James Otto Asks Fans to 'Honor a Hero'

Posted Sep 15th 2011 1:30PM by Gayle Thompson
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Michael Loccisano, WireImage

With the tragic events that occurred on September 11, 2001, still fresh in James Otto's mind a decade later, the country star is determined to turn the painful memory into something positive. The former member of the United States Navy has made it his mission to express gratitude to members of the military, as well as civil personnel who put their lives on the line each day to perform their job function, and has asked his friends and fans to join him in offering their support.

"Ten years may have passed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but we'll never forget the extent they changed our nation and the memories of those we lost," James shares on his website. "For several months since my USO tour in April I've been thinking about what we can do as a community to show our gratitude to our military and civil personnel who sacrifice their lives for us every day ... and after undergoing a mental block for awhile I finally came up with this idea I've named the 'Honor a Hero' Campaign. Let me know what you guys think!"

The 'Just Got Started Loving You' singer has set aside the month of September for fans to write about their own heroes on his website, whether they are members of the military, doctors, nurses, paramedics, firefighters, or just a friend or family member who inspires others. James will randomly select one story from each town he's playing in, and will give that fan two tickets to the show, plus dedicate his emotion-packed song, 'Soldiers and Jesus,' to their hero during the concert.

"Basically, my vision is for this to be a place for your heroes to be publicly honored and shown proper gratitude for their self-sacrifice," he notes, adding that he will personally read each story that fans share. "I know it's not much, but I feel this is the least I can do to show my sincere thanks to those who make the ultimate sacrifice, in memory of the Sept. 11th victims."

Share your inspirational stories here.

The married father will spend much of the next few months on the road, including a stop at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill this Sunday (September 18) in St. Louis Park, Minn. See his concert schedule here.

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