HAVE A FAITH AND

YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE

SUPPOSED TO BE.

THE HARD PART IS FINDING OUT

AND ACCEPTING WHERE THIS IS

WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE.

BECAUSE THAT PATH WILL BE

MADE FOR YOU.

Terry: EVEN IF IT

DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE PATH.

BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO

FIGHT IT.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO SAY,

THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT.

Terry: HAVE YOU ALWAYS

HAD FAITH?

DID YOU GROW UP IN A

FAITH-BASED FAMILY?

YES.

WE DID.

I WAS IN THE CHOIR, AND

THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THE

MUSIC STARTED.

Terry: THAT'S AWESOME.

WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT

THING THAT YOUR MILITARY

SERVICE TAUGHT YOU.

THAT'S SOME RIGID TRAINING

AND REAL FOCUS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IN THAT

HELPED SHAPE YOUR CHARACTER?

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

YOU PULL OUT OF YOUR

MILITARY TRAINING -- THAT'S

A BIG QUESTION -- BUT MAINLY

WHAT I WOULD TAKE FROM THAT

IS WHAT I TRY TO TELL

EVERYBODY ELSE.

LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT THE

RANK.

BECAUSE THE STORIES I'LL END

UP TELLING YOU ARE FOT GOING

TO BE ABOUT THE GENERALS.

IT WILL BE ABOUT THE PRIVATE

DAVID FLOYDS, WHO IN THE

BEGINNING WEREN'T MUCH.

BUT THEN THROUGH HARD WORK

AND THE GOOD FORTUNE OF THE

PEOPLE THEY WERE AROUND

THEM, THEY BECAME THE

EXAMPLE FOR EVERYBODY TO

FOLLOW.

THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE A

DIFFERENCE, THROUGH YOUR

LEADERSHIP, WHICH THE

EXAMPLE THAT YOU SET.

Terry: YOU MADE A BIG

TRANSITION.

YOU WERE IN THE MILITARY,

AND NOW YOU'RE A WELL-KNOWN

SINGER, PERFORMER.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

I JUST HANDED IN MY RIFLE

AND PICKED UP MY GUITAR.

I TELL PEOPLE MUSIC IS A

DISEASE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU CAN

EVER GET RID OF IT.

THE BAND STARTED WHEN I WAS

IN THE MILITARY.

Terry: YOU ALMOST TOOK

A JOB IN IRAQ AND DIDN'T DO

THE OTHER.

THAT'S TRUE.

YOU'RE SO WELL-PREPARED.

A REALLY GOOD BUDDY OF

MINE -- THIS IS A NEAT

STORY.

HIS NAME IS JEFF.

AND HE WAS IN THE BATTLE

WITH US.

AND JEFF WENT ON TO BECOME A

CHAPLAIN IN THE MILITARY.

I HAD GONE TO NASHVILLE, AND

THE MUSIC CAREER WASN'T

WORKING OUT THE WAY I WANTED

IT TO, IT WAS TAKING TOO

LONG.

AND HE CALLEDG

BLUE.

AND HE SAID, THANK YOU FOR

WANTING TO GO BACK AND

SERVE, BUT I DON'T KNOW

ANYBODY WHO CAN DO WHAT YOU

DO.

WITH ONE SONG, YOU CAN DO

WHAT I COULD DO IN A YEAR OF

SERMONS.

SO SHORT OF A BURNING BUSH,

I DON'T KNOW HE CAN SPEAK TO

YOU ANY OTHER WAY.

HE WAS A CHAPLAIN.

I CALLED UP AND DIDN'T TAKE

THE JOB IN IRAQ.

AND SIX MONTHS LATER, WE HAD

AN UNEXPECTED HIT.

Terry: YOU'RE GOING TO

SING FOR US A SONG CALLED

"HOLD THE LINE."

WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF

THAT?

"HOLD THE LINE."

AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME

I'VE GOTTEN TO PLAY THIS.

SO I'M EXCITED.

I HAVE A BUDDY OF MINE FROM

RIGHT HERE IN VIRGINIA, AND

HE WAS RETIRING, AND IN HIS

SPEECH, HE TALKED ABOUT HOW

IT WAS HIS PRIVILEGE OF

HOLDING THE LINE.

WE DON'T ALL GET TO CARRY

RIFLES ANYMORE.

I GET TO CARRY A GUITAR, BUT

YOU CAN STILL COUNT ON ME TO

DO MY PART TO HOLD THE

LINE.

IT IS ABOUT THE PERSON OR

YOUR LEFT AND THE PERSON ON

YOUR RIGHT.

BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HELP

THEM, THE LINE FALTERS.

AND I GOT MY WRITERS AND I

SAID, I'VE GOT THIS IDEA,

AND BAM, IT HAPPENED.

AND I ALWAYS LIKE WHEN

WRITERS SAY AND GOD SHOWED

UP THAT DAY.

AND I'M LIKE, WHAT DAY IS HE

NOT THERE.

IT'S JUST WE HAPPENED TO

LISTEN.

THAT DAY.

Terry: I WANT TO SAY

THE NAME OF THE BOOK IS "GET

IT ON," AND I'M GOING TO

RELEASE YOU, KENNY, TO GO

EVER AND GET READY.

YOU'RE GOING TO FIND

MESSAGES THAT HAVE TO DO

WITH LEADERSHIP, DEVELOPING

CHARACTER, AND DOING YOUR

PART.

THIS IS BOOK IS AVAILABLE

EVERYWHERE THE BOOKS ARE

SOLD AROUND THE COUNTRY.

BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME,

ENJOY, FOR THE FIRST TIME,

KENNY THOMAS

SINGING "HOLD

THE LINE."

* PUT ON THAT KNUCKLE *

* THEY FALL BACK TO THE

HUDDLE *

* ONE LAST PLACE *

* YOU'VE GOT TO BUY ME SOME

TIME *

* I CAN GET US THERE, BOY,

BUT YOU'VE GOT TO HOLD THE

LINE *

* HOLD THE LINE *

* HOLD THE LINE *

* SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND

SIDE BY SIDE *

* IF IT YOUR BEST, YEAH *

* AND I'LL GIVE IT MINE *

* WE CAN WIN THIS TOGETHER

IF HOLD THE LINE *

* ELBOWS ON THE TABLE *

* 20 YEARS ON A JOB HE NEVER

THOUGHT WOULD EVER END *

* BUT HIS WIFE SAYS WE'LL

MAKE IT *

*

WE'RE GOING TO BE JUST

FINE *

* WE'VE GOT EACH OTHER, AND

WE'RE GONNA HOLD THE LINE *

* HOLD THE LINE *

* HOLD THE LINE *

* SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND

SIDE BY SIDE *

* YEAH, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE

FAITH *

* THE SUN'S GONNA SHINE *

* WE COULD DO THIS TOGETHER

IF WE HOLD THE LINE *

*

* SO HE GETS CHOKED UP WHEN

THE BUGLE PLAYS *

* AND HE REMEMBERS THE

BATTLE LIKE IT WAS JUST

YESTERDAY *

* AND HE KNOWS HE OWES HIS

LIFE TO THE ONES LEFT

BEHIND *

* AND FOR THEIR SACRIFICE,

HE GONNA HOLD THE LINE *

* HOLD THE LINE *

* HOLD THE LINE *

* SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND

SIDE BY SIDE *

* IN A WORLD GOING CRAZY,

YEAH, AND THESE TROUBLED

TIMES *

* WE'VE GOT TO ALL STAND

TOGETHER *

* WE'VE GOT TO HOLD THE

LINE *

* YEAH, IN A WORLD GOING

CRAZY *

* IN THESE TROUBLED TIMES *

* WE'VE GOT TO ALL STAND

TOGETHER *

* WE'VE GOT TO HOLD THE

LINE *