WWII veteran Irving Locker is serving up the tunes after serving his country by becoming a published songwriter at the age of 101.
Locker released his first published song, “If Freedom Was Free,” through Big Machine Label Group and CreatiVets — just one day before his birthday, according to the Associated Press (AP). Locker, who landed at Utah Beach on D-Day, worked alongside singer-songwriter Bart Crow and duo Johnny and Heidi Bulford, who both sing with Locker.
The powerful chorus lyrics, “If freedom was free, there wouldn’t be a mountain of metal and men under Normandy,” reminds listeners of Locker’s important message behind the song.
In a life filled with milestones, Irving Locker celebrated a new, unexpected one last week: He became a published songwriter. https://t.co/b7YbCvPuvY
— KGET 17 News (@KGETnews) November 10, 2025
“I have to talk about things like that,” he told AP. “I got nothing to gain. But people have to know and appreciate the fact that they’re living because of men who died. It comes from the heart, not the lips.” (RELATED: George Strait Shocks Wounded Vet With New House)
Locker has shared his experiences by lecturing in classrooms, and he has even spoken at the White House. He continues to deliver the message that freedom is not free.
Vowing to always honor those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of our country, Locker said writing the song gave him an “unbelievable” thrill that he never imagined was possible. Crediting music as being an important part of his life, he told the outlet that he doesn’t just express himself through his own songs — he also enjoys the art created by others.
World War II veteran Irv Locker, one of the last surviving soldiers of the D-Day invasion, marked his 101st birthday this weekend while sharing a powerful reminder on Saturday about the cost of freedom. https://t.co/HWfLftIzfP
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) November 8, 2025
The war vet said he and his wife of 77 years still go dancing, preferring to do the jitterbug and the cha-cha.
“You should see me on the floor even now,” Locker told the AP, noting he is lucky to be alive.
“To be very honest with you, I was never conscious of God until the war,” he said. “But I came so close to dying that I learned how to thank God and use the simple phrase ‘But for the grace of God go I.’”