Why a Lebanon songwriter to the stars stokes 4-day fire as a silent Memorial Day tribute

Burning a fire for 96 hours straight on the weekend leading into Memorial Day is a silent tradition for a longtime Lebanon songwriter and musician.

Donny Kees, 76, has written songs for the likes of George Strait, Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney and Tanya Tucker.

Kees is also an Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam, which is every bit as meaningful to him.

Now, for the 12th year, Kees has lit a modest fire in a firepit in a gazebo in the back area of a side driveway at his home in The Fairways neighborhood near Lebanon Golf and Country Club. It's an unspoken, unsung and unwritten ode.

“I don’t know of any who went to Vietnam who came back and were the same as when they left,” Kees said quietly.

The fire burns day and night until around 6 p.m. on Memorial Day. Kees lights the fire in honor of all veterans, especially those who died in the line of duty. And he holds a special place for soldiers who served in Vietnam.

“It’s to honor the veterans who never got to come home and the veterans who came home but were not welcome, which I was one of,” said Kees, who continues to suffer health issues from his time in Vietnam.

Kees retired as a full-time songwriter in 2013, but he still picks up a pen now and then.

Memorial Day weekend in Tennessee often includes rain and even downpours. If it rains hard enough, Kees will put some embers and ashes in a bucket and take shelter in the garage or under an umbrella or gazebo to keep it going.

Kees' takes only cat naps during the four days with help from his wife, Diana, to nurse the fire that "means so much to him and to a lot of other people," Diana said.

By 6 p.m. Memorial Day, Kees is tired. But "it's a good tired."

"He's a giver," said U.S. Army retired Col. Steve Wilson, a close friend of Kees. "He includes others. He does it for sincere reasons."

The picture the fire represents is "a lot of munitions flying around and fires everywhere,” Kees said about his time in Vietnam. The fire is visible from the front of the home with patriotic banners on a gate and American flags also displayed. Some neighbors know about Kees' tribute and will walk by and wave or make contact.

“I get very emotional,” said neighbor Patricia Fleming, whose late husband was a Vietnam veteran. “Donny is someone who knows the true meaning of Memorial Day. He does it for the right reason. Knowing someone has that feeling means a lot to me.”

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ AndyHumbles.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lebanon songwriter stokes 4-day fire to honor lost, forgotten veterans