WATCH: Army Rangers Release Video for ‘I’m Gonna Miss You’ Memorial Day Tribute

Twitter/@ABC
Twitter/@ABC

Being deployed in Afghanistan did not stop First Lt. Andrew Yacovone and First Lt. Justin Wright of the band Interstate 10 from releasing a music video for their Memorial Day tribute song, “I’m Gonna Miss You.”

The song, which was recorded in Afghanistan, is a stirring five-minute love letter that honors the men and women who gave their lives and those currently serving in the U.S. military.

The words “To remember those who fought for our freedom” are seen in the music video spliced between footage of active duty servicemen and women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZvUAD0wGOc

“Memorial Day is about remembering the ones we lost and supporting their loved ones,” reads the description of the video on the band’s YouTube account. “It’s about celebrating the lives they lived. Thanking them for allowing us the opportunity to come home safe, and most of all, thanking them for a second chance to hug our loved ones.”

Yacovone, who’s from Hollister, California, and Wright, who’s from Tallahassee, Florida, met on their first day of training in 2014, according to ABC News.

The duo plans to donate $500 to the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation if their newest anthem reaches 100,000 views on YouTube between Friday and midnight of Memorial Day. The video currently has more than 5,000 views.

“We wanted this song to make an impact for the right reason,” Wright told the Tallahassee Democrat in an email interview. “We thought this was a great way to honor those who have given everything.”

Yacovone began writing the song before he met Wright. But after three soldiers from their battalion died, the two had a reason to complete the song.

“From then on the song took new meaning for us and we knew we had a debt to pay and a mission for this song,” Wright said.

Wright is currently in Bagram Airfield near Kabul, while Yacovone is in Kandahar.

Vocals for “I’m Gonna Miss You” were recorded before Yacovone and Wright’s second deployment. Though separated by more than 300 miles of hostile territory, the two musicians managed to record and edit the video for release before the holiday weekend.

“Our freedom came at a price. A price we are still paying today,” said Wright. “We all are in debt to those families whose soldiers were taken in wars so that we can have a BBQ on the weekend, go to the beach, vacation, travel without being in danger.”

Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @jeromeehudson.

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