Veteran Battling Depression Sends Handwritten “Thank You” Note to Oliver Anthony, Gifts Him Uniform, Medal

Oliver Anthony has made a name for himself over the past year. Songs like “Rich Man’s Gold” and “Rich Men North of Richmond” struck a chord with countless listeners. One fan recently showed appreciation by sending the musician his fatigues and a medal from his days in the United States Marine Corps.

Many listeners dismissed Anthony (born Christopher Lunsford) after the political controversy surrounding “Rich Men North of Richmond.” However, many of his songs deal with topics such as mental health, alcoholism, and the desire to live a simple and community-focused life. Those songs resonate deeply with many fans. Gifts and notes like this one show how much his music moves people.

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“I Owe You a Handshake, Brother”

Anthony took to X to share a photo of the gift and the note that came with it. In the post’s caption, he shared his thoughts on the gesture. “A veteran sent me this. Hard to put into words what stuff like this means to me,” he wrote. “I owe you a handshake, brother.”

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“Hello Chris,” the Marine’s note began. “As a vet, I want to say thank you for your music. Depression sucks and I live with it. Seeing you live in the woods, I thought you could use my old cammies. [They’ve] been in my closet since 1995 when I got out. You can pretend to be a tree. LOL.”

Then, he gave a brief history of where the fatigues have been. “Cammies have been to Okinawa, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Singapore, Australia, plus months on the ocean,” he explained. “I was a helicopter mechanic.” The clothes weren’t the only thing that the Marine sent. “Also, is my squadron patch from our 1993 tour. My humanitarian medal I’m passing on to you. You earned it,” he wrote.

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Anthony added a message to the sender in the replies: “Mr. Long, if you see this by chance, I owe you some backstage passes. I don’t know how to get in touch, but maybe if someone recognizes the uniform, tag him in this.”

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images